Hiding the surgery

[fullcircle]

Hi guys,

 

I am almost at the point of finally taking the plunge. I have justified the cost, weighed my options, and simply put want to say goodbye to the shine atop my head. However, I have a couple of concerns remaining.

My profession doesn't allow me to wear a hat and I'm concerned with concealing both the scar and the transplant area. Is it possible to apply some type of concealer directly to the scar without affecting the healing process? If so, how soon?

The other concern is meds or lack thereof. I had been taking finasteride on a regular basis for the last 2.5 years but noticed only minimal positive results and I suffered some side effects which to me was reason enough to stop the use of the drug. How uncommon or common is it for someone to move forward with a transplant but not be on some type of "maintenance" medication?

Thanks for any help you guys are willing to offer!

[fullcircle]

Hi guys,

 

I am almost at the point of finally taking the plunge. I have justified the cost, weighed my options, and simply put want to say goodbye to the shine atop my head. However, I have a couple of concerns remaining.

My profession doesn't allow me to wear a hat and I'm concerned with concealing both the scar and the transplant area. Is it possible to apply some type of concealer directly to the scar without affecting the healing process? If so, how soon?

The other concern is meds or lack thereof. I had been taking finasteride on a regular basis for the last 2.5 years but noticed only minimal positive results and I suffered some side effects which to me was reason enough to stop the use of the drug. How uncommon or common is it for someone to move forward with a transplant but not be on some type of "maintenance" medication?

Thanks for any help you guys are willing to offer!

[dakota3]

How uncommon or common is it for someone to move forward with a transplant but not be on some type of "maintenance" medication?

 

It depends how advanced you are in your hairloss! If you are a NW6 and slick bald on top then I'd say dont worry about taking propecia "finesteride", But if you are a NW3 w/ very little hairloss I would weigh out the positives and negitives of taking Propecia and make your decision from there. Hope that helps

[Imissme]

I dont think any type of concealer is going to help hide anything if you've already got a "shine" going on the top of your head.

 

You could probably get away with using some concealer a couple weeks after the surgery on the donor area during work hours then cleaning it up when you get home but the recipient area will be pretty pink for some time.

 

I work in an environment where hats are kinda frowned upon but I can still get away with it...I'm grateful for that since I share the same concerns you have. Best of luck.

[Monza]

Fullcircle,

 

Regarding hiding your HT, I think a lot depends on if your doctor shaves you head. For me, my doc did not shave my head so the scar was hidden by my natural hair.

 

It was the transplanted hair at the front that caused me concern. I too can not wear a hat to work. Take a look at my weblog, I posted several pictures during the first week. I went back to work at Day 10 and did not receive any comments about my head.

[Chuckisduck]

I didn't really care about mine and shaved it close just to take care of it more easily. Talk to your doc with the concern.

[Sir Fivehead]

Just remeber that shock loss can occur to anyone and with any doctor. It is very random. Just have a look at my scar pictures. I had a reaction to the subcutaneous sutures. Thankfully, I can wear a hat at work, so it's just a pain in the ass for me, more than anything, until it grows back in. My motto is: Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst! If you are considering hiding your procedure from everyone, and you end up having shock loss, how are you going to handle it? Something to think about.

[3v_2008]

I've used Dermmatch to hide the scar and it works very well. I've also used eye liners that ladies use. It's not as good as Dermmatch. It makes your hair stiff.

[badger_01]

My doc shaved my recipient area. I had to wear a hat to work for the 1st month. After that I shaved down the sides and back and used dermatch to conceal the scar. That worked pretty well.

You can check out my blog for pics. I didn't suffer too much shockloss (which was a pleasant surprise since I am a diffuse thinner), which made it easier to conceal the ht as the hair on top was mostly uniform even when the new grafts shed.

As the others have pointed out, a lot depends on whether you have your head shaved for surgery. All in all, the first 2 months, or the ugly duckling stage is rough, but the return on investment is well worth the inconvenience.

[MikeN]

Unless you can wear a hat to work, it will be difficult to hide the surgery initially. "Results may vary." I had to wear a hat for approximately 5 months but I experienced extreme shockloss. My advice is be open about the surgery. In the grand scheme of things, who cares. I told anyone that asked me why I was wearing a hat. I'd let them know I had a surgery. If they asked more questions, I'd tell them. I also let my friends and family know pre surgery. It made the experience a lot less stressful than trying to hide it the entire time.

 

Best of luck!

[HealthyLiving8]

I'm just wondering if hair transplant surgery can restore the appearance of a full head of hair to someone who was completely bald on top. I have heard that even with a good amount of donor hair available in the back, hair restoration surgery still cannot restore a full head of hair and the scalp would still be visible.