Just received my 1st HT on Wed

[LGRANDE]

Just received my first HT on Wed and am quite excited. I don't know what to expect after reading most of your experiences, but am hoping for the best. Today is day 2 and my face is swollen; I look like I went a couple of rounds with the champ. How long is this supposed to last. My doc said 1-2 days. Is this true? I've been icying my forehead 3-4 times a day for approx.ly 20 min. Is there anything else I should be doing to keep the swelling down?

[LGRANDE]

Just received my first HT on Wed and am quite excited. I don't know what to expect after reading most of your experiences, but am hoping for the best. Today is day 2 and my face is swollen; I look like I went a couple of rounds with the champ. How long is this supposed to last. My doc said 1-2 days. Is this true? I've been icying my forehead 3-4 times a day for approx.ly 20 min. Is there anything else I should be doing to keep the swelling down?

[spoon]

Swelling will last 2-3 days. If you're unlucky (like me) you may end up with something resembling a black eye, but that should clear up by about day 5 or so.

 

I'm guessing you had a strip surgery (who was the doctor???, and how many grafts), which means you either have staples or sutures. In any event try to get an airplane pillow that wraps around your neck, and sleep sitting up for a few days. It really makes a world of difference.

[LGRANDE]

Spoon,

 

Dr Wentland(Arlington Heights,IL)performed the HT surgery and utilized sutures. I feel like poopies and haven't left the house since the surgery. I think I'll be ok when the swelling goes down. I've been wearing a loose fitting ball cap to hide the swelling. Per the Dr, I've also been taking 800mg of Ibuprofin to help with the sweeling. Any additional advice???

[Robert_]

LGRANDE,

 

Make sure that the ball cap doesn't touch the moist grafts for a few days post-op. You don't want the graft drying to the cap and being ripped out as a result. This danger will no longer be a problem after the grafts have fully "set" after about 10 days post-op.

 

Keep the recipient area out of the sun as much as possible, but when in the house let air get to it. This will speed healing.

 

I'm sure you physician went over cleaning the recipient area carefully for the first few days, but something that doesn't get passed on a lot is how important it is to massage and clean the donor area around the stitches. Simply lay back in the tub to get the area wet, apply shampoo, and massage the stitches and area around to loosen any scabbing and dried blood. This will speed healing and may actually contribute to a thinner scar.

 

Welcome to the forums and good luck!

 

-Robert

[spoon]

I was given some medication to help keep the swelling down post-op (Prednisone I think). I was given exactly 4 tablets with instructions for use. If it helped, then I hate to think what I would have looked like without it.

 

Anyway, the swelling will go away quickly so don't worry. I found the first few days extremely difficult - I didn't look good, I didn't feel good, and until it grows you'll be second guessing yourself. How did you decide on your doctor? I don't know anything about Dr. Wentland. I'm going to look for a website.

 

With regard to the hat, as Robert says be careful for a few days, but after a couple of days there shouldn't be any danger of grafts sticking to the cap. Avoid helmets for at least 3 weeks, and any kind of trauma e.g. contact sports. Avoid exercise for at least a couple of weeks and avoid heavy exercise for 4-5 weeks so the scar doesn't stretch. As he said, also avoid the sun on the recipient area. Sunburn is NOT good for new grafts. Good luck.

[LGRANDE]

Day three, in addition to my forehead and temples being swollen, my nose and eyes are also swollen. But it seems as if my forehead has gone down somewhat. I've not bled and I'm just a little sore near the HT area. In fact, the area feels numb. Is this normal? I've been taking Keflex and Toradol (prescribed by Dr) for 3 days now and with my luck, I'm still swollen.

 

As far as the donor area goes, I can feel the sutures, but it doesn't appear to be swollen nor does it feel numb like the HT'd area.

 

Today will be my first day washing my hair and am nervous. I guess I don't want to screw anything up. I was given a surgical brush which I'm supposed to use only the soft side on days 2-6. Anyone have any additional do's and don'ts???

 

Has anyone heard anything good or bad of Dr Thomas Wentland M.D., S.C.??? His practice is based out of Arlington Heights, IL. Please advise. Thanx.

[zerro]

LGRANDE... additional advice! If you're not, sleep in a recliner if you have one if you don't, use a lot of pillows to elevate your head. This helps reduce the swelling, blood pressure and helps keep the weight and friction off of your new Ht. Also don't bend over for a few more days. Your scalp is going to feel numb like you're wearing a leather football helment for about 3-4 weeks. For the first 6 weeks or so, your head is going to itch like crazy because it is healing. For me that was the worst part of the whole thing. For about a week I greased up my head with Bacitracin ointment put on a winter hat to help prevent me from itching it while I slept. I assume you were told no heavy exercising, that to use baby shampoo for 10 days or longer. Don't wash, wet or rinse your head with a hard shower spray (I recommend using a cup of water) and not to rub your HT or donar scar but lightly lather soap into these areas. Baby shampoo sucks, but after ten days you can use any shampoo of your choice. In a couple of weeks if it is not all ready your Ht/scalp will become oily and you will probably get pimples. Don't pop them! Just ride them out, they'll go away. Keep your head out of the sun, be careful with bumping it and relax. It takes a while before things begin to normalize. Waiting for results is the toughest part, but it does begin to happen. Good luck!

[LGRANDE]

Robert, Spoon and Zerro,

 

Thanx for the help and advice. Although I feel like Herman Munster looks, it's only a matter of time before great things happen. Up to date the only complaint I have is that darn swelling, which has now moved down to my nose, eyes and cheecks.

 

I showered for the first time since my HT and it was pretty nerve wrecking. I used the surgical sponge provided by my doc (sponge side only) and it wasn't to bad. Is this surgical sponge a one time use thing or can I continue to use it??? It

was wrapped in a sealed aluminum type package. The instructions don't say it can or can't be reused. If anyone knows plz let me know....

[arfy]

You can just fill up a big plastic cup with soapy water (shampoo actually) and pour it over your head. The sponge is not a requirement if you are nervous about using it. But it should be fine to re-use the sponge for a few days. The shower shouldn't be nerve wracking, just keep your head out of the spray (as per doctors orders).

 

I recommend that guys wash their hair last, for the first few days. If you soak your head for a long time the fresh grafts tend to swell up, which might not be a good idea. This will minimize your exposure to water while still keeping your head clean.

 

Sleep with your head elevated, as someone else said. Upright if possible (comfy chair etc). A good night's sleep is important though, so if it doesn't work for you then forget it, and try the mountain of pillows approach instead.

 

Look on the home page here for info on "best Hair Transplant". Hopefully Dr Wentland's staff used microscopes to dissect the donor strip, and used the all-Follicular Unit approach. That is considered the gold standard approach, however it is not that common because the doctors tend to resist change and just keep doing the same-old same-old. You can still get good results with almost any technique, however your odds of satisfaction go way up when the gold standard approach is used. Since it's not a good idea to take any chances with your appearance, most everybody here tends to recommend the all-FU approach. You really need to wait about 9 months to 1.5 years to get the best idea of your results though.