HELP - Is this what I should expect after a few days?

[CAL]

I had about 2000 units placed on the 13th of July. While most of the grafts are on top within my existing hair, there is still quite a bit in the front of my scalp in a v-shape which cannot be hidden. So far most of the blood scabs are still there but it appears that some of them may be falling off, it is hard to tell. It also appears that the new hair is growing because it feels very spiky and stiff. I know that these donor hairs will eventually fall out but I keep hearing different things, from a couple of weeks to several months. I have even been told that eventually they will all fall out and I will look almost pre-op with no hair there at all (which is what I have "normally" looked like for so long that there is a part of me that longs for that feeling of familiarity.) Does this make sense to anyone or am I just going through some "buyer's remorse" that nobody else there can relate to??? I have looked into this procedure for a long time and feel very comfortable with my choice of doctors after seeing his work and speaking with several of his patients. I don't feel comfortable walking around without a baseball cap and don't know when that might change. How have any of you out there handled this? As you can see, I need some advice here.

How do you walk around with your head held high when that very head looks so different than it did one week ago?

 

Looking forward to any insight you may have.

[CAL]

I had about 2000 units placed on the 13th of July. While most of the grafts are on top within my existing hair, there is still quite a bit in the front of my scalp in a v-shape which cannot be hidden. So far most of the blood scabs are still there but it appears that some of them may be falling off, it is hard to tell. It also appears that the new hair is growing because it feels very spiky and stiff. I know that these donor hairs will eventually fall out but I keep hearing different things, from a couple of weeks to several months. I have even been told that eventually they will all fall out and I will look almost pre-op with no hair there at all (which is what I have "normally" looked like for so long that there is a part of me that longs for that feeling of familiarity.) Does this make sense to anyone or am I just going through some "buyer's remorse" that nobody else there can relate to??? I have looked into this procedure for a long time and feel very comfortable with my choice of doctors after seeing his work and speaking with several of his patients. I don't feel comfortable walking around without a baseball cap and don't know when that might change. How have any of you out there handled this? As you can see, I need some advice here.

How do you walk around with your head held high when that very head looks so different than it did one week ago?

 

Looking forward to any insight you may have.

[JakeVig]

Cal, within 1-2 weeks the redness and scabs should be gone, with some people it will be gone a lot sooner. I had a problem because I had short hair already and needed to shave down the recipient area so for a long time it was really noticeable. I was lucky enough that I planned for 3 weeks off work and with a bit of help with Dermatch and Toppik for the first week and just Dermatch for the next couple of weeks no one was none the wiser.

 

If it wasn't for the fact that I had to have my recipient area shaved I would definately be ok to go back to work by the second week.

 

Hope this helps!

[tkotko]

CAL,

 

Everything that you described is normal, and if they didn't occur I'd be worried. I'm surprised your surgeon didn't spell out the expectations post-procedure. It was about day 10 I felt I was back to normal. The scabs were present up until that point. The grafts grew for about a month and eventually fell out, as expected. My scalp had a reddish tint for about 4 months, but that was unnoticeable for hte most part. You're probably just experiencing a little post-op anxiousness, which is common,and I had that, feeling that I really screwed up, but I couldn't be happier at this point. It's been about 3 years since I've had my procedure. Good luck to ya...

[wesley949]

Cal:

I went back to work on the 11th days after repairs and 2,400 Ht's. I have to admit that I was very concerned because when I looked in the mirror all I saw was a bright red head---but no one noticed. It was a bizarre experience. The one friend I had confided in said it just looked like I had a bit of a burn from the sun on my head. The real test that made me calm down was a friend who always says what he sees and thinks. He was the second person to see me on the morning of my return and he looked at me and said--ah you got a short haircut during your time off.

[HAIRBALD]

I just did 3000 or so grafts about 2 weeks ago and went back to work a week after. Nobody noticed anything and I work in a white-collar environment (can't wear a hat) and work directly with about 200 people. I feel that you should not change anything with your appearance post-op (like some guys do with shaving and the such) as to only draw more attention to yourself. I think this is more of an issue with people you might not see on a regular basis then the ones you do everyday. Using the sun burn approach or that you hit your head on something is good too.

[MrJobi]

Totally normal Cal

 

I went back to work within a week for both procedures.. I made sure to keep the hair in the back a little longer to conceal the donor area. I also used Dermatch to cover the HT area post op.. It is normal to feel remorse or question the surgery.. You will probably do this for the next 5 months until BANG!! The hair starts coming in and you start to see the results the next 6 months.. Thats when its SOOOOO worth it..

 

Be patient and it will come