can you shave your head?

[skinnyvi]

has anyone been dissatisfied after their ht & shaved their head? can you shave your head?

[skinnyvi]

has anyone been dissatisfied after their ht & shaved their head? can you shave your head?

[arfy]

Yes it is possible to shave your head, but it is very possible that it will not look good. Think about it, hair transplantation is surgery and there is no such thing as surgery without scarring. There can be problems with your scalp surface, or the scars and non-scarred areas can differ in color or texture. When you shave your head, everything is out in the open. Plus shaved heads already will attract extra attention, scarred or not. Any variations in the scarred and non-scarres areas are definitely noticeable.

 

Some guys have shaved their heads post-transplant in an effort to turn back the clock. Not everybody is happy about their hair transplants (especially if they are not exposed to the better doctors!) and some guys shave their heads (or get hairpieces) to try to eradicate the "transplant look". Guys who shave their heads report various levels of happiness, depending on the quality and the amount of surgery they had, and their willingness to say "screw it" and deal with the scars in an upfront way. Some guys have thick skins and just handle it.

 

This is another example where quality of surgery is also a factor, even though the hair is shaved off... FU grafts are smaller than Minigrafts or plugs, and usually have minor or zero problems with pitting or cobblestoning (divots and bumps) which means that if you've had a quality FU transplant, your scalp is smoother than a guy who had other grafts. Guys with Minigrafts find scalp surface problems are more common. Then there is the big issue of the donor scar. Yes, it can be pencil thin in some cases, or easily hidden by hair in cases, but even the most pencil-thin scar is an issue for a guy who shaves his head. It can be a major issue if it is a bad scar, and you want to shave your head. There is no such thing as "removing a scar" with surgery or creams and ointments, all you can do is minimize a scar... make it smaller possibly (with surgery) or try to make it blend better (with topicals). There is always going to be a scar, though.

 

Here is one area where a good FUE surgery would be an advantage, although these surgeries also create scars (small as they are, we have to all recognize that there is a scar created). Again, the amount and quality of the FUE would again be a factor. However an FUE transplant would be a much better situation for a guy who decided to shave his head.

 

There are other sites on the web where guys discuss shaving their heads post-transplant. I hate to direct traffic to competing sites, but if you can't figure out what those sites are, tell me.

 

The guys who get a hair transplant and then shave their heads have made a huge mistake by getting surgery (sometimes no fault of their own) and just hope to undo some of the damage. They think it's better to flaunt their scars than to have unnatural looking hair. It's not a good situation to be in, but yes it has been done.

 

Please, if you think you'd want to shave your head as an option, do NOT get a hair transplant, just go ahead and shave your head. Don't spend a bunch of money on a transplant and create a bunch of scarring, and then realize LATER that you'd just prefer to shave it off. The time to shave is BEFORE a transplant, INSTEAD of a transplant.

[Guest]

Arfy,

 

**You wrote, "There are other sites on the web where guys discuss shaving their heads post-transplant. I hate to direct traffic to competing sites, but if you can't figure out what those sites are, tell me."**

 

I've been looking for web sites for post-transplant head shaving to no avail, could you please forward me in the right direction? I really need all the information I can get on this topic. Also, if anyone else knows of similar web sites.

 

I don't think Pat would mind...

 

Thanks!

[Guest Unka]

I'm new to this forum, great info out here, glad I found it.

 

I had a HT done when I was 23, small amount (60 grafts). Corn Row plug look on the crown only. About 8 years ago, after the rest of my hair fell out, I said F*&K IT and shaved it of. Talk about FREEDOM!!! My scenerio may be different. I had a small amount done, small 5-6" scar on the back of my head that is very noticable. I'm 6'5" so it's pretty hard to see the crown unless I'm sitting down.

 

About 4 years ago I had laser skin resurfacing done on the crown and scar to smooth them out. Must say it was well worth the money. The crown is much much smother and the scar is flat and not raised. I bic my crown to keep it smooth and less noticable

 

For me, shaving was the best. I'm still a bit self concious about the scar but not many people ask abou it (and when then do, I tell them I had surgery when I was younger). I'm sure people put two and two together but for me, I feel much better and look much better this way. I'm considering an FUE into the scar with Dr Bernstein to help cover it up a bit.

 

BTW, when I say shave it, I am either 1/16 of an inch or no attachment.

 

Bottom line, you won't know unless you do it buddy. If you don't like it you can always grow it back.

 

Best of luck!!!!

[scooping around]

i currently have my head shaved with a razor about twice a week. I'm thinking about going to proscar/propecia soon, to see if the drug can help me hold on what I got, or hopefully maybe some regrowth. Part of my initial reasoning for shaving my head was to hide the fact that my hair line is receding, but after doing so for more than a year straight now, I feel pretty comfortable having no hair, at least more comfortable than I thought I would be. I find myself more and more comfortable about telling others that I shaved my head because I'm loosing my hair. A lot of people tell me that I don't look bad bald and I honestly believe that most people really don't care too much anyways. Bottom line, regardless of how fashionable it is to shave your head, a person will look better with hair. I will still get a HT sooner or later, but for the time being I'm happy with the fact that I can put it off by shaving my head and don't feel and look 100% awkward.

[troy]

I liked shaving my head, i could be ready for anything in 30 seconds!! I like the look, just not on me, I have a pin head and it really showed that, but if you are happy with your head shaved I wouldnt get a ht, save the money.

[scooping around]

I don't mind the shaved head look as I had it during high school. If I have the option, of course I would like to be able to have a full head of hair, so I don't have to shave my head all the time. I will at least schedule a consulation with one of the top doctors recommended on the site and get their opinion. I am also going to start propecia within the next month. So I guess you can say that I'm ok with being bald temporarily. Since I'm 26, I keep myself in good shape and a bald head makes me look like an athelete of some sort, but I'd like to be able to have different hair style when I'm in my thirties.