12-14 days FUE Post-op: Aloe Vera & Donor soreness...

[azjoe1]

Hi all,

 

I'm 12-14 days post-op after 1967 FUE procedure and am in full paranoia mode about taking care of my grafts wanting to know if I'm healing properly. There is SOO much conflicting information post-op that its driving me crazy. Hope you guys can help!

 

I still have about 1/3 of the scabs on my head (just began washing more vigorously on day 9-11) and have alot of dry skin in and around the recipient area--is it okay to apply Aloe Vera lotion/gel/spray directly to the area for moisturizing???

 

Also, my donar area continues to be quite sore--sort of like a sunburn on my scalp. Scabing is virtually gone, but it seems like this "sunburn/soreness" may be lasting longer than it should. Any thoughts???

 

Oh yeah, during my first couple of more vigorous washings (actually using my hands--no direct stream from shower), I did notice alot of little stubs falling out and the recipient area does look a bit thinner now (bummer!)--that's okay, right???

 

Thanks all--really need some reassurance!

[mikemorrow2000]

Hi Joe;

 

I wanted to take a shot at this because no one else was responding. Everything you are feeling is perfectly normal. You will be at times over the next 6-8 months feeling a lot of anxiety and anticipation. I am at 8 months now (Dr Cooley, 3,288 grafts) and have never been happier with my decision and the results. Most will tell you that the growing and maturization will continue up to 12 to 18 months.

 

The recipient area will get much thinner until it gets thicker again. That is the anxiety part. It really started growing for me around 4 months but it is different for everyone, I had a lot of shock loss. The soreness should subside pretty much after about 3 or 4 weeks.

 

I don't know about the Aloe Vera moisturizer but it sounds okay, you should probably consult with your HT physician. I used Emu Oil as a moisturizer but mainly to keep the Follicle Solution Therapy Spray in my hair so it didn't evaporate away. That is sort of a conditioner that I used because I felt it was being helpful. Probably not though, I spoke to the doctors assistant and she said that no matter what you put in your hair it doesn't really matter. It is an individual thing and everyone will grow at their own pace.

 

I hope this helps a little. I'll leave you with one thing Doctor Cooley told me (I don't think he'll mind) "The more you look at it the slower it grows".

 

Just try to eliminate all stress from your life right now, I know easier said than done. Happy Growing!

 

 

Hi all,

 

I'm 12-14 days post-op after 1967 FUE procedure and am in full paranoia mode about taking care of my grafts wanting to know if I'm healing properly. There is SOO much conflicting information post-op that its driving me crazy. Hope you guys can help!

 

I still have about 1/3 of the scabs on my head (just began washing more vigorously on day 9-11) and have alot of dry skin in and around the recipient area--is it okay to apply Aloe Vera lotion/gel/spray directly to the area for moisturizing???

 

Also, my donar area continues to be quite sore--sort of like a sunburn on my scalp. Scabing is virtually gone, but it seems like this "sunburn/soreness" may be lasting longer than it should. Any thoughts???

 

Oh yeah, during my first couple of more vigorous washings (actually using my hands--no direct stream from shower), I did notice alot of little stubs falling out and the recipient area does look a bit thinner now (bummer!)--that's okay, right???

 

Thanks all--really need some reassurance!

[rws]

azjoe, I'm on post-fue day 7 and using a little aloe vera gel on my donor region to calm down the soreness and burning. Doesn't seem to be doing any harm, definitely soothes the area a lot, and I found a few posts etc. online which recommend it too. I'd check with your physician to be sure but I'm having no problems using it.

[Blake Bloxham]

Joe,

 

Most hair restoration experts agree that the newly implanted follicular unit grafts are 'anchored' between days 7 to 10 (with most leaning toward 7), so by day 14 you probably don't need to worry about actually dislodging a graft.

 

Additionally, I personally haven't heard any issues applying an Aloe Vera type gel to the scalp (as long as you make sure to wash it properly), but I'd probably call/email your hair restoration clinic just to double check and make sure you're following their specific post-operative advice as closely as possible.

 

As far as the swelling/soreness in the donor region is concerned, it's definitely influenced by the amount of work performed in the region (the number of follicular unit grafts extracted), but I don't believe some lingering soreness after 12-14 days is anything out of the ordinary (though you could double check this with the clinic as well).

 

Good luck!