tender areas around the back of the skull

[joeblow]

Hi everyone, i'm new here so i'll give a basic run down on my profile: i'm 29, started suffering from male baldness in my early 20s and i'm now keen to get my first FUT procedure with a reputable surgeon.

 

Here's my problem:

 

Over the last few years i've experienced tenderness in 2 localised areas on the back of my head. I haven't done much about them because they haven't really caused me much discomfort, unless i apply small and isolated pressure on them. The size of each of these areas is probably no bigger than a finger print. I'd say the discomfort is fairly moderate, but if it was occur constantly for more than 5 minutes i'd probably be really irritated. Also, to make things worse, these 2 areas are located in prime donar area, so i guess it's quite likely the incision will be made directly over the top of them.

 

I've done a bit of research and found that these tender areas are common for people who have a lot of tension around their neck and base of their skull. These often cause "tension" or "cluster" headaches - something i do suffer a bit from (maybe once or twice a week)

 

I'm finding when i do scalp exercises in this area it's causing these headaches to flair up and makes me feel a bit nauseous. I'm pretty much feeling like this every day now.

 

I've scheduled an appointment with my GP this week and i'll also fire my hair transplant surgeon some questions, but i'm interested to see if anyone else on here has had similar problems and still proceded with FUT?

[Hal]

Joe,

 

I'm not a doctor and don't know anything about the condition you describe, but it sounds like you're doing the correct thing: consulting your GP and HT doctors before the procedure.

 

I am curious about one issue: during your initial consult, did you not bring this issue up to your HT doctor? what did he or she say?

 

What concerns me about your write up is the potential for frequent tension headaches post procedure.

 

The variables with regards to scalp tightness post procedure usually revolve around how wide the strip harvest is, how many grafts are harvested, what type of closure is used, and what type of scalp laxity the patient has.

 

Some patients report feeling a tight scalp for several months after a procedure, some claim that the tightness never has gone away, and others (like myself) had no feeling of tightness at all post procedure.

 

Your surgeon of course plays a big role in all this.

 

I would not say your issue disqualifies you from a procedure, but I would think long and hard about it and find out as much as I could about potential problems. You seem to be doing that so you're on the right track.

 

You may have to accept a lesser number of grafts from a smaller strip harvest in order not to close the donor area with too much tension.

 

One other thing I have heard: although it sounds counter intuitive, its been said that a tighter closure under tension leaves a finer scar and less possibility for stretch back. However, as I said, there are a lot of variables and every patient is different. Your HT doctor can take you through your particulars and explain potential risks and issues.

 

The bottom line for me in all this is that your issue is a pretty big red flag. I would weigh things very carefully before moving ahead. You could be setting yourself up for some serious post procedure health issues.

 

The best course of action IMHO is exactly what you're doing: consult your doctors, ask questions, do your research, and make an informed decision about the risks.

 

Hal

[joeblow]

Thanks for the feedback Hal, I really do appreciate it.

 

I actually have only communicated via email with my HT surgeon at this point.

 

I didn't really give much thought to the tender areas until i started the scalp exercises, which seem to cause the headaches. I guess I should of seen a GP a long time ago about it. I will certainly hold off with proceeding with the operation until i get this sorted out.

 

As a last resort do you think FUE could be an option? perhaps if the doctor could extract the grafts from around the tender areas and I also wouldn't have to worry about my scalp getting any tighter?

 

I haven't researched FUE that much, but I heard Dr Feller is good? how many grafts do you think he could extract over 2 days? how roughly how much do you think this would cost?

 

Thanks