How Short Can My Hair Be?

[Billena]

Before surgery patient often ask, "Do I need to shave my head?"

 

In Dr. Wesley's practice, patients are not required to shave their heads for a traditional strip harvest approach to hair restoration surgery. Instead, they are encouraged to wear their hair at a minimum of 3/4" in length. However, Dr. Wesley is able to achieve an effective camouflage of sutures in the donor area in patients with even shorter hair length.

 

 

 

 

 

Although hair that is slightly longer in the donor area makes it easier to perform the surgical donor closure, this video demonstrates how - before (left image) and two weeks after (3 pictures on the right) - the donor area can already appear very normal. This allows patients to comfortably return to work, school, or social activities.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Billena

[TakingThePlunge]

Billena,

 

Great post! That is certainly a frequently asked question around here. I've taken the liberty of publishing this on our Hair Loss Q&A Blog as well.

 

Do I Have to Shave My Head for a Hair Transplant?

[s2thoudriver]

Can i ask what/if concealer was used in these pictures?

 

The hairs look very matt and slightly greyer in colour than before, plus there is no visible scalp between the hairs.

 

Thanks

 

Rob

[Dr. Carlos Wesley]

Great! Thanks, David.

 

And, Rob, I'm not 100% sure, but I don't recall the patient using concealer. I can follow up with him and find out. His donor hair did certainly grow back and was quite thick. If he did use it, it wouldn't have been throughout his entire scalp. Only in the donor. But I generally discourage patients from applying anything like TOPPIK until about two weeks out from surgery.