Recipient area still red after 4.5 months

[sunhead]

I'm not getting used to the fact that my head will take longer than most to return to its natural color. While it is not as bad as the first few weeks, it is definitely dark and I still need to cover it with a combover even though the grafts are growing nicely.

 

I keep it covered all the time outside, but there may have been one or two occasions when I got sun on it for an hour or more, late afternoon. It didn't darken noticeably then, but I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

 

Has anyone had the experience of a long recovery time and found any cure? I don't want to be the black sheep in this forum where everyone seems to go normal in a month or two

[waitforanagen]

!'m 4 months out and my scalp is still discolored.... not red just a bit more pink than the rest. I still use concealer on it.

 

I would give it another month or 2 before getting really worried about it.

[gillenator]

I also recommend that you contact your surgeon/clinic and get their opinion.

 

There are topical steroid creams that can help with the lingering redness.

 

And definitely protect/cover your scalp for up to nine months or so post-op whenever exposed to UV rays for more than 10 minutes.

[Cowhorns]

I'm sure your not the black sheep! I had significant redness at 3 / 4 months, i'm just over 5 months in now and think I may still have some redness however as the hairs are growing in it becomes much less noticeable.

 

In the early days I tried the moisturising creams and aloe vera but they didn't really do much.

 

As much as a pain as the redness is, the good news is your grafts are growing well!

 

Hair Restoration Journal for Cowhorns - 3 Months Post Op

[TommyLucchese]

I'm at 5 months, 3 weeks and 1 day and mine is still red! Though finally it does seem like it is in its final stages now.....like just the last 15% to completely go or something.

 

Stop worrying about it. I had to get back to the real world at 3 months post op and the redness was still significant, I just said f**k it and stopped caring.

 

Not only is the redness fading loads now but the grafts are also looking good and covering it more. Sounds like you could be in the same boat as me. Don't worry you're not alone, I thought I was the longest person with redness in history but I made a thread and there's quite a few who have it for a significant amount of time.

[sunhead]

I'm at 5 months, 3 weeks and 1 day and mine is still red! Though finally it does seem like it is in its final stages now.....like just the last 15% to completely go or something.

 

Stop worrying about it. I had to get back to the real world at 3 months post op and the redness was still significant, I just said f**k it and stopped caring.

 

Not only is the redness fading loads now but the grafts are also looking good and covering it more. Sounds like you could be in the same boat as me. Don't worry you're not alone, I thought I was the longest person with redness in history but I made a thread and there's quite a few who have it for a significant amount of time.

 

Nearly 6 months is a long time.

 

I guess it wouldn't worry me if I had dark hair, but my white hair makes a bigger contrast against the scalp and so it's more noticeable. Thank goodness the hair is starting to cover and another couple of months should see most of it concealed with bulk. I hope.

[sunhead]

nick72

Good to know the creams didn't work - I won't waste my time on them then.

 

gillenator

My sun exposure was an accident I just couldn't avoid. Just hope there's no long term problems.

 

waitforanagen

Yes, I thought 4 months would see it gone too.

[waitforanagen]

I should also mention, at 6 weeks or so I tried prescription 2.5% hydrocortizone for a week - made no real difference.

 

Funny thing is, I was prepared for about everything, researching the hell of it before doing it. I never anticipated having a red scalp for soooooooo long.

[aaron1234]

After my first and second procedures, the redness lasted up to 10 months. Everyone is different due to physiological factors. Hopefully you didn't get a sunburn.

 

After my third transplant, I was prescribed prednisone for almost 3 months. It made a substantial difference in the redness.

[gillenator]

Both oral and topical steroid creams can potentially make a huge difference.

[sunhead]

I've just had a closer look at my 5.5 month-old new hair in my wife's 10x magnifying mirror, and I was wrong about the redness in my recipient area. My hair is normally white at the front and sides, with about 25% of my natural darker coloring mingling at the back. That's where the grafts came from of course, and what I'm seeing is those transplanted darker hairs among the white in the grafts at the front third.

 

It has given the hairline a shadow effect that from a distance I thought was a darker, red scalp. I looked closely and my scalp is the same color as the rest of me.

 

That's quite a relief of course, but looks like I'll end up with a mild two-tone hair for a while until it all blends together like the back. I would consider dying it, but then I'll never look like George Clooney so that's a waste of time

[gillenator]

Hey sunhead, thanks for sharing this awesome news with us and glad to hear of your noticable improvement.

 

Time in itself plays a huge role in our overall healing and recovery.

[sunhead]

...Time in itself plays a huge role in our overall healing and recovery.

 

I try to remember that daily when I peer into the mirror and don't see any growth spurt :mad:

 

Everyone says it's a long wait, and the situation doesn't change at any age. I feel like a young boy again, waiting impatiently at the night before Xmas that never seems to end.

 

And now, annoyingly, the extra growth at the front third has accentuated my bald crown even more. I had hoped to do a reverse combover to cover that, but at the rate it's growing (1/2" month) it will be at least another year before I get the length I need.

[gillenator]

It's so tough to see the improvement day-to-day, but you will definitely notice it month-to-month.

[BayAreaTransplant]

Hello, this thread does make me feel a bit better. I am still having redness/pinkness almost 4 months after surgery. I had 2500 grafts in the frontal region and its still quite red. On top wouldn't matter so much cause I know it will eventually grow out and cover up the redness but I had the grafts done down the temples as well and I wear my hair skin tight on the sides so there is no way to cover up those areas besides concealer. Luckily I can wear a hat to work everyday.

 

Photo taken 3 moths after surgery. This is way longer than I usually wear it on the sides. Is anyone else having this much redness after 3 months? Does anyone else have the temples done as well?

[HairDew]

I was pink almost up to 6 months. It will eventually fade.

[gillenator]

Hello, this thread does make me feel a bit better. I am still having redness/pinkness almost 4 months after surgery. I had 2500 grafts in the frontal region and its still quite red. On top wouldn't matter so much cause I know it will eventually grow out and cover up the redness but I had the grafts done down the temples as well and I wear my hair skin tight on the sides so there is no way to cover up those areas besides concealer. Luckily I can wear a hat to work everyday.

 

Photo taken 3 moths after surgery. This is way longer than I usually wear it on the sides. Is anyone else having this much redness after 3 months? Does anyone else have the temples done as well?

 

You may want to contact your surgeon and find out when they would recommend you using a steroid cream to help with the redness.