For how long after a transplant should you wear a surgical hat, not a baseball hat?

[rsn]

Just had transplant. Someone in the doctor's office said to wear a surgical hat for the first 24 hours instead of a baseball hat. She said the baseball hat could damage the grafts. Someone else in the office said not to wear a baseball hat for a full 72 hours.

 

They shaved the recipient area so I got to wear some hat.

 

Need to fly home.

 

Is going to look really weird wearing a surgical hat for 3 days.

 

Any advice?

[Garageland]

Have you had FUE or FUT? If the hat is clean then I see no reason why not to wear a baseball cap as long as it is not tight. You don't want the rim of the hat rubbing against the grafted area. Most of our patients leave the clinic after surgery with a clean baseball cap.

 

You should clear up with your clinic what they suggest you should do, 24 hours is a lot different to 72 hours. I would call them up and explain your situation.

[rsn]

I had FUT. Why would it matter which one I had?

[Garageland]

Some clinics that do FUE like to bandage up the patients donor area immediately post op so wearing a baseball cap would be out. I would say that if the baseball cap is clean you will be fine to wear one.

[Squatch]

I wore a ball cap the next day and never pulled a graft. I wore it loose. I kind of pinned it with some sunglasses I placed above the bill. It put no pressure on any incision.

[pkipling]

The main thing you need to make sure of is that it's loose enough on your scalp and that you don't touch the grafts at all when putting the hat on and taking it back off. I actually left surgery wearing a hat provided by the doctor. I had a bandage on to cover the donor area that I kept on until the next day, but gently placed the cap very loosely and strategically on top of my head so that the grafts were never touched.

[rsn]

The main thing you need to make sure of is that it's loose enough on your scalp and that you don't touch the grafts at all when putting the hat on and taking it back off. I actually left surgery wearing a hat provided by the doctor. I had a bandage on to cover the donor area that I kept on until the next day, but gently placed the cap very loosely and strategically on top of my head so that the grafts were never touched.

 

How can a baseball cap not touch the donor graft region. A cap sits right on top of it.

[GreatPelo]

The idea is to. Avoid rubbing and anything sticking to grafts. A high hat or cap that has clearance is fine.

[rsn]

The hat has no clearance. The recipient area was shaved. The hat would sit on the grafts. So I shouldn't wear the hat?

[GreatPelo]

Don't. Usually a baseball hat has enough clearance. Fishing or golf caps tend to hug scalp..not good.

[rsn]

So I should walk around with a surgical cap?

[pkipling]

How can a baseball cap not touch the donor graft region. A cap sits right on top of it.

 

You're right in that it does depend on the clearance of the hat, though most of my baseball caps have plenty of clearance. I had a bandage on the day I wore a hat home from surgery. The back of the hat touched the donor area (to which there is no threat) and the front of the hat was on my forehead, away from the grafts. There was plenty of clearance to keep anything at all from touching the grafts. I will add though that I was extremely careful. I put the hat on loose from front to back, then tightened it in the back. And when removing it, I would loosen the hat in the back and then remove it from back to front... Very careful, very deliberate.... However, if it's something you're worried about and don't feel comfortable with, I would just steer clear of it altogether and stick with the surgical cap. :cool: