how to avoid looking stupid when grafts grow in

[grnstrt]

I've been searching high and low and haven't found a discussion about what seems like an unavoidable pitfall of hair transplant surgery: how does one avoid looking stupid when their grafts begin to grow in at a shorter length than the rest of one's hair?

 

I had a procedure two weeks ago. Right now, the grafted hairs are still in place and I buzzed my existing hairs to match their length, so it all looks uniform. But my transplants will shed soon (some have already) and the rest of my hair will continue to grow. Not only am I worried this will make it obvious I had a hair transplant, as my hairline will go from full to receding in a matter of days once the transplants fall out, but it seems unavoidable that my hairline will look unnatural when the grafts being to grown in again. It will look like someone cut only the front hairs to a very short level and left the rest of my hairs long.

 

Has anyone been through this, especially with a transplant in the receding corners, where it's hard to hide that area? Is the only answer to just keep buzzing your head over and over again until you're confident all of the new hairs have grown in and you can let them all grow out at the same time?

 

I would like to make it as inconspicuous as possible that I had a transplant, so any advice on how people handled blending in the growth of the transplanted grafts would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[pkipling]

I just kept mine buzzed short until around the 3 month mark when I was expecting some new growth to start. The problem for me with letting it grow out was that it was so obvious that it was receding when the hairs got longer. I wasn't worried at that point that people would know I had a hair transplant, per se (I wore a hat for the first month so no one would know), but that before my HT, I could hide my recession with my longer hair. With it shorter, there was nowhere for the receding hairline to hide - and I found it much less noticeable with a buzz cut.

[voxman]

how to avoid looking stupid when grafts grow in ? I carried around a copy of George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM - that made me look extremely smart! Ulysses by James Joyce is good too.

[grnstrt]

pkipling - thanks for your post. I looked over your photos and you and I are in similar situations regarding our age, the area transplanted, size of the operation and relative health of our surrounding hair. Your 4 month photos look great - I'd be thrilled if that's the coverage I have at four months. In my mind everything up until 6 months is just small random stubble and/or whispy fine white hairs growing in the transplanted area so that it looks especially obvious that there was a transplant, but your photos give me some hope I'm exaggerating things. I also know what you mean about using longer hair to cover the receding hairline, which is why when I shed all my new hair transplants I'm worried it will look obvious I had a transplant because suddenly my hairline will be receding in the span of a week and I won't have longer hair to cover that up. But oh well, I doubt most people would notice and even if they did they'd just think maybe they are incorrectly remembering how my hairline looked a week ago.

 

Voxman - thanks for the laugh. I'll make sure everyone sees my first edition.

[pkipling]

pkipling - thanks for your post. I looked over your photos and you and I are in similar situations regarding our age, the area transplanted, size of the operation and relative health of our surrounding hair. Your 4 month photos look great - I'd be thrilled if that's the coverage I have at four months. In my mind everything up until 6 months is just small random stubble and/or whispy fine white hairs growing in the transplanted area so that it looks especially obvious that there was a transplant, but your photos give me some hope I'm exaggerating things. I also know what you mean about using longer hair to cover the receding hairline, which is why when I shed all my new hair transplants I'm worried it will look obvious I had a transplant because suddenly my hairline will be receding in the span of a week and I won't have longer hair to cover that up. But oh well, I doubt most people would notice and even if they did they'd just think maybe they are incorrectly remembering how my hairline looked a week ago.

 

Voxman - thanks for the laugh. I'll make sure everyone sees my first edition.

 

You can almost take it to the bank that most people won't even notice as much as we probably think they would - it's definitely more noticeable to us personally than anyone else, so hopefully you fly under the radar. And like I said, the shorter you keep it, the less noticeable any recession in the hairline area will be anyway.

 

And it may not be a bad idea to not expect much growth until the 6 month mark anyway so as to avoid potential disappointment. I didn't expect great results until around then myself, so when it started coming in a little earlier, it was just a great surprise. So you seem to have the right attitude about it I would say.

 

Good luck with the rest of the growing. Keep us posted with the results. :cool:

[BigP]

Hi Guys,

 

I just got a 5000 graft transplant 2 weeks ago. When is the earliest position that you can start buzzing your hair? My doctor said to wait at least 6 months, but some people do it after the 1st month.

 

Like you guys, I am worried it will look stupid so what have you heard or experienced? When is the earliest it is safe to start buzzing your hair?

 

THanks

[Yaz89]

Hi Guys,

 

I just got a 5000 graft transplant 2 weeks ago. When is the earliest position that you can start buzzing your hair? My doctor said to wait at least 6 months, but some people do it after the 1st month.

 

Like you guys, I am worried it will look stupid so what have you heard or experienced? When is the earliest it is safe to start buzzing your hair?

 

THanks

 

Buzz the sides and leave the transplant area. As the new grafts will fall anyway. You had 5000 all over the head; I don't see no point in having the transplanted area cut. In a few months you can start using clippers with grade 1 attachment. BigP, I have the same doc as you, check my thread for pics when I was in the ugly duckling phrase. You will get a rough idea what to expect the following weeks

[grnstrt]

BigP, granted I had fewer grafts than you and only in the hairline, but I buzzed the rest of my head a week after the transplant (in fact, I had to, because I looked absurd with hair on my head that was inches long and then the implanted area of stubble on my hairline). I was careful not to touch the transplants though and just buzzed the untransplanted areas - fortunately it all looked roughly the same length when I was done. My doctor told me that a few weeks after the transplant, all the grafts are permanent and you can have your hair cut because even if transplanted hairs fall out during the hair cut (and they likely will) you're not affecting the grafts underneath the skin. 6 months is a shockingly long time not to be able to buzz your hair - is your doctor suggesting you don't cut your hair for six months or you just can't buzz it (I don't see any reason for the difference)?

[BigP]

Hi, yes thanks. I think I will buzz the donor area but ask a skilled barber to use scissors to cut the top and be very careful!

 

Yes i was a bit concerned that you have to wait months. I am not sure that I can however as it will look quite bad given how many grafts I have had. It will just look like a barbie doll head, so I need to keep it as short as possible.

[pkipling]

Hi, yes thanks. I think I will buzz the donor area but ask a skilled barber to use scissors to cut the top and be very careful!

 

Yes i was a bit concerned that you have to wait months. I am not sure that I can however as it will look quite bad given how many grafts I have had. It will just look like a barbie doll head, so I need to keep it as short as possible.

 

Of course you should always check with your doctor and follow his advice, however I can't imagine why he would tell you not to buzz your hair for 6 months after surgery. After 5 days, the grafts are securely in place regardless - so there's nothing you can really do to damage them. I buzzed my head completely with clippers just to even everything out after 5 days with complete support from my doctor. I used a guard so that the metal part wasn't directly on my scalp so as to avoid any potential nipping and was extra careful, but it was relatively simple.

 

The general rule I would follow for buzzing/cutting your hair after surgery (given that there are no complications, excess scabbing, etc.) is 5 days after surgery for FUE and 2 weeks for FUT (due to the scar in the back.) Of course, be gentle and careful as the area may still be tender, but as far as the grafts go I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[BigP]

Thanks, I will email the clinic back and ask for certain as I don't want to walk around looking like Friar Tuck for the next few months

[TommyLucchese]

I think you have to just bite the bullet and accept it. I've seen some really good combforward jobs but really I think you just have to accept it's a short-term problem that will hopefully be more than worth it in the end.

[BigP]

Spoke to my doctor again and he said donor area minimum 1 month, reciptient 3-4 months. I guess I will have to follow the doctors instructions, and bite the bullet as you say!