Day 8-9 white scabs falling off. Sound safe?

[Bardlebee]

So I am day 8 post op and I took my first shower where I actually gently shampooed the recipient area. Before this day I was literally spraying my hair with a shampoo and water mist setting out of paranoia of dislodging grafts.

 

After my showers I have a full head of very noticeable and loose feeling white scabs, in them little hairs. Now my doctor said not to pick at any scabs, but if I just lightly caress them, many of them fall off. I know this is normal, but its causing this urge to constantly do it.

 

I haven't noticed any bleeding at all from doing it thus far and I try to stop myself. I just worry that maybe some grafts are not anchored by day 8 yet and my caressing the scabs will affect them. Think of it like barely touching type of caressing, I am not using my nails or anything. Does this count as picking? Should I stop doing this?

[TakingThePlunge]

This should be perfectly fine. At this stage, the grafts should all be very firmly anchored. It's especially fine if the grafts are softened from the shower.

 

It's normal to see small hairs embedded in the scabs. If there's no bleeding you're okay.

[gillenator]

By day 8 or so post-op. the crusts are ready to come off as long as you have healed your epidermis.

[JohnCasper]

Absolutely fine Bardlebee. That's what I experienced after I had 5,000 grafts done in 2012. Just be careful because the "crust" that comes off can actually serve as a type of gritty sandpaper on the top of your head which can irritate it a bit if you rub it too hard. I was glad to get some of the grit off and actually rubbed it on my head and caused some irritation. I really couldn't feel it initially because it was still numb from the surgery. I did feel some minor stinging when I got out of the shower. You will be just fine. Just be gentle.

[Bardlebee]

Thanks for the reassurance guys. My first and hopefully last transplant needed. If I respond well to finasteride. I plan to post pics up here in a little bit so I can give my doctor props on the great work. Since I posted this all scabs are off and I have had no bleeding or any signs of lost grafts so I think I am all safe and its now the waiting game.

[gillenator]

Look forward to your pics...

[SnowandtheSun]

It's normal to see small hairs embedded in the scabs. If there's no bleeding you're okay.

 

Can you explain this a little further David? I am 6 days post op and plan to gently caress the scabs out of my head on day 7 or 8. But yesterday i very gently rubbed one out of the front bc I could not help myself, and there was a little miniature hair embedded into it. I am not sure if this was the beginning of that follicle shedding, or if i lost a graft, or if it was normal. I just tried to not let it affect me too much.

[pkipling]

Can you explain this a little further David? I am 6 days post op and plan to gently caress the scabs out of my head on day 7 or 8. But yesterday i very gently rubbed one out of the front bc I could not help myself, and there was a little miniature hair embedded into it. I am not sure if this was the beginning of that follicle shedding, or if i lost a graft, or if it was normal. I just tried to not let it affect me too much.

 

After day 5, there should be no risk of losing a graft. You want to make sure the scabs are soft from the shower before you try to remove them so that they come off easier and don't irritate the scalp. But as for the grafts, they should be perfectly secure by now.

[TakingThePlunge]

Can you explain this a little further David? I am 6 days post op and plan to gently caress the scabs out of my head on day 7 or 8. But yesterday i very gently rubbed one out of the front bc I could not help myself, and there was a little miniature hair embedded into it. I am not sure if this was the beginning of that follicle shedding, or if i lost a graft, or if it was normal. I just tried to not let it affect me too much.

 

This sounds perfectly normal. It's not harmful for the hair follicle to shed along with the scab its embedded in. You'll know if you lost a graft you'd know. It would have a substantial amount of tissue around the end and there should be bleeding.

[SySperling10]

After day 5, there should be no risk of losing a graft. You want to make sure the scabs are soft from the shower before you try to remove them so that they come off easier and don't irritate the scalp. But as for the grafts, they should be perfectly secure by now.

 

This sounds perfectly normal. It's not harmful for the hair follicle to shed along with the scab its embedded in. You'll know if you lost a graft you'd know. It would have a substantial amount of tissue around the end and there should be bleeding.

 

Thanks for your insight and perspective! Helpful as I am just beyond this point.

[SnowandtheSun]

Thanks for your answers David.

 

Thread Starter: So I am pretty close to where you are, I am 7 days post op today. This morning before I showered (I do the method where I use the shampoo and water in the cup and gently pour to keep it clean but no touching or shower streams), I put baby oil in my hair for 20 minutes to soften the scabs. Then I showered and gently rubbed with a light stream running over my recipient area. Most scabs but not all came out, with minimal hair coming out as well. I plan to repeat this tomorrow morning and the next morning until all the scabs are out. I hope this works. Im just paranoid of grafts falling out during this process even though supposedly theyre in there for good after 5 days.

[Chadley]

Baby oil. Interesting. I never tried that. I went too long without removing the crusts because I was paranoid about pulling out grafts. But I think it's healthy after 7 days or so get gently remove them. I just took longer showers, which softened up the crusts, and then shampooed for a while gently massaging my scalp. It probably took 3-4 days for all the crusts to come off this way. But, again, I was probably being overly cautious. It looks much better when the crusts come off.

[samisosa]

I am 11 days postop (FUE procedure - 2600 grafts). Without naming the doctor, who is quite reputable, the instructions indicate that we cannot touch the recipient area for a total of 2-weeks. Everywhere I read, it indicates that I can shampoo (lightly) after 8 days. I am wondering is this instruction applicable in general. Also I find that the scabs are quite dry and crusty. I am keeping them moist every 2-hrs or less. Any thoughts on the 2 weeks No Touching Instruction.

 

Samisosa

[SnowandtheSun]

14 days with out touching is longer than I have heard. I am no expert though, that's for sure. I would do what your doctor recommends. I got much less grafts than you but the vast majority were ready to go by day 7-9.

[ftbpicks]

I am 11 days postop (FUE procedure - 2600 grafts). Without naming the doctor, who is quite reputable, the instructions indicate that we cannot touch the recipient area for a total of 2-weeks. Everywhere I read, it indicates that I can shampoo (lightly) after 8 days. I am wondering is this instruction applicable in general. Also I find that the scabs are quite dry and crusty. I am keeping them moist every 2-hrs or less. Any thoughts on the 2 weeks No Touching Instruction.

 

Samisosa

 

 

 

Dr Rahal recommends this as well and its just in case some are not fully anchored. It seems to work but each dr seems to have their own advice. I waited but it got quite itchy by that day i could rinse it off in the shower

[RobertHa]

Hi samisosa,

 

ftbpicks is correct! I'm not sure where you had your procedure done. However, at Rahal, we are strict about not touching the recipient area post-operation. We want to ensure that the grafts are secured and in place. We continue to advise patients to adhere to their cleaning schedule (morning and night) for the full two weeks post-op. I would advise against showering under running water at 8 days post-op. Once advised, our patients can have a shower under running water and gently scrub out the remaining scabs and transplanted hairs. At Rahal, we provide our patients with Vitamin E oil to drizzle on the recipient area to keep the newly transplanted grafts hydrated, as well as, a saline solution.

[MusoInOz]

Two weeks is the safe time :-)

Highly recommend avoiding to touch the recipient area during that time although able to wet the hair lightly with jug luke warm water etc

[fc8uk]

Hi guys

I think im having the same thing happening, im on day 10, I have been very gentle until now To wash my hair. I decided to be more firm on washing now. Is the purpose to remove te white flakes? Loads of them fal. With hair atached. Is it normal? Should I be worried?

Under the white is my newly pinkie fresh flesh, but with less hair

im concerned I ruined my ht

thanks

[gillenator]

The white flakes are really the crusts which are the dead tissue from the tips of your grafts above the scalp line.

 

They are ready to come off at this point in time and yes the graft hair almost always comes off with the crusts. This is perfectly normal.

 

Congrats on your recent procedure and happy growth to you...

[fc8uk]

Gillenator, thanks so much I was really worried u got me chilling. It's like snowing in my bathroom lol

Is it normal to experience this shedding on day 10 tho? Should it not happen later?

Ur the best

Thanks

[Chadley]

My understanding is that the follicles have taken root after a week. So even though the grafts fall out, the follicles are still strong and will start growing new hair. You were probably told 2 weeks just to be overly cautious. I started shampooing longer on day 10. Over the next several days of longer shampooing, most of the grafts came out. I'm almost to the 4-month mark and I've had strong regrowth since then. I'd say I have about 80% regrowth at this point.

[gillenator]

Gillenator, thanks so much I was really worried u got me chilling. It's like snowing in my bathroom lol

Is it normal to experience this shedding on day 10 tho? Should it not happen later?

Ur the best

Thanks

 

You are very welcome fc8uk, and what you are experiencing is very normal and right on par with what occurs post-op. Many docs want their patients to remove the crusts after roughly one week to 10 days post-op because the grafts are secure by then.

 

I think some guys get confused with what is the shedding of grafts and the removal of crusts. Grafts are in fact dissected scalp tissue that is seperated into individual grafts and is what actually transports the hair follicles. The grafts are implanted into the recipient sites and within a matter of roughly 4-10 days, they are adequately seated and begin attaching to the scalp where they begin to connect to a new blood supply.

 

As I mentioned before, the tips of these grafts dry out because they are exposed above the scalp line. These tips turn white or grey in color because they lack blood while the largest part of the graft tissue is below the scalp line. The crusts serve no purpose and why they should be removed by day 7-10 if the individual is a normal healer. Typically the hair stubbles within the grafts come off with the crusts because a large percent of the imbedded follicles go into dormancy and shed the graft hair. The follicles will rest for approximately three months and then begin regrowth. Some see the regrowth a little earlier, and some a little later.

 

So it is not the grafts themselves that shed, it's the graft hair within the grafts that shed. Some guys don't see their graft hair shed for 2-3 weeks post-op. So the window period for graft hair shedding can be as early as 1 week and as long as 1 month generally speaking. Some of the follicles however do not go dormant that quickly and those grafts can keep on growing until they eventually go dormant. All hair follicles behave this way on an intermittent basis that cycle between resting, shedding, and growing.

 

This is why it takes up to one year or so post-op for each and every procedure to fully mature and see the full visual effect. If the hair follicles all rested at the same time post-op, then it would take roughly half the time for a procedure to mature.

 

And yes, some docs/clinics advise their patients to wait up to two weeks post-op before removing the crusts. Nothing wrong with that either except that the longer the crusts remain on the scalp, the tougher they can be to remove.

 

Well fc8uk, the best is yet to come, "the regrowth and your new transformation!"

 

Wish you the best in the coming year as your recent procedure matures...

[HairFunk]

I gently massaged all mine off at 10 days post after a shower. Loosening / softeneing the scabs first with warm water is best.

[pietertx]

Day 6 post op. for me. 2650 grafts. Great info. here because I sure was worried about same things. Heck, might wait 10 - 14 days post op b4 removing those scabs. Fast healer, slow healer? Not taking any chances.

[ModernHair]

I'm 8 days post-op and have zero scabbing. I'm pretty sure it's because my Dr. (Jim Harris) used ATP during the procedure and had me spraying it pretty aggressively post-op. Pretty cool advancement in hair transplantation it seems.