Post-Op Questions/Tips

[jj2000]

I'm a few days into my FUE surgery (My 3164 Grafts with Dr. Diep (FUE) -- May 6th, 2016 - Forum By and for Hair Loss Patients) and was hoping to solicit this forum for some tips/advice

 

1. Any tips on helping the donor area heal. At the moment I'm applying the Bacitracin Zinc Ointment the Dr gave me three times a day. He suggested that I do so for the first two weeks. Is there anything else I should/could be doing? I hoping to minimize those scars as much as possible as I generally keep the sides of my hair pretty short (Ideally a 1/2 guard, but I recognize that I'll most likely have to settle for a 1 guard).

 

2. Recovery Time & Exercise. I'm training for a marathon, and I asked the Dr when I could start running again. He suggested sometime between 2-4 weeks post op. My question is how do I know whether I'm ok at 2 weeks, vs 4 weeks. My understanding is that on day 3, the grafts are roughly in place, and on day 8 you can take a shower and scrub away most of the scabs (gently scrub during a short shower with little steam). Of course, I can play it safe and wait longer and I definitely don't want to jeopardize this investment, but I'm also curious about what signs to look for to determine when I'm ready for long distance running, as well as what the risks would be.

 

3. Scuba Diving: I have a scuba diving trip planned for a little over 1 month post op. I've asked the Dr three times and he said it's ok provided I cover my head (both under & above water) to limit sun exposure. Has anyone had any experience with this? Any other risks I'm incurring?

 

Even though I've been reading these forums for months, I still feel like a newbie with a bunch of random questions, so thanks for bearing with me!

[matt1164]

I am about 9 weeks post op with dr. diep and I healed well because I have done everything he says. Take Dr. Diep's recommendations seriously. he knows his stuff and will have you healed up very fast.. I am very active and lift weights and run and I stopped for about 6 weeks. I felt good to go after 9 days but I didn't really want to risk it

 

If your Doctor says its ok, then its ok. Just listen to him and have a good result. Don't overthink this stuff and do not get too many opinions.. Just sit back and relax for a few weeks!!! that's an order

[jj2000]

Thanks matt1164.

 

Trouble is he told me between 2-4 weeks I definitely don't want to push it. He has been awesome thus far and encouraged me to call his cell should I have any questions, and also allowed me to come in for a couple extra days of cleaning (I felt his crew would do a better job than mine, and since I took some time off work, I asked if I could just come in and have them do it for me).