How long after HT are the grafts guaranteed to be permanent?

[jttx85]

I'm 10 days post op and to maximize my potential results, I'm still being conservative with my scalp (gentle showers only, avoiding sweating and touching, wearing only loose caps).

 

How long before the grafts are permanently yours and you can do whatever you want to your scalp and it won't matter, whether it's cutting your hair or scratching your hair or not being able to pull out your grafts even if you tried.

[Speegs]

I assume by permanent you mean they are grafted into your body and can't be dislodged.

 

10 days is a safe number, truthfully after 6 it becomes difficult, after 10 near impossible, and after two weeks or so it would take a surgical procedure to move them.

 

Whether or not they'll now grow is another matter, assuming they took root and weren't damaged during the surgery or in post op then you should see 90 to 95 percent of them yield hair in their transplanted location.

 

Consult your respective surgeon on the timeline they want you to observe for your grafts.

[hsrp10]

Basically after 10 days but I like to play it safe and baby everything and take highest care up to 2 weeks post-op.

 

Most docs will provide a timeline of what you can do and when.

I would never ever scratch the grafted area as scratching can damage even native hair follicles.

 

But things like regular shower pressure etc can be started after 2 weeks for sure.

 

The biggest question is was your procedure FUT or FUE?

After 2 weeks post-op FUE you can basically do anything such as starting back up light weight training and sports, as long as it doesn't involve actions that could possibly lead to head injury.

 

But with FUT the risk of stretching the scar is great and you shouldn't do any lifting or extreme sports for a few months or so.

 

As for sweating, as long as you keep the area clean to avoid possible infection sweating should be fine after a week or so.

If any particular questions ask your surgeon to make sure.

[jttx85]

I assume by permanent you mean they are grafted into your body and can't be dislodged.

 

10 days is a safe number, truthfully after 6 it becomes difficult, after 10 near impossible, and after two weeks or so it would take a surgical procedure to move them.

 

Whether or not they'll now grow is another matter, assuming they took root and weren't damaged during the surgery or in post op then you should see 90 to 95 percent of them yield hair in their transplanted location.

 

Consult your respective surgeon on the timeline they want you to observe for your grafts.

 

 

Thanks for the input. I've been pretty careful with not even touching my grafts and avoiding pressure on them as much as I could, but yeah, I hope the growing process meets my expectations. I had the procedure with Dr. Arocha and while he's not as popular as someone like Dr. Diep, so far I've found nothing but good reviews on him via google. I'm 10 days OP and I've had 2 follows up already (1st was the next day and the 2nd was a week later), and am scheduled for a third follow up in 3 weeks to make sure there's no complications. The thing is Dr. Arocha seemed pretty genuine in his positive reaction the day after the surgery and was the one that requested all 3 follow ups so he was excited about monitoring my status. It's nice to see a doctor do the actual requests for follow ups.

[jttx85]

Basically after 10 days but I like to play it safe and baby everything and take highest care up to 2 weeks post-op.

 

Most docs will provide a timeline of what you can do and when.

I would never ever scratch the grafted area as scratching can damage even native hair follicles.

 

But things like regular shower pressure etc can be started after 2 weeks for sure.

 

The biggest question is was your procedure FUT or FUE?

After 2 weeks post-op FUE you can basically do anything such as starting back up light weight training and sports, as long as it doesn't involve actions that could possibly lead to head injury.

 

But with FUT the risk of stretching the scar is great and you shouldn't do any lifting or extreme sports for a few months or so.

 

As for sweating, as long as you keep the area clean to avoid possible infection sweating should be fine after a week or so.

If any particular questions ask your surgeon to make sure.

 

FUE. Would you say a haircut 1 month post op is no problem at all? And also back to your regular routine involving vigorous weight training and cardio? What about wearing a beanie?

[hsrp10]

FUE. Would you say a haircut 1 month post op is no problem at all? And also back to your regular routine involving vigorous weight training and cardio?

 

Definitely one month should be fine for haircut, as long as you mention to the barber to take it easy on the grafted area. No rough passes with the clippers.

Ask your doctor this one to make sure.

 

I've had both FUE and FUT and one thing I absolutely love about FUE is being able to train again in just 2 weeks time after.

It helps me keep mentally focused and get back into the swing of things. One month would be more than ample time.

[jttx85]

Definitely one month should be fine for haircut, as long as you mention to the barber to take it easy on the grafted area. No rough passes with the clippers.

Ask your doctor this one to make sure.

 

I've had both FUE and FUT and one thing I absolutely love about FUE is being able to train again in just 2 weeks time after.

It helps me keep mentally focused and get back into the swing of things. One month would be more than ample time.

 

Gotcha. I've been wearing a baseball cap when I go outside and read online that people advise not wearing a beanie. Would 2 weeks also be fine for a beanie?

[mattj]

I wore a beanie at two weeks, although I was careful when putting it on not to brush it against the grafted area. One on, the minor pressure will be around the circumference of your head (forehead, sides and back) and shouldn't interfere with your grafts.

 

Put it on starting from the back, stretch over the top of your head giving that area a wide berth and then release onto your forehead.

 

But: ask your doctor before doing any if this!

[wheretogo]

I'm 10 days post op and to maximize my potential results, I'm still being conservative with my scalp (gentle showers only, avoiding sweating and touching, wearing only loose caps).

 

How long before the grafts are permanently yours and you can do whatever you want to your scalp and it won't matter, whether it's cutting your hair or scratching your hair or not being able to pull out your grafts even if you tried.

 

hi jttx85,

 

Congratulations for your HT, hope it will be perfect.

 

i'm going to do this next month and i wanted to know how it was like in the first and second night? how you dealt with the scratching?, i mean, i scratch my head now every time so i don't know what will i do after the surgery, scared i would touch my head while i sleep although i'm guessing i won't be able to sleep the first 2 days.

[jttx85]

hi jttx85,

 

Congratulations for your HT, hope it will be perfect.

 

i'm going to do this next month and i wanted to know how it was like in the first and second night? how you dealt with the scratching?, i mean, i scratch my head now every time so i don't know what will i do after the surgery, scared i would touch my head while i sleep although i'm guessing i won't be able to sleep the first 2 days.

 

 

The first two days will feel like a really bad hangover and chances are you'll have some swelling in the forehead. Fortunately I had a week off work after my surgery so I was able to just rest at home.

 

You really want to avoid scratching your head the first 10 days. The itching never got too bad on my recipient area, but I'm 3 weeks post op and my donor area will still itch every now and then, especially when I go to sleep. I avoid using nails and just gently rub with my fingers.

 

Showering will also be a hassle because you don't want the water to directly hit your grafts from the shower head, for the first week, I had to wash my hair by pouring shampoo and water gently on my head from a cup.

 

 

Which doctor are you going with? If you're able to take a few days off work right after your surgery, I would recommend that. If not, hopefully you'll be able to wear a baseball cap at work, but I waited 5 days before wearing a cap just to be safe.

[wheretogo]

i watched lots of threads over here and i understand resting after the op is highly recommended.

 

i'm going to Dr Maras at HDC and i'm going to stay there about a week before going home, they allow it,

they have an apartment just opposite of the clinic so i will stay there about 4-5 days after the op and they will wash my head at the few days after the surgery

[Rwethereyet]

I stayed in Istanbul for a few days after the opp. I was glad I did and could easily have spent a few more days. I also wore nothing on my head for the first 10 days to be safe.

[wheretogo]

what about the flight home? shouldn't i protect the scalp with hat or bandanna?

[Rwethereyet]

I didn't, I was just careful of not banging me head

[wheretogo]

ok, but i mean what about dirt or bacteria? sounds funny but i will ask anyway.

[jttx85]

The staff where I got my transplant at told me it was ok to wear a baseball cap after a couple of days. Also, I forgot to mention, bring a neck pillow with you. The first couple of nights will be hard to sleep because the donor area will feel like hard clay. Keeping your head elevated while sleeping also will help with the swelling.

[Rwethereyet]

When I had mine done the recipient area was exposed all the time during and after the opp. The donor was kept under a bandage for approx 24h. After that the donor was also left exposed, I was given a special Sterile pillow case for my bed during my stay. I also was told to use a travel neck pillow until day 10. I think you are better off not wearing a hat and letting the air get to it so it heals fast.

[wheretogo]

thanks guys