What's Your Post-Op Back to Work Strategy?

[FuriousGeorge]

I am a white collared tech worker who keeps my hair relatively longer and styled. I am seriously considering pulling the trigger with a clinic, but after reading people's experiences I am concerned about my post op strategy to hide the healing process/short hair during the recovery period. I really would like to keep it under wraps that I had a transplant - aside from taking many sick days and/or working from home too much, what has been people's strategies to get away with it?

 

The good thing at least for me is my tech company is VERY casual and I can wear a hat to work every day if I like (my bald, baseball crazed co-worker actually wears a baseball hat EVERY DAY). Is it safe to wear a hat within 3-4 days post-op?

[Spanker]

I think 3 to 4 days is too soon. I would shoot for 10 and on wear one too tight.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Agree. I’d at least wait 10 days. Maybe even 2 weeks.

[Rawkerboi]

Instead of hats, you can wear soft bandanna!

[Melvin- Admin]

Here's a little article I wrote on dealing with a hair transplant at work. With that said, if you can wear a hat go for it, but of course people will ask why all of the sudden you're wearing a hat.

 

 

 

3 ways to deal with having a hair transplant at work | Regrow Hair Q&A

[Bill - Seemiller]

It is safe to wear a loose fitting hat the day of surgery so four days after the procedure, it is definitely still safe. However, try not to wear any fitted hats or anything overly tight for the first week. The fact that you were working environment is casual certainly help you. However, here is a tip, if you don’t usually wear hats at work, it may be very suspicious if you start randomly wearing hats every day. So, I would suggest as far out from surgery as possible that you start wearing hats every other day or every third day and then gradually move to every day as much as possible. That way, people are used to see with a hat and don’t randomly ask you why you’re wearing one. And if they do ask, they will likely ask before you get to the real reason you can just take off your hat in front of them so they see nothing unusual.

 

Hopefully that advice helps.

 

Bill

[mattj]

As soon as I read that you can wear a hat, I thought that you have nothing to worry about. I think it's best just to 'own it' and tell people, but I understand that that strategy isn't possible for everyone. But seriously, if you exist in a work culture that allows hats, you're set. You can conceal your HT with no worries.

[FuriousGeorge]

Thanks everyone - great info and insight. Going in to consult with Dr Wong & Hasson's Seattle clinic today - wish me luck!

[Speegs]

A loose fitting cap can be worn almost immediately, provided the grafts are not being smushed or grazed by it.

 

Be very careful placing and removing it, and make sure no one playfully yanks it from your head or pats you on the head for the first ten days to three weeks post op.

 

Be judicious of your surroundings accordingly.

[nik1990]

I had my ht in december so we had more time off work, i took my previous years holidays which i accumalated and a week after new years so it was off around 2 1/2 weeks

 

then i just wore a loose fitting beanie, it was cold so no on was the wiser tbh... then april/may i took it off and used fibres once long enough

[pkipling]

The fact that you can wear a hat makes this all so much easier. As long as the hat isn't too tight and you use great care when taking it on and off to avoid disrupting any of the grafts, you'll be totally fine. I was back at work about 5-6 days after my HT and was also lucky enough to be able to wear a hat. Of course, people asked why I was wearing one so I concocted a little story unrelated to my hair transplant that everyone bought hook, line, and sinker. Then about 6 months later when my results really started showing and I was no longer embarrassed about it, I fessed up. Everyone was extremely receptive and impressed - zero judgment at all. So handle the coworker situation in whatever way makes you feel most comfortable.