Unlearning Post-Op Care Habits

[HopefulRaven]

 

I had a hair transplant (my third iteration) in late January of 2018, which means I am now coming up on my 12 month mark.  

The results have been pretty good, and I'm satisfied with the way my hair looks. I'm booked in for a one-year post-op visit with my doctor at the end of the month.

Lately, I've really been struggling to break habits that I formed after my hair surgery. I am still avoiding the sun completely. I do not want to put any product in my hair for fear of unseen damage.  I do not wash or dry my hair too vigorously.  There are many other habitual actions, too many to name, that I formed post-op and continue.

Has anyone else struggled with this way of thinking? I know it's not healthy, but I'm finding it hard to break free.

Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.

[Shera]

I totally get what you are saying. Even now, over 4 years on from my own surgery I don't vigorously dry my hair with a towel and I'm very mindful of using crappy products in my hair. There was actually another thread recently along similar lines.

I guess it boils down to having a second chance with your hair and psychologically this time you are not trying to blow it.

Quite similar to second marriages I suppose, not that I'd know

[Al - Moderator]

You have to remember that it's the same hair you always had before. It's just moved to another area. Whatever you did before the hair transplant didn't cause any problems to that hair when it was in the donor area, so just act normal and do whatever you would have normally done prior to the hair transplant. Of course you can be more mindful of what products you are putting in it and how you are drying it (don't use excessive heat on a blowdryer for instance) but otherwise it's just hair that grew fine before.

The post hair transplant care is to make sure as much hair as possible makes it through the process and starts to grow. Once you are past that it's going to grow the same as it did when it was in the donor area.

 

[pkipling]

I felt this way for a bit, and what helped me was reminding myself to think rationally. The part of our brain that is full of anxiety, worry, and fear about damaging the HT is normal - but instead of listening that part of the brain, we can choose to listen to the part of our brain that is more rational and based on science/fact. Yes, you can be more mindful of taking care of your hair - but also know that the cause of MPB has nothing to do with how vigorously you wash/dry your hair, which products you're using, or even the heat of your blow dryer. All of these things may affect the health of your hair, but have no correlation to MPB.

To put it into perspective, it's been 4 years since my HT and I've done so much to my hair since then that I would've been way too paranoid to do 12 months after my HT, in large part because my doctor assured me over and over again that it was all perfectly fine and I could move on with my life/hair as I would even without a HT or hair loss.... I'm even rocking bleach blonde/borderline platinum hair at the moment, showing that I put my money where my mouth is. The hair is more than fine and even if it breaks off (worst case scenario), it doesn't impact the grafts in any way and it will all grow back as it always would have otherwise - bleaching or not. 

[HopefulRaven]

Thanks for the comments and perspectives, guys. I really appreciate it. I think I need to just remember life is short and nothing is forever, too.  Carpe Diem, and all that.