Post hair transplant discomfort (Fut)

[Hairyou]

Hi, I'm 3 weeks post op Fut with 5100 grafts planted in my frontal to mid Bridge area. My surgeon is one of the best in the world noted in most of these forums. Although my hair was not implanted in the crown, my scalp in the crown area is sensitive still. Feels tender to touch with slight pain and possible tightness. Is that expected? Should this pain have gone away? I also feel like the part above the scar line in the back of the head is a little numb. 

I have no pain in the Fut donor or receiver area at all. No other issues and the receiver is healing perfectly and hair has started shedding too. 

[Dazed]

I would consider 5100 grafts as major trauma to the area.  I am not a doctor, but logic would say it will take longer than normal to heal.

[LaserCap]

What you're experiencing is normal.  Most patients report just about the same - even a few days after the procedure.  

People are people.  Some will say this is the easiest thing they ever did and felt nothing.  Others, this is the worse pain ever...Most fall in between these two.

The feeling of tightness is typically in the donor and this will subside.  Feeling "numb" is also common.  When the doctor is taking the segment, he is cutting nerve endings.  There was a report some years ago claiming, if the doctor goes a bit too deep, this will cause the numbness.  Perhaps a doctor can chime in and explain.

3 weeks and just now the crust and the hair that came with it is starting to shed?  After 3 weeks it's OK to get in the shower, let it soak, and scrub away.  You're not going to hurt anything.  If you're too gingerly and don't follow proper hygiene, can result in an infection.

[Dazed]

LaserCap, don't you feel that the amount of grafts he had in such a short time could be a contributing factor?

[pkipling]

I had some lingering sensitivity in my donor area as well, which was attributed to the nerves being irritated. They don't go deep enough to damage the nerves when extracting the grafts, but the trauma to the scalp can cause irritation/sensitivity in the surrounding areas. With a procedure your size, I would imagine this is what you're experiencing. Give it a couple of weeks and see if it improves.