Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted November 16, 2020 Valued Contributor Share Posted November 16, 2020 Just now, living_tribunal said: @Steeeve I'd be curious to hear if you kind of noticed the same thing above? I suppose I'm in that paranoid phase where you're worried that maybe your pillow nicked a graft while you're sleeping and if anything has been messed up somehow. Dr. Arocha didn't recommend spraying the grafts with a saline solution but I've been doing it anyway as it seems pretty common elsewhere. Living on pins and needles right now! Did you ask him about spraying with a saline solution and he didn’t recommend it? Or did he just not bring it up? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 16, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 16, 2020 1 minute ago, Steeeve said: Did you ask him about spraying with a saline solution and he didn’t recommend it? Or did he just not bring it up? He never brought it up but I noticed every other doctor recommends it. My scalp also started itching now that things are healing. I thought it couldn't hurt so started misting it a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted November 16, 2020 Valued Contributor Share Posted November 16, 2020 I didn’t use it as he didn’t offer it to me but if you’ve got it then use it. Most everyone else uses it so I don’t see how it would hurt. I probably could have used it as I definitely dealt with the post-op itch. It subsided mostly after the first month. I was also very weary of one side being more dominant than the other but when the hair is dry if one side is more dominant then I nor anybody else can tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 16, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 16, 2020 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Steeeve said: I didn’t use it as he didn’t offer it to me but if you’ve got it then use it. Most everyone else uses it so I don’t see how it would hurt. I probably could have used it as I definitely dealt with the post-op itch. It subsided mostly after the first month. I was also very weary of one side being more dominant than the other but when the hair is dry if one side is more dominant then I nor anybody else can tell. I've just always combed my hair over the left side (from right to left from my vantage point). If the dominant side changes I would have to change this. Just praying they both come in maybe equal density. Gauging things by the redness and the grafts I can see, the left side will be much thicker than the other. I guess time will tell. This point in the process is very nerve-wrecking. Another thing I noted, the PRP injections made it hurt like h*** after the procedure was done. Not sure if you noticed the same! I'm nervous as I have a tendency to sleep on one side of my face while I'm asleep. I'm hoping this doesn't cause any of the grafts to dislodge. Dr. Arocha said it would be obvious if any of them came out as there would be lots of blood. Keeping my fingers crossed. I'll probably be at ease in a week or so when I can comb my hair a little bit and see where the grafts are and what not. Thanks for all of the help again! Keeping my fingers crossed everything turns out just fine. Edited November 16, 2020 by living_tribunal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted November 16, 2020 Valued Contributor Share Posted November 16, 2020 (edited) I don’t recall experiencing much pain at all but I took the drugs because I didn’t want to. Lol. I slept sitting up for the first few days. Maybe more because I had your very same fear. I, too, tend to turn my head to one side when I sleep on my back so I wanted to avoid that just in case. *edit here-I think the post-op instructions said you’re supposed to but I don’t recall exactly* I’m happy to help. I’m excited to see your final outcome. It’s definitely a nerve wrecking experience especially in these first few days. I think as long as you follow those post op instructions your golden. 🙂👍🏻 Edited November 16, 2020 by Steeeve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 16, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 16, 2020 3 minutes ago, Steeeve said: I don’t recall experiencing much pain at all but I took the drugs because I didn’t want to. Lol. I slept sitting up for the first few days. Maybe more because I had your very same fear. I, too, tend to turn my head to one side when I sleep on my back so I wanted to avoid that just in case. I’m happy to help. I’m excited to see your final outcome. It’s definitely a nerve wrecking experience especially in these first few days. I think as long as you follow those post op instructions your golden. 🙂👍🏻 Boy mine was painful, namely the strip incision. That stung bad for the first 3 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Mycroft Posted November 16, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted November 16, 2020 I don't know what it is about Dr. Arocha's clinic but the post ops I've seen from his clinic never have the black dots (unless the patient has black hair in which case you're seeing the hair). It may be that the recipient is cleaned more frequently throughout the surgery because it's unshaven and you don't want blood caking the native hairs and getting in the way? @Steeeve might have an idea about the cleaning. You've also got lighter colored hair, so the implanted hairs themselves shouldn't be super visible if they aren't covered in dried blood or something. I think it looks good so far. I like the hairline design that was chosen and I think 1,500 grafts should improve your situation nicely. I hope you keep updating so we can see your progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 16, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 16, 2020 1 minute ago, Mycroft said: I don't know what it is about Dr. Arocha's clinic but the post ops I've seen from his clinic never have the black dots (unless the patient has black hair in which case you're seeing the hair). It may be that the recipient is cleaned more frequently throughout the surgery because it's unshaven and you don't want blood caking the native hairs and getting in the way? @Steeeve might have an idea about the cleaning. You've also got lighter colored hair, so the implanted hairs themselves shouldn't be super visible if they aren't covered in dried blood or something. I think it looks good so far. I like the hairline design that was chosen and I think 1,500 grafts should improve your situation nicely. I hope you keep updating so we can see your progress. I appreciate it man! I agree that 1,500 was appropriate. Dr. Arocha and I discussed 2,000 shortly before the surgery but since I was also doing PRP and that I decided to do a transplant sooner in my balding process, rather than later, keeping a lot of donor hair would probably pay out in the end. Judging from what you told me, the PRP could potentially have a nice impact on my existing hair so no reason to prematurely pack my hair line dense right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted November 17, 2020 Valued Contributor Share Posted November 17, 2020 I had to be cleaned A LOT but it was because I bled a lot. My understanding is that they do clean a lot throughout the process of their transplants but I would assume that most clinics would be doing this. I bled a whole whole lot, though. Lol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 17, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 17, 2020 I’m not sure how much I bled but I definitely have some gnarly swelling like you did in your thread. I was careful not to bend foreword too much but my face still looks like I was beat with a tire iron. I have an addiction of collecting live corals/reef tanks which involves changing out large amounts of water. Today I had to lift some buckets that were 50-70 lbs and now my nose is so swollen I look like an elf. 🤦♂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 20, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 20, 2020 7 Day Post Op Update The pain has gone away and the itching has kicked in full gear. I'm misting my head anytime the itching gets unbearable. I haven't touched the grafts at all and since my hair wasn't shaved, I'm unable to see the grafts themselves. I have been washing my hair by filling a cup with some baby shampoo and pouring it over my head. I think I will continue to not touch the grafts for another week just to ensure they are 100% secure. Dying for a real hair wash at this point but better safe than sorry. I also really want to see the grafts. I will post pictures here when I fill comfortable lifting up my hair and lightly touching the grafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted November 20, 2020 Valued Contributor Share Posted November 20, 2020 I really encourage you to start washing those grafts soon and not wait another week. Leaving the scabs on for too long can be damaging to the grafts. They’re pretty secure by now. I would reach out to the clinic with any concerns but it’s probably okay to start washing them in the next couple of days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ciaus Posted November 20, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted November 20, 2020 The grafts are secure by day 9, even when trying to pull them out https://www.bernsteinmedical.com/research/graft-anchoring-in-hair-transplantation/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Mycroft Posted November 21, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted November 21, 2020 Yeah, don't neglect the washing. One if the doctors here had a video about a patient who neglected washing for the first couple of weeks and then when he finally did wash he tore out a huge number of grafts because the scabbing had gotten out of controk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member baldiee Posted November 21, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted November 21, 2020 I've done PRP with Dr. Arocha and did not see any improvement. Maybe it's just me, but it's not worth the money in my opinion considering I paid a little over $2,000 for the procedure. Since then I've consulted with other hair transplant surgeons and I've been advised not to do PRP anymore. (Maybe because I have an aggressive/diffuse hair loss that it's just not worth it long-term). Just stick to oral medications (finasteride - if you are lucky and don't get side effects) or solely hair transplant (acknowledging you may need to undergo multiple surgeries to keep up with the hair loss). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 22, 2020 On 11/20/2020 at 1:06 PM, Steeeve said: I really encourage you to start washing those grafts soon and not wait another week. Leaving the scabs on for too long can be damaging to the grafts. They’re pretty secure by now. I would reach out to the clinic with any concerns but it’s probably okay to start washing them in the next couple of days. I wash them but just by pouring soapy water on top of them like most instructions tell you to do. I read that the grafts aren’t 100% secure until day 14 with most of them being secure by the 9th day. I have been washing to the extent that I don’t touch the grafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 22, 2020 On 11/20/2020 at 1:52 PM, ciaus said: The grafts are secure by day 9, even when trying to pull them out https://www.bernsteinmedical.com/research/graft-anchoring-in-hair-transplantation/ Then I have another day to go it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 22, 2020 I should clarify, I meant washing to the degree where I work the suds in over my scalp. I’ve been washing my hair but just by lathering my hands and the cup and working it into the back of my head and letting the suds work themselves onto the front of my scalp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 22, 2020 (edited) 22 hours ago, baldiee said: I've done PRP with Dr. Arocha and did not see any improvement. Maybe it's just me, but it's not worth the money in my opinion considering I paid a little over $2,000 for the procedure. Since then I've consulted with other hair transplant surgeons and I've been advised not to do PRP anymore. (Maybe because I have an aggressive/diffuse hair loss that it's just not worth it long-term). Just stick to oral medications (finasteride - if you are lucky and don't get side effects) or solely hair transplant (acknowledging you may need to undergo multiple surgeries to keep up with the hair loss). There have been strong studies done on prp in combination with transplant. I posted them above. Anecdotally, it also looks like the prp + transplant results @Steeevehad were awesome. He kept a majority of his grafts without the terminal period and had strong density at only 2 months in. We’ll see how it goes but I’m happy I decided to go with prp. I’ve been on finestaride and minoxidil for over a decade and am willing to invest in more to get some hair back at this point. Edited November 22, 2020 by living_tribunal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 22, 2020 Shoot, reading over the post op care instructions again it appears I missed something. I was supposed to apply the bacitracin ointment to the transplant area 3 days after surgery. @Steeevedid you do this? It still recommends to not touch the grafts while washing your hair until after the 7th day. I’ll wash my hair tonight with normal shampoo while taking it very easy on the grafts. I’m an absolute moron for missing that last line on the post op sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted November 22, 2020 Valued Contributor Share Posted November 22, 2020 1 hour ago, living_tribunal said: I should clarify, I meant washing to the degree where I work the suds in over my scalp. I’ve been washing my hair but just by lathering my hands and the cup and working it into the back of my head and letting the suds work themselves onto the front of my scalp. That’s best to do up until day 8 or 9. I believe I was massaging the grafts gently at day 8 while bathing. I was putting bacitracin on day 2 or 3. I had a small infection on day 2 and Dr. Arocha instructed me to. I would take a latex glove and very gently apply it. I don’t think it’s going to hurt you to not have been doing it, though. My applying it was mostly due to the infection. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 22, 2020 45 minutes ago, Steeeve said: That’s best to do up until day 8 or 9. I believe I was massaging the grafts gently at day 8 while bathing. I was putting bacitracin on day 2 or 3. I had a small infection on day 2 and Dr. Arocha instructed me to. I would take a latex glove and very gently apply it. I don’t think it’s going to hurt you to not have been doing it, though. My applying it was mostly due to the infection. Reading online it seems somewhat optional. I did a slightly more aggressive hair wash, I massaged the middle of my scalp as normal and used the shower head but still didn’t touch the grafts. I finally parted my hair a little to see the grafts and I don’t have any scabbing at all. Not sure if that’s normal or not, it may have been all of the misting. I’m hoping I didn’t mess anything up, still so nervous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member living_tribunal Posted November 23, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 23, 2020 @Steeevedid you use minox before the transplant? If so, when did you return to using minox? Trying to think about how safe it is to apply minox to the wounds and grafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted November 23, 2020 Valued Contributor Share Posted November 23, 2020 1 hour ago, living_tribunal said: @Steeevedid you use minox before the transplant? If so, when did you return to using minox? Trying to think about how safe it is to apply minox to the wounds and grafts. I started using minox in early 2012. I think I waited until the third week to start using it again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Westview Posted November 23, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted November 23, 2020 On 10/20/2020 at 5:46 PM, Melvin-Moderator said: I believe prp may improve the growth time, meaning the hair may grow quicker. One of our members had prp with Arocha and had excellent results perhaps he can chime in @Mycroft I have also heard of people having excessive shock loss after PRP and saying it wasnt worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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