How Sensitive Are Grafts?

[Rossybop]

I had FUE last week and I've been doing my best not to irritate the grafts at all since then. I'm just wondering how sensitive to disruption are they? I know they get less sensitive over time, like, at 14 days you can wash and touch them without doing much damage, but, at earlier junctures how delicate are they and how much (or how little) force will destroy them? 

Are the temporal points more sensitive?

I've touched, rubbed, poked and bumped recipient areas over these last 7 days. I haven't done it much and I haven't made very forceful contact but its natural to wonder, right?!

[TorontoMan]

Just take it easy bruv 

[DenverBuff1989]

The grafts get exponentially less sensitive. 

Days 1-3: be very careful. Grafts CAN come out. 

Days 4-8: Be very careful, but the grafts are probably safe if you accidentally scratch or gently rub/bump them. The grafts can still come out if you are very clumsy and have a significant force of impact or scratch repeatedly with force.

Days 9-10: the grafts are pretty much anchored in. By this and beyond point you would need a doctor to use forceps to remove the grafts. 

Would I start doing handstands and take up boxing at Day 10? No, but that is because with all things surgery-related (not just hair transplants), you want to use an abundance of caution and err on the conservative/peace-of-mind side. Realistically tho once you reach Day 9/10 you are completely safe

This is a study everyone mentions on here https://www.bernsteinmedical.com/research/graft-anchoring-in-hair-transplantation/

Edited December 17, 2020 by DenverBuff1989

[Rossybop]

9 minutes ago, DenverBuff1989 said:

The grafts get exponentially less sensitive. 

Days 1-3: be very careful. Grafts CAN come out. 

Days 4-8: Be very careful, but the grafts are probably safe if you accidentally scratch or gently rub/bump them. The grafts can still come out if you are very clumsy and have a significant force of impact or scratch repeatedly with force. Days 9-10 the grafts are pretty much anchored in. By this and beyond point you would need a doctor to use forceps to remove the grafts. 

Would I start doing handstands and take up boxing at Day 10? No, but that is because with all things surgery-related (not just hair transplants), you want to use an abundance of caution and err on the conservative/peace-of-mind side. Realistically tho once you reach Day 9/10 you are completely safe

This is a study everyone mentions on here https://www.bernsteinmedical.com/research/graft-anchoring-in-hair-transplantation/

Mate that is brilliant informative information. Thanks very much! Would you know are the temporal peaks more sensitive than the hair on the top?

I had two small bumps on day 1 - 3 but people here have told me I might be ok because I didn't bleed.

On day 4 - 8 I've had a few minor instances of touching the recipient area with my hand. I kind of rubbed one of the temporal peaks once or twice I am a bit paranoid about that.

I'm 7 days out of surgery so getting closer and closer to safety now thank God.

[Britanium]

Just a few more days to keep extra safe @Rossybop 

[Rossybop]

Indeed. By Sunday I will be at day 10 but I am going to play it super safe until next Thursday, at that stage I will be 2 weeks out of surgery.

[DenverBuff1989]

2 hours ago, Rossybop said:

Mate that is brilliant informative information. Thanks very much! Would you know are the temporal peaks more sensitive than the hair on the top?

I had two small bumps on day 1 - 3 but people here have told me I might be ok because I didn't bleed.

On day 4 - 8 I've had a few minor instances of touching the recipient area with my hand. I kind of rubbed one of the temporal peaks once or twice I am a bit paranoid about that.

I'm 7 days out of surgery so getting closer and closer to safety now thank God.

I honestly don't have knowledge of graft sensitivity based on scalp region. 

A common theme from my own observations of "Have grafts fallen out?" threads is that you will know if a graft falls out. From what I've read - in general - there is significant bleeding if a graft falls out, much more than you'd expect. 

I'm really not sure tho. Worst comes to worst, losing a single graft should not alter the the appearance of your hair transplant if your HT was well done. If losing a single graft did alter the overall look of your HT, then you'd have bigger things to worry about lol. 

If it helps, your anxieties are incredibly common. TBH I think it would be odd if someone wasn't a bit anxious about all the post-care. 

[Rossybop]

1 hour ago, DenverBuff1989 said:

I honestly don't have knowledge of graft sensitivity based on scalp region. 

A common theme from my own observations of "Have grafts fallen out?" threads is that you will know if a graft falls out. From what I've read - in general - there is significant bleeding if a graft falls out, much more than you'd expect. 

I'm really not sure tho. Worst comes to worst, losing a single graft should not alter the the appearance of your hair transplant if your HT was well done. If losing a single graft did alter the overall look of your HT, then you'd have bigger things to worry about lol. 

If it helps, your anxieties are incredibly common. TBH I think it would be odd if someone wasn't a bit anxious about all the post-care. 

No worries. Thanks buddy. Its hard to believe that losing a graft can bd so obvious with regards to blood loss - cool! Its defo normal to worry a bit post-op. Another thing I'd like to know is how soon do the new hairs fall out? Can some of them fall out within the first couple of days and would that be normal? I don't know if some of my hairs have fallen out yet, but I defo think many of them look like they've not grown and some of them maybe look like they have grown. Its such a weird, nerve-wracking scary thing! 😂

[DenverBuff1989]

40 minutes ago, Rossybop said:

No worries. Thanks buddy. Its hard to believe that losing a graft can bd so obvious with regards to blood loss - cool! Its defo normal to worry a bit post-op. Another thing I'd like to know is how soon do the new hairs fall out? Can some of them fall out within the first couple of days and would that be normal? I don't know if some of my hairs have fallen out yet, but I defo think many of them look like they've not grown and some of them maybe look like they have grown. Its such a weird, nerve-wracking scary thing! 😂

I think the textbook answer is they normally fall out roughly 3 weeks in. A very small number of the grafts may not fall out. All 3 HT's, I've gotten my hopes up that maybe the transplant grafts wouldn't shed (that does happen with some rare lucky people), but inevitably they shed around 3 weeks and then you enter the ugly duckling phase. 

[Rossybop]

12 minutes ago, DenverBuff1989 said:

I think the textbook answer is they normally fall out roughly 3 weeks in. A very small number of the grafts may not fall out. All 3 HT's, I've gotten my hopes up that maybe the transplant grafts wouldn't shed (that does happen with some rare lucky people), but inevitably they shed around 3 weeks and then you enter the ugly duckling phase. 

Wow. Ok, I see, I see. I'm starting to think mine aren't growing or its looking like there's less there than 2,040. Maybe that's just the mind playing tricks on me?