THE HAIR DR / DR ARSHAD / 2000 GRAFT - Walkthrough experience and how it goes

[londonhairlossvictim]

11 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

What did the clinic say about returning to the gym ? I have always waited at least 2 weeks+ 

they said 2 weeks also - when i googled online it seems most say you can return after 7  days, only people who did FUT it says longer wait

[Britanium]

I would wait the 2 weeks, best to stay safe as possible. Just about all the Clinics seem to agree on approx 14 days. 

[londonhairlossvictim]

19 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

I would wait the 2 weeks, best to stay safe as possible. Just about all the Clinics seem to agree on approx 14 days. 

Yes I did some more googling, so I think not just sweat but even strain can potentially create trauma to the scalp which may effect the results so I will wait another few more days until I can go back, which sucks because it's really important for my job - but 2 weeks won't kill me

[londonhairlossvictim]

This is today - so this is now 8 days as I had my HT on Sept. 3 Friday

This is after a wash, second wash since having it - the scabs are still there, I'm still going gentle, I feel a bit scared to rub too hard even though the clinic told me that today I can wash with normal pressure but I don't feel comfortable doing that just in case I dislodge any grafts

Does this look normal and ok?

[BDK081522]

Looks normal but at 8 days you should start leaving shampoo on your grafts for about 5-10 minutes. Let it soak to soften them up and begin gently massaging the area with the shampoo still on. Rinse and repeat until you start removing some of those scabs. Grafts are secure at this point and your skin has healed over. Now is the time to get rid of the scabs. You can use Aquaphor spray and aloe vera for redness. After showering while grafts are still moist take a Q-tip and GENTLY roll it back and forth over the grafted area. This will help to pick off some scabbing. 

[londonhairlossvictim]

Just now, BDK081522 said:

Looks normal but at 8 days you should start leaving shampoo on your grafts for about 5-10 minutes. Let it soak to soften them up and begin gently massaging the area with the shampoo still on. Rinse and repeat until you start removing some of those scabs. Grafts are secure at this point and your skin has healed over. Now is the time to get rid of the scabs. You can use Aquaphor spray and aloe vera for redness. After showering while grafts are still moist take a Q-tip and GENTLY roll it back and forth over the grafted area. This will help to pick off some scabbing. 

Thanks that's what I was wondering, I think I'm being too gentle.
I did leave the shampoo on for 10 mins - but then I get a bucket of water with a jug and pour the jug over my head a few times, I touch my head and hair but very softly. It seems what you are saying and actually even the clinic, that I can go under the shower next time and actually rub it like i would normally in a shower?

If grafts are secure and it's healed do you think i could go back to the gym?

[BDK081522]

So, at 8 days I wouldn't necessarily say you can shower normally. My post-op instructions always said normal showering at 14 days. So I would still use the water cup method to rinse off but just use your fingertips to rub while the shampoo is still on. You can be mildly aggressive but don't dig your nails in there. As far as the gym, definitely wait until 14 days. The reason as I understand it is not so much about dislodging grafts as they're pretty secure at this point. It's more about sweating and introducing bacteria to the wounds. You're grafts may be secure but if you get a skin infection, this may drastically impact their survival. They're still developing vascularity beneath the skin and need a clean healthy scalp to promote optimal conditions. Walking on a treadmill or outside with your head covered would be fine at this point. Nothing that overexerts and causes sweating such has cardio or weights. 

Edited September 11, 2021 by BDK081522

[londonhairlossvictim]

21 hours ago, BDK081522 said:

So, at 8 days I wouldn't necessarily say you can shower normally. My post-op instructions always said normal showering at 14 days. So I would still use the water cup method to rinse off but just use your fingertips to rub while the shampoo is still on. You can be mildly aggressive but don't dig your nails in there. As far as the gym, definitely wait until 14 days. The reason as I understand it is not so much about dislodging grafts as they're pretty secure at this point. It's more about sweating and introducing bacteria to the wounds. You're grafts may be secure but if you get a skin infection, this may drastically impact their survival. They're still developing vascularity beneath the skin and need a clean healthy scalp to promote optimal conditions. Walking on a treadmill or outside with your head covered would be fine at this point. Nothing that overexerts and causes sweating such has cardio or weights. 

Ok got it thanks, I did do it a bit more today but I think I'm prob still being too gentle.

[londonhairlossvictim]

I took a little video of my scalp, this is now 9 days post operation - 3 mornings of soaking shampoo in and rinsing off.

Does my scalp look ok/normal? I don't know if it's me but I feel like on my left front part there is an empty gap, I'm always concerned when I sleep I don't remove any of the grafts they put in - 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pu57vcs0322hm6v/IMG_2486.MOV?dl=0

[londonhairlossvictim]

I also just took these pics now, so my scalp looks dry/flaky. I don't know if this is from the scabs and if I should be worried about this? Will send to my clinic tomorrow. Does this look ok or should I continue spraying the water spray every hour?

[londonhairlossvictim]

You can see it better here, the dryness especailly on my right side

[londonhairlossvictim]

I showed so far to the clinic just now and they said this is normal and nothing to panic, just let body heal and from their side this looks great.

[Britanium]

2 hours ago, londonhairlossvictim said:

I showed so far to the clinic just now and they said this is normal and nothing to panic, just let body heal and from their side this looks great.

All totally normal, just stick to the post op guidelines and your going to be fine. 

[londonhairlossvictim]

5 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

All totally normal, just stick to the post op guidelines and your going to be fine. 

Do you think i should just cut my shave so it's all just one size, looks kind of stupid now right? I would have liked to attend an event next weekend too. Think to go to my barbers and asking him to shape it up

[BDK081522]

It all looks completely normal at this stage but definitely be more aggressive at trying to get rid of the scabs. You should have them all removed by around day 10-12. It can't hurt to keep spraying them but just try to get them off in the shower. The key is to moisturize the skin so if the scabs are still present they are interfering with the skins ability to obtain moisture and heal. Use Aquafor or aloe or whatever your clinic recommends and your skin will look better and the flakiness should subside. 

[londonhairlossvictim]

Hey guys I'm day 10 now post operation - does this look ok to you? I notice at the front some small gaps but I'm thinking this is just part of the healing process. Scabs are slowly starting to fall off - I'm still doing bucket over the head for shampoo and I just let me hair dry naturally, no towel and no  hair dryer

Waiting for end of this week to go back to the gym!

Deciding what to do about my hair too, as I can't go out looking like this, I guess my best option is just to shave down to the same level

[londonhairlossvictim]

11 hours ago, BDK081522 said:

It all looks completely normal at this stage but definitely be more aggressive at trying to get rid of the scabs. You should have them all removed by around day 10-12. It can't hurt to keep spraying them but just try to get them off in the shower. The key is to moisturize the skin so if the scabs are still present they are interfering with the skins ability to obtain moisture and heal. Use Aquafor or aloe or whatever your clinic recommends and your skin will look better and the flakiness should subside. 

Ok got it, I stopped the spraying thing but I can keep on doing it to remove those last bits

[londonhairlossvictim]

this is how i look guys - this is now 11 days post operation

Scabs are still flaking of all the time if I just touch the hair - according to clinic supposed to just do bucket headwash for another 2 more weeks

Does this all look normal/ok?

[londonhairlossvictim]

Hey everyone this is my Post 12 day look - so yesterday the scabs naturally started falling off alot, looked like I had dandruff in my hair that is remaining there which was not shaved off. I did rub also as they kept falling off - but just lightly.

This morning I am looking like this, does this look ok to you? Maybe it's just me but one side of my hair line looks better then the other in terms of density, not sure what you guys think or if at this stage this is just all normal and part of the healing process?

And to confirm should i expect all these hairs to fall out soon?

Some people have asked how I was before I went for my HT I'm attaching those also for an idea - my concerns were my templates and hairline

[londonhairlossvictim]

Hey everyone this is now Day 13 after the FUE / Tomorrow will be 2 full weeks
wish I just shaved it all off would have been better but now I have to deal with it like this for another 2 more weeks before according to the clinic I can then go to a barber to level it out

Does this look normal? Today for the first time I went out to for some light exercise and wore a cap for good 1 hour, wore it loosely having read some articles even though the guys from clinic told me it's fine to wear a cap after 7 days of the procedure - but alot of different views on that when I googled.

[MazAB]

Everything looks great man! You are healing well, and the redness is nothing to fear. I have a decent amount of scabbing, but you seem to be in far better shape in that regard. I'm at day 15, and am going to start working out today, but will keep it light for sure. Best of luck with your journey! ~ Maz

[londonhairlossvictim]

9 hours ago, MazAB said:

Everything looks great man! You are healing well, and the redness is nothing to fear. I have a decent amount of scabbing, but you seem to be in far better shape in that regard. I'm at day 15, and am going to start working out today, but will keep it light for sure. Best of luck with your journey! ~ Maz

Thanks Max, following your journey too!

[londonhairlossvictim]

Today is a full 2 weeks since the day of my procedue, this is how I look. I do have a slight concern not major, my left temple - it looks visually to me less "dense" as the other side. Also at night, not always but I feel a sensation there or tingling rather than anywhere else. It's also the main area I was concerned about that made me do the HT in the first place, if you see my pics from before that was where the thinning/receding happened the most.

Does it look fine to you guys? Me just being paranoid - or again just part of the whole process.
Currently I only take Finastride 1MG every day, not using anything else. Been told to wait total 4 weeks before using Minoxidil again.

[Gatsby]

It's looking excellent and if you can you need to somehow take your focus off the process (you need to have Zen monk powers I know). It's impossible to make a judgement call on anything now. I'd wait for at least six months in regards to any concerns you have about one area you feel being stronger/weaker than the other, etc. Stay on the finasteride and commence Minoxidil from your surgeon's advice. Happy growing!

[londonhairlossvictim]

26 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

It's looking excellent and if you can you need to somehow take your focus off the process (you need to have Zen monk powers I know). It's impossible to make a judgement call on anything now. I'd wait for at least six months in regards to any concerns you have about one area you feel being stronger/weaker than the other, etc. Stay on the finasteride and commence Minoxidil from your surgeon's advice. Happy growing!

Thanks Gatsby for the advice, and ok on that! Maybe it's just mentally because I know that was my main area I was concerned of so now I'm trying to look at it and see if there is any difference. The clinic I update also and they told me the same so far so good