Potential infection in the recipient area?

[nikhei95]

Hello,

I had a HT (FUE, 2,400 grafts) exactly a week ago and am now a bit concerned about a spot in the recipient area (see photo). 
I went to my doctor yesterday for a follow up and he told me that everything looked good and no infection/necrosis is present. 
However, it seems to me that the affected area is not healing well because every time I carefully wash my hair so far (starting on day 4), the area starts to bleed a little.

Therefore, I would like to get a second opinion on this. Is there anything I can do to improve the situation?

I am really grateful for any opinion, because obviously I want to achieve the best possible result.

Kind regards from Germany.

[Berba11]

Hard to say. It looks like serum that oozes after the first few days. I found the best way to keep everything clean was to use saline water spray. Usually the serum/ooziness with wash away with the spray and then there would be less and less as things dried and healed each passing days.

You shouldn't be bleeding though on day 4. How are you washing your hair exactly? Were you instructed to wash you head by your doctor? I only did a head wash on day 7 to remove scabs, but not prior. Only saline water spray every 2 hours for the first week.

[nikhei95]

1 hour ago, Berba11 said:

Hard to say. It looks like serum that oozes after the first few days. I found the best way to keep everything clean was to use saline water spray. Usually the serum/ooziness with wash away with the spray and then there would be less and less as things dried and healed each passing days.

You shouldn't be bleeding though on day 4. How are you washing your hair exactly? Were you instructed to wash you head by your doctor? I only did a head wash on day 7 to remove scabs, but not prior. Only saline water spray every 2 hours for the first week.

I had my surgery on Tuesday and was told not to do anything until Friday. 
On Friday I used the shampoo that was handed to me by the clinic for the first time. 

I used it according to the doctor's instructions. I literally just layed the foam on the scalp without any touching, waites a few minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water without pressure and after that let the head air dry. But although I was very carefully there was some bleeding.

They did not give me any saline water spray, only Aloe-vera spray that I should also spray on the scalp as needed starting on Friday.

Maybe I'll just skip the hair wash for today...

[Stewie]

it looks like its just trying to scab up to me, I had this in one area on my first HT earlier last year, one thing I would note is I don't think I sprayed my first one enough last year and when a big scab formed like that it would not go, even when I was showering a couple of weeks later it still wouldn't go and held on for 2 weeks longer, this left a sort of scar pinky skin bit on my head and this is the only bit hair struggled to grow, I had some bits come through on it but I think the mega scab some how killed them off?? so one thing I would say is that with the saline spray (or still water I use) is blast it with your spray bottle to try and clean it up a little and then let it scab up a bit smaller maybe to avoid what happened to me?

[JDEE0]

The orange/yellow stuff just looks like fibrin to me, which is harmless and normal in and of itself, but the redder areas within those zones (along with the isolated instances of fibrin only in these areas) seems to indicate some sort of slight wound or unhealed area of skin that is open/bleeding/leaking out fluids. Maybe a slight infection, probably just an area of skin that went through a bit more trauma and hasn't fully healed up yet.

Who was your doc?

[nikhei95]

1 hour ago, JDEE0 said:

The orange/yellow stuff just looks like fibrin to me, which is harmless and normal in and of itself, but the redder areas within those zones (along with the isolated instances of fibrin only in these areas) seems to indicate some sort of slight wound or unhealed area of skin that is open/bleeding/leaking out fluids. Maybe a slight infection, probably just an area of skin that went through a bit more trauma and hasn't fully healed up yet.

Who was your doc?

I'm really hoping it's actually just fibrin and part of the scalp just hasn't healed completely yet. 
I also thought about it, but you know,  if you look online, then you usually get more nervous than reassured. So thank you for your answer!

My doctor was Dr. Aslan and the clinic is called "KÖ-Klinik" in Düsseldorf, Germany. 

[Melvin- Admin]

Let me tag our resident physician @DrTBarghouthi 

[DrTBarghouthi]

Thanks @Melvin- Moderator

I dont think there is much concern here. I would really prefer you use some saline sprays every 1-2 hours and get it cleaned as much as possible as well as the daily wash. It looks like post operative fluids/ granulation tissue. Doesn’t seem infected or necrotic to me. Try this and keep us posted with how it goes. 

[nikhei95]

1 hour ago, DrTBarghouthi said:

Thanks @Melvin- Moderator

I dont think there is much concern here. I would really prefer you use some saline sprays every 1-2 hours and get it cleaned as much as possible as well as the daily wash. It looks like post operative fluids/ granulation tissue. Doesn’t seem infected or necrotic to me. Try this and keep us posted with how it goes. 

Thank you for your answer @DrTBarghouthi. Really appreciate it.

Since the clinic doesn't handed me a saline spray I wanted to ask, if it's available for purchase at a pharmacy or if it is possible to make the spray on my own?

I'll keep you updated as well.

Edited January 18, 2022 by nikhei95

[DrTBarghouthi]

Hello. Normal saline from any pharmacy or if not possible, one glass of drinking water with one tablespoon of salt should be fine.