Accidentally Poured Very Hot Water on Scalp Post Op Day 2

[HappyMan2021]

Last week I got a 3 day repair HT from one of the elite docs. For the first week I have been instructed to gently pour shampoo on my head, and rinse it with lukewarm tap water poured from a cup.

Yesterday (Day 2 post op since the final day of surgery) I misjudged the sink water temperature and for one of my pours, accidentally poured very hot water onto my scalp and on the recipient area.

It was pretty painful and startling and I am super nervous I damaged some of the grafts or in any other way could have hurt my final outcome.

I wouldn't necessarily say the water was boiling temperature, and I'm not seeing any burns or damage to the grafts (not seeing any graft bleeding). Essentially, at least visually, my scalp looks unaffected.

But still, I am incredibly nervous about this.

Could I have hurt my HT results or damaged/dislodged some grafts, even if there was no bleeding or any other visual sign of damage?

Any other thoughts?

I also completely realize this question may seem silly to some. I'm honestly just feeling very anxious during this crucial post-op phase and it helps me to ask these anxiety-filled questions rather than keep them bottled up 💯

[THE TRUTH]

Unless the water was boiling, I don't think you have damaged the grafts. 

I mean what you described sounds like it lasted a very short amount of time. Couple seconds at most ? 

As I always say, hair transplants are highly unpredictable and you can never guess anything till you hit the 6 months mark. 

But I honestly I don't think this will ruin your grafts. It is unlikely in my honest opinion. 

I remember Dr. Feller mentionning one of his patients in 1995 who got a sunburn and still his transplant grew in fine. 

[HappyMan2021]

12 minutes ago, Hairmills and homeruns said:

I mean what you described sounds like it lasted a very short amount of time. Couple seconds at most ? 

 

yea it was just one single pour from my cup, albeit a fair amount of water. Pretty painful for 10 seconds or so, but then back to normal. 

[RTC]

Hopefully nothing to worry about, no burn or scalding

[NARMAK]

Fingers crossed it won't affect your outcome but i will say i'm incredibly surprised to hear you were advised to wash the recipient area already. With Eugenix, they advised to wait 7 days post-op till the first head wash and even then, i was nervous as heck. Before that, i just kept using saline spray as much as possible. 

It's always interesting to see how many different protocols hair transplant clinics have and how wildly different some can appear. 

[HappyMan2021]

10 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

Fingers crossed it won't affect your outcome but i will say i'm incredibly surprised to hear you were advised to wash the recipient area already. With Eugenix, they advised to wait 7 days post-op till the first head wash and even then, i was nervous as heck. Before that, i just kept using saline spray as much as possible. 

It's always interesting to see how many different protocols hair transplant clinics have and how wildly different some can appear. 

oh interesting. My surgeon was Dr. Mwamba so I do have faith following what the protocols are. In fact they actually advise washing 2x a day. 

It was a 3 day surgery and on Day 2 and Day 3 of surgery they themselves were head washing for me. Gently dabbing the recipient areas (for the grafts that were implanted on the previous days). Dabbing a towel lightly to dry, etc. And they did it again on the first day post op. 

Since they were doing it firsthand themselves I felt confident doing it. I probably would have been too nervous to do this so soon if it wasn't for the fact I witnessed them firsthand dabbing the recipient sites with no adverse effect. 

I still feel confident continuing washing, just have to be a lot more careful with the water temperature. 

My question was mainly about the very hot water and how it specifically may have had an impact. 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by HappyMan2021

[NARMAK]

24 minutes ago, HappyMan2021 said:

oh interesting. My surgeon was Dr. Mwamba so I do have faith following what the protocols are. In fact they actually advise washing 2x a day. 

It was a 3 day surgery and on Day 2 and Day 3 of surgery they themselves were head washing for me. Gently dabbing the recipient areas (for the grafts that were implanted on the previous days). Dabbing a towel lightly to dry, etc. And they did it again on the first day post op. 

Since they were doing it firsthand themselves I felt confident doing it. I probably would have been too nervous to do this so soon if it wasn't for the fact I witnessed them firsthand dabbing the recipient sites with no adverse effect. 

I still feel confident continuing washing, just have to be a lot more careful with the water temperature. 

My question was mainly about the very hot water and how it specifically may have had an impact. 

 

 

I think you would have to probably do it extremely hot to almost burn the skin to do any real damage. At worst, potentially the grafts could suffer some trauma and take longer to grow out than they may have if that happened. 

I think Eugenix just using saline spray and washing after 7 days felt "safer" to me, but your experience is definitely a 180 from mine. Again, Dr Mwamba is a world class doctor and i'm sure they wouldn't do anything that would compromise their results. 

[HappyMan2021]

23 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

I think you would have to probably do it extremely hot to almost burn the skin to do any real damage. At worst, potentially the grafts could suffer some trauma and take longer to grow out than they may have if that happened. 

I think Eugenix just using saline spray and washing after 7 days felt "safer" to me, but your experience is definitely a 180 from mine. Again, Dr Mwamba is a world class doctor and i'm sure they wouldn't do anything that would compromise their results. 

yea ive never suffered a burn injury or come into contact with boiling hot water but I imagine if I had injured the skin I would definitely be aware of it and it would probably be super obvious. All the recipient appears "normal". Someone else I asked also brought up a good point - if I'm not seeing any damage in the dermis above the graft, how could the base of the graft underneath the skin be damaged. 

Very nerverwracking but I think I'm in the clear. 

Dr. Mwamba also said grafts are more or less secure by 18 hours after insertion, and between then and 3 days you'd have to have pretty significant trauma to knock out a graft. He said grafts are completely and utterly secure by 3 days, and after 3 days I can start wearing a hat and also sleep however I want. 

Perhaps most clinics say it takes 10 days for the all clear for liability reasons and to prevent people from doing truly idiotic things (playing contact sports the 1st week, truly pouring boiling hot water on themselves, avoiding people like myself having panic attacks 🤣)

If a non-elite doctor was telling me all this I would be a lot more cynical, but yea I trust him. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by HappyMan2021

[John1991]

No one here can actually answer this with certainty, but I would say if there wasn't much (or any) visual impact on the recipient area in response to this, you're very likely in the clear.  As far as washing "this soon" after surgery, that's totally normal.  Plenty of people are instructed to wash using the "cup method" just the day after surgery.  Unless you're bashing the cup into your recipient area or drying it with a towel, it's hard to fathom how you could be doing it harm.  Water and baby shampoo are fine. If this is what Mwamba instruct this patients - and the overwhelming number have good results - I think you're wise to follow his advice.

Edited June 9, 2022 by John1991

[HappyMan2021]

7 minutes ago, John1991 said:

No one here can actually answer this with certainty, but I would say if there wasn't much (or any) visual impact on the recipient area in response to this, you're very likely in the clear.  As far as washing "this soon" after surgery, that's totally normal.  Plenty of people are instructed to wash using the "cup method" just the day after surgery.  Unless you're bashing the cup into your recipient area or drying it with a towel, it's hard to fathom how you could be doing it harm.  Water and baby shampoo are fine. If this is what Mwamba instruct this patients - and the overwhelming number have good results - I think you're wise to follow his advice.

thanks. yea I feel like common sense says I clearly didn't burn myself or damage the grafts, I'm just so worried because this post op period is such an anxious time. Its critical to protect the grafts, etc.

There was pain for 10 seconds when I poured the water, but visually the area looked like it did before. No swelling, no pain, no redness, no graft bleeding, etc. 

I was reading that even for a 1st degree scald burn, there will be redness, swelling, pain lasting for several hours or more. 

I am going to continue washing as the protocol says, I just need to be very careful....maybe I will stick to neutral or slightly cold water instead of trying to make it exactly "lukewarm" as the instructions say.