What are some things I should known before my hair transplant?

[Blane123]

I am getting a hair transplant this Saturday with Dr. Mwamba.  I am very nervous. Would welcome it if you guys could share with me some things that I should know before my transplant.

[ray35]

Relax, you're in good hands from what I gather. Post op, take it easy and don't touch the grafts. Be careful and protective of that area for 72 hours, but then even through day 7. As in don't touch, when cleaning do as little as possible. Sleep using the U-shaped pillow. It's a drag sure to endure that for 7 days, but it'll give you peace of mind long term that you did everything right. Mostly relax about it all, it's gonna be fine. Just follow post op precautions and err on the side of caution.

[pkipling]

There's likely an endless list of things people could tell you, but off the top of my head, here are the most important...

• It's going to look worse before it looks better, and don't expect to see even the slightest hint of results until at least 3 months after the procedure - and a full 6 months before you start jumping to any final conclusions. 
• Manage your expectations based on your own unique situation and what is possible for you. Many people compare their results to the results of someone else who may have a completely different hair loss history/profile, so make sure you're keeping things in perspective. 
• Nerves are normal! It's even okay to second guess and get cold feet leading up to the procedure. As long as you've done proper research and know that you've chosen a reputable surgeon (which you have!), trust that you'll be in good hands and try not to let the nerves take over.
• Don't overanalyze every little aspect of your scalp, hair, grafts, etc. the days and weeks following the procedure. That can really be a slippery slope and leave you a constant state of stress.
• Many people worry about "losing grafts" after a procedure, so a few things to note:
  • Losing grafts isn't as common as people think.
  • If a graft has been dislodged, there will be blood and it will hurt. If not, you're fine.
  • Even in the worst case scenario that you did lose a graft, it won't have a visual impact on the final result in the slightest... So even more of a reason to not let it worry you. 
  • The most crucial time post-op is the first 72 hours. After that, research shows that it gets increasingly harder to dislodge a graft day by day, so that by Days 10-14, the grafts are secure. 
• Post-op care: Follow your surgeons post-op guidelines carefully, but also remember they're just guidelines. Every surgeon on here has their own unique set of rules to follow, so be mindful that should you need to come on here looking for some post-op guidance, that the answers can sometimes vary greatly, so don't let it overwhelm you. When in doubt, refer back to your surgeon and let them guide you. 

Hopefully that helps! There's definitely way more, but you could browse the forum for past threads on this topic as well... Although, you're likely more prepared than you realize, so don't overthink it too much.

[NARMAK]

45 minutes ago, Blane123 said:

I am getting a hair transplant this Saturday with Dr. Mwamba.  I am very nervous. Would welcome it if you guys could share with me some things that I should know before my transplant.

Dr Mwamba is a solid doctor so you can feel assured you're in good hands. I think the above post covered a lot of great ground, BUT i wanted to touch on some points that didn't and helped me. 

When it comes to post-op sleeping, if you can, get a chunky memory foam pillow to wear and if possible, there's like a single seater/recliner, use that to sleep in for the first week or so till your head wash, it can pass enough time for hair to fully anchor and give you more confidence you did your bit. 

I personally had concerns about touching my grafts whilst sleeping, so i recommend to basically buy a slightly oversized stretch cotton zip hoody, so that you can zip it up and then slip your arms out of the sleeves and wrap them around your torso. 

Overall, i would personally say focus on recovery and being comfortable. Keep travel to a minimum and whenever possible, try get food to come to you. I say that as a person who tried so hard to never hit his head and ended up bumping it post-op to my utter horror. I did lose at least one graft i know of, but like above, don't dwell on it. One won't break your HT. 

The anaesthetic part of the HT for me was painful, because around the temporal areas the skin for me seemed more sensitive and generally i think most say its the most painful part of the operation and do not be shy to tell the team whenever you need a top up because it's better for you to be comfortable and not in constant pain. You will feel them working but it shouldn't hurt you i guess with anaesthetic. 

Also, i don't see this mentioned often. Phantom Pain. The sensation of the implanter pens etc. poking into your skin was something i experienced and it does last a little while. Up to maybe a few weeks to a month. Also, pimples in the donor area. This has become better after 3+ months, but it was a bit unexpected. 

[GoliGoliGoli]

1 hour ago, pkipling said:

 

• Many people worry about "losing grafts" after a procedure, so a few things to note:
  • Losing grafts isn't as common as people think.
  • If a graft has been dislodged, there will be blood and it will hurt. If not, you're fine.
  • Even in the worst case scenario that you did lose a graft, it won't have a visual impact on the final result in the slightest... So even more of a reason to not let it worry you. 
  • The most crucial time post-op is the first 72 hours. After that, research shows that it gets increasingly harder to dislodge a graft day by day, so that by Days 10-14, the grafts are secure. 

Well said. I'm 8 days from my operation and although I know I haven't lost any grafts, I do get paranoid about everything I've done post-op that could have done damage to them without an actual dislodge occurring. This is of course just paranoia I think, and I certainly haven't done anything in particular that would have caused damage. But I did wash my hair about 50 hours after surgery which included some light touching of the recipient area with my hand (All at the instruction of my surgeon). However it seems most doctors recommend waiting longer before touching the donor area, so of course now I'm here overthinking things! 

[Antlor]

To add to that, some light exercise would be good too. By exercising, you can metabolize the anesthesia in your body and perhaps break it down sooner. Exercise is good for your health and can boost your well-being. If you wish to stay in your hotel room, you can walk around in your room.

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

Blane123,

your question is pretty broad so I’m not exactly sure how to help you. Ultimately, it’s important that you understand how the procedure works in addition to the overall hair restoration process. For example, your doctor will provide you with postoperative instructions after surgery and hopefully he provided you with preoperative instructions that you followed and are following before surgery.

I don’t know if you were undergoing FUE or FUT but it’s important you’re familiar with the healing process and the overall growth process. For example, in 4 to 6 weeks after your hair transplant, most if not all of your transplanted hair will shed and you will enter the doldrums a.k.a. the ugly duckling face around 2 to 3 months postop. This is when patients are usually the most stressed because they typically look worse than before surgery having less hair and potentially some remaining information and redness in the recipient and donor areas.  Then there’s shock loss which is the temporary loss of natural hair that was near where hair was transplanted.

in 3 to 5 months postop, you will start seeing signs of new growth which will slowly grow, thicken, darken and mature over a period of 12 to 18 months.

please be sure to follow your doctors post shoppers instructions including how to gently remove the scabs during the first week to 10 days after surgery, etc. Pay special attention to when you can resume normal activities such as working out, being out in the sun, things of that nature.

Most of all, be patient because it’s going to take some time to see the results you’re paying for.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

 

[Dillpickle123]

On 11/16/2022 at 9:37 PM, Blane123 said:

I am getting a hair transplant this Saturday with Dr. Mwamba.  I am very nervous. Would welcome it if you guys could share with me some things that I should know before my transplant.

I got mine done with him about a week ago and am leaving back home tomorrow you can pm if you have any questions!