Hair transplant immediate timeline post HT

[bbtrojans]

Hi all,

I'm strongly considering getting a hair transplant after 10+ years of research.

I'm 37 years old, turning 38 this year. I'm a Norwood 3 with no vertex loss, hair started receding circa 27 years old, progression has been very slow with no real medical intervention at all besides fish oil and multivitamins. I believe I lost 50% of my current loss within 6 months around 27 following an emotionally challenging time. 

In the last 2-3 weeks I've been taking 1mg/finasteride to see if I can tolerate it well with no real issues. I plan to discontinue this in anticipation of a HT and then will start again.

Here is my question. I have been away from my family and hometown friends for 5 years+. I'm currently overseas and looking to return home to visit them for a few weeks. The thing is I want to go via India for the transplant, which is on my way, and then Bali for a week before returning home.

I don't want people to know I have had the hair transplant. I may be foolish however please can someone enlighten me?

- Is there a period after the hair transplant and before growth commences where the fact that I've had a hair transplant be completely undetectable? For example all scabs removed, transplanted area looks pre HT? I suppose I'd need to wait for the donor area to grow back as well

I suppose my option is to do it after seeing family however that is adding another $2k in flights.

Thanks in advance 

 

 

 

[ray35]

I'm not sure you want to stop fin... meant to be continuous from my understanding. 

It's pretty easy to ensure nobody picks up on it. Just cut your hair short prior and lay low those first few days after op. Then keep it shorter until growing it out makes sense.... likely around the four-six month time frame. A week out you'd be ok with the family... it's just be really short hair with perhaps some redness noticable to you less so to others. 

[bbtrojans]

Thanks for your reply.

I thought from all the information I read you are suppose to discontinue up to 4-6 weeks prior to the operation as basically it will make it harder for the surgeon to distinguish donor hair from non donor hair.

I suppose my hair is quite thick so if you imagine lowering the hair line 1-2 cm and filling in temples there will be quite a stark contrast between the existing and transplant hair... I'm not sure if cutting it short will help in that first month

[Mike10]

Hi can you post some photos?

[Al - Moderator]

21 hours ago, bbtrojans said:

Here is my question. I have been away from my family and hometown friends for 5 years+. I'm currently overseas and looking to return home to visit them for a few weeks. The thing is I want to go via India for the transplant, which is on my way, and then Bali for a week before returning home.

I don't want people to know I have had the hair transplant. I may be foolish however please can someone enlighten me?

- Is there a period after the hair transplant and before growth commences where the fact that I've had a hair transplant be completely undetectable? For example all scabs removed, transplanted area looks pre HT? I suppose I'd need to wait for the donor area to grow back as well

 

The short answer is it will most likely be easily noticeable. However it really depends on how much area you are covering, how many grafts you will use, if you have enough hair to hide the area, etc. We would need to see pictures to give you a good answer. You may be able to get away with it simply because they haven't seen you in years, so they don't really know what you looked like before the HT.