Why are my scabs so slow to go away? (by day 12 post-FUE)

[Hashi]

(Day 12 post-op FUE)

So I've been looking around on other people's results, and I noticed that most people have had most of their scabs almost completely gone by day 10 post-op.
I'm on day 12 and this is what it looks like. I've washed my head seven times, two times per day on day 8 & day 9, and then once per day on day 10, 11, 12 as instructed by the clinic.

How come I still have so many scabs left? Am I doing something wrong? Is this a bad thing?

I was told to increase the friction day after day when washing. I'm trying to be really gentle, but still I feel like I'm being pretty rough and I don't want to damage the new hairs/follicles. Any advice on how to get rid of the scabs?

Edited January 22, 2023 by Hashi

[ray35]

I think the recommend method is to place some conditioner  on the the areas and let sit for 10 or 15 then scrub and wash off... should loosen up doing that.

[Hashi]

14 hours ago, ray35 said:

I think the recommend method is to place some conditioner  on the the areas and let sit for 10 or 15 then scrub and wash off... should loosen up doing that.

Would any conditioner work or do I need something special to not hurt the newly transplanted hairs?

[StillAlive]

My doctor gave me a medicinal foam and instructed me to let it soak on my head for 15 mins before washing, in order to soften up the scabs. Then, during the wash, I'd massage with my finger-tips to get the scabs off. When i still had scabs on at day 12, they asked me to apply the foam for 15 mins post wash as well and massage a bit harder. That did the trick. If you have any doubts, please contact your doctor and they'll be able to instruct you on how to proceed. 

To set your mind at ease, at 12-13 days post op, your grafts are pretty secure, there's almost zero chance of you dislodging a graft by scrubbing. 

[Hashi]

3 hours ago, StillAlive said:

My doctor gave me a medicinal foam and instructed me to let it soak on my head for 15 mins before washing, in order to soften up the scabs. Then, during the wash, I'd massage with my finger-tips to get the scabs off. When i still had scabs on at day 12, they asked me to apply the foam for 15 mins post wash as well and massage a bit harder. That did the trick. If you have any doubts, please contact your doctor and they'll be able to instruct you on how to proceed. 

To set your mind at ease, at 12-13 days post op, your grafts are pretty secure, there's almost zero chance of you dislodging a graft by scrubbing. 

Do you think I could also let the water hit the recipient area directly from the shower head? Like full force and everything? So far I've been avoiding that, just having the water run down from non-transplanted area to the transplanted area.

[Al - Moderator]

You are probably being too gentle. At this point you are not going to damage the grafts by washing of your hair, so don't be afraid to rub them a bit. As others have said, put some conditioner on the area and let it sit for a few minutes and then wash it out. You are at the time frame where the hairs will start shedding, so if you see hairs coming off with the scabs, don't worry. That's normal. Most of the transplanted hair will shed.

[Al - Moderator]

5 minutes ago, Hashi said:

Do you think I could also let the water hit the recipient area directly from the shower head? Like full force and everything? So far I've been avoiding that, just having the water run down from non-transplanted area to the transplanted area.

 

Yes. You are being too gentle. Shampoo your hair like you normally would, rubbing your fingers all through it.

 

[Hashi]

5 minutes ago, BeHappy said:

 

Yes. You are being too gentle. Shampoo your hair like you normally would, rubbing your fingers all through it.

 

Alright, gotcha. I'm probably worrying too much.. I'll start off with some conditioner and give it a shot. Thank you!

[StillAlive]

You can also run full pressure water on your head. You know, not pressure cleaner force, but as before the ht, is fine.