How critical is it to shave your recipient area for a 2,000 graft frontal FUE?

[SRB159]

Hi - I am considering a FUE with Dr. K (potentially Nadimi or Nusbaum) however I did not realize how adamant he was about shaving your entire head for the procedure. I am in a very client facing upper management role, and will only be able to take maybe 4 weeks away from my clients for this. With that said, I am very reluctant to shave my head due to my job. Nusbaum doesnt require it, but that is probably one of the many reasons why he is not as good as Dr. K.

 

My question is, how critical is it to shave the entire head? Does anyone have pics of what it looks like 6 weeks after you shave? That would be the absolute longest I can get away without being client facing in my job.

Thanks!

[HappyMan2021]

I hate to break it to you but even partial shave FUE's don't really conceal surgical work. Do you meet clients face to face? If so there is no way you will be able to conceal the hair transplant.

In my opinion getting a partial shave FUE is even more conspicuous than just buzzing down fully. 

Is it too awkward to just tell coworkers and clients (if it comes up) that you've gotten a hair transplant?

If I were you I would fully buzz down so you get the best result possible, and just be completely transparent and open about your surgery to the relevant stakeholders at work.

The one saving grace is you can be away from clients for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks all the scabbing will be gone, but you likely will still have redness in the implant areas.

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by HappyMan2021

[SRB159]

Thanks for the feedback. I respect others who are willing to be more open about their procedure to clients but I am just not there yet so it would be a bit awkward for me to say it.

I actually realized that if I push my date to september, I would be able to be away from clients for 2 full months (taking a month off for my newborn, and already have 4 weeks planned off for this). So I am now thinking that may be my best bet if indeed I have to fully buzz down.

[HappyMan2021]

1 minute ago, SRB159 said:

I would be able to be away from clients for 2 full months

nice, yes 2 months should be a generous amount of time for all the redness to go away. 

[Tiger2050]

You will likely have shock loss and still look odd at 6 weeks if you don’t shave your head. I’ve had 2 procedures, one was partial shave and the other was fully shaved and I looked much more normal at 6 weeks with a buzz cut with the full shave procedure. Just wear hats or rock a buzz cut for the first few weeks. Partial shave and no-shave sound great but aren’t really that practical, you’re handicapping the surgeon and risking a bad outcome but you will still look weird because of shock loss.

Edited February 19, 2023 by Tiger2050

[AlexMeister21]

Some people are able to have partial shave and cover up pretty well after their procedure. For most, it's not too easy, and for me, it took like 3-4 months after partial shave for me to be able to cover up the recipient area. At least with a buzz cut, you'd be able to use concealers like Toppiks to cover up better, but you'd probably have redness in the recipient area at 4-6 weeks. If you can wait until September where you can take two months off, things would be easier for you.

[notabot123]

If you get a buzzcut now then the contrast won't quite so jarring apart from the probably still red recipient area.

[Gatsby]

This is just my take. I think anything that might potentially make anything for your surgeon and technicians more difficult is something you want to avoid. It’s your scalp and you want to put as much as you can in your favour when it comes to your results. Again that’s just my personal opinion. 

[bear56]

most hair docs do no accommodate  your schedule. they put you on a waiting list!

[vance7]

I was informed that it's better to shave to prevent the risk of any existing hairs coming into contact with the grafts. Can't remember the exact details but I recall that it made perfect sense at the time.

[Melvin- Admin]

Are you transplanting in between hair?

[Dillpickle123]

The partial shave is the way to go if your areas are very exposed in a Norwood 2-3 pattern I didn’t have any of my top shaved just the donor and I def look normal in 4 weeks enough that no one till this day can tell I had anything done it just looked like a bad fade at 2 weeks there is a dr K patient on here recently who had his temples done he didn’t need to shave at all he had long hair 

[SRB159]

Thanks!! Yes I am a NW2 or 3. Temple recession although there is still some miniaturization on the temples (some hairs just wont call it quits after 15 years of miniaturization). But the crown, middle, 95% of the front is very strong with no miniaturization.

Do you have a link to the post of the member who did not have to shave with Dr. K? I cant seem to find it. 

[Dillpickle123]

14 minutes ago, SRB159 said:

Thanks!! Yes I am a NW2 or 3. Temple recession although there is still some miniaturization on the temples (some hairs just wont call it quits after 15 years of miniaturization). But the crown, middle, 95% of the front is very strong with no miniaturization.

Do you have a link to the post of the member who did not have to shave with Dr. K? I cant seem to find it. 

Sounds like your in the same boat as me my surgery with dr mwamba I paid extra to not get the top shaved lol and def don’t regret it 

[A_4_Archan]

Generally its tough to hide a surgery even if u go with partial shave fue ...actually It depends on your hair style and area of baldness and evn the degree of shockloss aftr surgery....still thr wud be few cases whr a person mite have able to conceal it..

[Mountinvan]

I don't want to throw a wrench into your FUE plans, but have you considered FUT with Dr. K? After 2 passes with him, I can tell you NOONE ever thought I had an HT. I was absolutely able to hide it. Dr. K did a fabulous job. The first few days were a bit wonky because you could not shampoo and comb regularly. After about 10 days, I was totally able to hide it. It makes a difference probably to be a NW2 or NW3, as opposed to a balder NW level. I think you might get a better yield with a FUT--a bonus. I don't worry about the scar because he does such a good job on the incision. If you want to go stealth---go with Dr. K and do FUT.

Edited February 20, 2023 by Mountinvan

[SRB159]

1 hour ago, Mountinvan said:

I don't want to throw a wrench into your FUE plans, but have you considered FUT with Dr. K? After 2 passes with him, I can tell you NOONE ever thought I had an HT. I was absolutely able to hide it. Dr. K did a fabulous job. The first few days were a bit wonky because you could not shampoo and comb regularly. After about 10 days, I was totally able to hide it. It makes a difference probably to be a NW2 or NW3, as opposed to a balder NW level. I think you might get a better yield with a FUT--a bonus. I don't worry about the scar because he does such a good job on the incision. If you want to go stealth---go with Dr. K and do FUT.

hmmm I didn’t give it much thought because I wear my sides and back down to a number 2 length (top and front much longer though). 
 

Wouldn’t the scar still show through? 

[Z--]

20 minutes ago, SRB159 said:

hmmm I didn’t give it much thought because I wear my sides and back down to a number 2 length (top and front much longer though). 
 

Wouldn’t the scar still show through? 

I also had an FUT with Dr. Konior and wear my hair at a 2 guard, and the scar isn’t noticeable at all unless you try to look very hard. Only my wife is able to tell and that’s because she knows I had the FUT. Best (least noticeable) FUT scars in the industry are certainly from Konior.

That said, I had most of my donor shaved, so not sure if it is going to work if you want to mask that you had a transplant. It’s definitely a query worth asking him. 

[mavigo]

26 minutes ago, SRB159 said:

hmmm I didn’t give it much thought because I wear my sides and back down to a number 2 length (top and front much longer though). 
 

Wouldn’t the scar still show through? 

It probably would. As someone who has had an FUT and then an FUE; I strongly do not recommend getting and FUT ever.

[HelpfulFriend]

Hey mate, I had 1200 FUE with Dr K (amazing experience for what it's worth). 

I requested a no-shave of recipient, and he said that was fine. Of course the donor is shaved, but I also have long hair and the area I transplanted into was bald.

I believe it will depend on your type of loss, and if you are transplanting into areas with hair (mind you, Dr K doesn't generally like doing this I don't believe). 

I was a NW 2/3, and just filled the corners. Here's what my hair looks like at 3 months, and how I style it to hide it. I cover the corners with a messy sort of part, but that's easy because I've always had long hair, even in the corporate world. So no one has even questioned it.

I hope this helps. I'm also in a client focused corporate position, so having minimal change to my look was important to me.

[Mountinvan]

I am in awe of how natural this corner work is. It is probably going to be a smashing success when grown in. Dr K has mastered both FUT and FUE especially adept at 2500 and under procedures. If you go with Dr K you probably are setting yourself up for a big smile when all is done,

[sunsurfhair]

On 2/18/2023 at 8:45 PM, SRB159 said:

Thanks for the feedback. I respect others who are willing to be more open about their procedure to clients but I am just not there yet so it would be a bit awkward for me to say it.

I actually realized that if I push my date to september, I would be able to be away from clients for 2 full months (taking a month off for my newborn, and already have 4 weeks planned off for this). So I am now thinking that may be my best bet if indeed I have to fully buzz down.

I would push it till you have two months off. I’m also in a heavy client facing role. It’s going to look nasty for a while but two months should buy you some good time. I’m a Konior patient as well and he does exceptional work. Absolutely let him shave you completely. 

[agentHarley]

Any updates? Did your procedure happen as planned?