How to conceal redness after procedure?

[random90]

Hello, I'll be going for a hair transplant procedure in the month of May. I've booked about 2.5 weeks vacation from my job, but what i'm worried about is the procedure results being obvious when I get back to work. I work in a customer facing environment so wearing a cap unfortunately is out of the question. Will 2 weeks be enough for some hair to cover the donor area? 

are there any products I can use to conceal the redness on my scalp after the procedure? 

For those that have gone through the procedure and had to cover up for work, how did you go about doing so? 

Any advice would be appreciated! 

[random90]

also, any tips for concealing the donor area after the procedure would be appreciated as well

[New_Barnet_Please]

It’s quite a major trauma to the scalp so I’m afraid there’s not much way to hide it other than a hat. At 2.5 weeks you’ll just about be over the worst of it for scabs coming off etc so that’s good. Your donor will quickly not be obvious with FUE as hair grows around it to cover it. The recipient area however will be red for likely quite some time and only really start to look better at around 3 months (everyone is different though). So unfortunately it will most likely be visible, but we often overestimate how much anyone actually cares! You’re investing in yourself and will hopefully have a great result by the end so putting up with some redness and maybe having to tell people is a small price to pay. Be confident in yourself and try not to worry about what anyone might think :0)

Check my thread if you’re interested to see how it might look at 1 month.

If anyone asks you could say you are recovering from a skin condition if you really don’t want to say you had a ht. Most people won’t pry and as I say how much people care is mostly in our heads!

Edited March 25, 2023 by New_Barnet_Please

[random90]

On 3/25/2023 at 1:14 AM, New_Barnet_Please said:

It’s quite a major trauma to the scalp so I’m afraid there’s not much way to hide it other than a hat. At 2.5 weeks you’ll just about be over the worst of it for scabs coming off etc so that’s good. Your donor will quickly not be obvious with FUE as hair grows around it to cover it. The recipient area however will be red for likely quite some time and only really start to look better at around 3 months (everyone is different though). So unfortunately it will most likely be visible, but we often overestimate how much anyone actually cares! You’re investing in yourself and will hopefully have a great result by the end so putting up with some redness and maybe having to tell people is a small price to pay. Be confident in yourself and try not to worry about what anyone might think :0)

Check my thread if you’re interested to see how it might look at 1 month.

If anyone asks you could say you are recovering from a skin condition if you really don’t want to say you had a ht. Most people won’t pry and as I say how much people care is mostly in our heads!

thanks @New_Barnet_Please, really appreciate the thoughts. I suppose I don't mind the redness as much as I do scabbing. I'm just hoping that it won't be super obvious and hopefully some of my hairs will grow out to cover the area to make the redness less noticeable. 

you mentioned a thread to see results post 1 month. do you mind linking that for me? 

thank you!

[JoeD]

Is there anything wrong with using some concealer/makeup on the scalp?

[Gatsby]

I still have redness around the hairline and temple points. So far no one has said anything to me at work and if they did I would tell them I have dermatitis. Otherwise I would just tell them the truth. You would be surprised how interested people are about the process of hair transplants. I actually had an old friend who rang me today to catch up because he has seen pictures of me after my first hair transplant on Facebook. 👍

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@random90,

As a few others have stated, it’s not real easy to conceal postoperative redness, or the fact that you had surgery for that matter without wearing some kind of loose fitting hat.  Now, after the first two weeks or so you could potentially try using a topical concealer but these can be a little tricky and messy.  Moreover, while it may help take the focus off the fact that you had surgery, it won’t take the focus off your scalp in general.  Ultimately people will notice that you have the appearance of more hair since that’s what concealer is used for.  It may also not look very natural depending on how efficient you become at applying it. 

So long story short, there really isn’t a way to completely conceal the fact that you’ve had something done to your scalp and hair.

One thing I can say, which may not be the most popular piece of advice but I’ve learned through my experience… Is that honesty is the best policy.  If you are comfortable with it, tell as many people that you work with about your procedure in advance as possible.  That way they know what to expect and it will make you more comfortable when you see them.  As far as Customer Service, there’s not too much you can do to prep your customers in advance.  But I have found that most people won’t say anything as long as you continue to provide  them with the customer ssrvice they need.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

Edited March 29, 2023 by Rahal Hair Transplant

[JoeD]

Dr. Rahal: Thank you very much for the detailed reply! If concealer makes it look better, are there any concerns regarding negative consequences for hair growth? I have found it to make a tremendous difference on my hairline, which is still red about two months out and most grafts shed several weeks ago. I remove it ASAP after work and don’t wear it when I can otherwise just wear a hat. I searched extensively for people discussing this previously on the forum and on Google, but didn’t find much. 

[gillenator]

Look online for some cosmetic products such as Luminess that are applied with a spray applicator… the best ones allow you to mix/match your skin tone and the tiny applicator allows you to control exactly where you want it applied…IMHO, this is the best way to hide post-op redness without detection.

Edited March 30, 2023 by gillenator

[random90]

@gillenator, thank you! looking into Luminess. I think this is what I need

[mavigo]

If you don't shave the top of your head, long hair could cover it. Redness may remain up to a few months. 

Edited April 6, 2023 by mavigo