This happen to you?

[Wantitback]

I very gently wash my hair.

Day 2 after my HT I found a graft in the tub.

Today day 6 after the HT I found another? I been keeping an very close eye on it and these are the only ones I found.

I called the office and they said this is can and does happen.

 

Is this rather normal?

[Wantitback]

I very gently wash my hair.

Day 2 after my HT I found a graft in the tub.

Today day 6 after the HT I found another? I been keeping an very close eye on it and these are the only ones I found.

I called the office and they said this is can and does happen.

 

Is this rather normal?

[gillenator]

Hi Wantitback,

 

Yes losing a few grafts post-op is typical although none of us want to lose any of them. No one retains 100% of the grafts placed whether the patient realizes it or not.

 

What happens post-op is that we are told for the most part to wash our hair every day following the procedure. The grafts become soft again from the warm water so even gentle washing and rinsing can cause a graft to dislodge. The graft you noticed six days out was probably loose long before now and probably just rinsed out.

 

Many of us here are advocates of utilizing post-op wound care topical treatments like Graftcyte which advance the healing process and possibly you have been using something like this. Either way, you are now far enough out from surgery that you should not lose any more.

 

The best way to shampoo the recipient area post-op is to establish the shampoo lather on either the side of your scalp (rim hair), or other location of the body where there is lots of hair to create and establish suds. Then cup one hand and scoop the suds and then place the suds over the recipient area without scrubbing the area. Just pat the suds very gently onto the recipient area, no scrubbing. After the suds start melting away, apply a second scoop of suds and repeat. Then simply rinse off using a receptacle of some kind and gently pour the water over your scalp to rinse off. Use lukewarm water, not hot, not cold. "Do not allow the rinse directly from the shower head as the pressure can dislodge wet grafts in the first several days following surgery. Let your hair "air dry" and do not pat your head with a towel to dry off.

 

After 8-10 days post-op, the crusts are ready to come off and then and only then can you begin to get more aggressive in massaging the recipient area with your fingertips while shampooing. The crusts will come off and there should not be any other complications.

 

After the healing of the surface of your scalp (epidermis), you may begin to see some effects of shockloss. Hopefully it will be minimal and not very noticeable. Most of the hairs within the grafts will come out with the crusts and a smaller percentage will just take off and grow. In time, alll of the hair follicules that were transplanted will cycle through their phases and behave like they did before your procedure. Best wishes to you!