My scalp is peeling after transplant - I need advice and help.

scalppeeler · March 25, 2004

I will start with some background. I'm 35 years

old. I have a class 5 balding pattern. I still have some natural hair in the front and on the top that grows but some of it is minaturized. I was told by several hair transplant doctors that all of this existing hair on the top and in front would have fallen out and not grew back in if it wasn't for the minoxidil and propecia. I have white- European(Irish-German) type skin and light brown straight hair with medium to low density. The coarseness of my hair is fine to medium. My skin is sort of pale because I don't get much sun. I have been on over the counter minoxidil for 6 years.(I used name brand "Rogaine" for the first 3 years - I had zero problems or side effects. Then, I switched to generic minoxidil - still no problems. I have been on propecia for 5 years - no problems or side effects. The transplant doctor I went to is supposed to be one of the best in the business. However, after the procedure I don't trust him because he said he did 1,200 grafts and it looks to me (in the mirror) that there are approx. 500-600 max grafts and he lied to me about the total number - as I was not awake during the procedure because he knocked me out beforehand with pills. Then, he mentioned that he lost count and I actually got 150-200 extra that he didn't charge me for. My thoughts to that

were : "Yeah, sure you did!" sarcastically. He probably just said that so I would'nt question the number of grafts. Anyways, I had the procedure

done in early January. He had me grease my head with Bacitracin for 2 weeks after. Also, he told me not to use minoxidil for 1 week after. Also, he told me to use Head and Shoulders "classic clean" shampoo - which I have never used before. He sold me his own mixture of minoxidil with the marking of "5% B/v" on it. The over the counter stuff says "5% v/v" on the bottle. About 1 week after starting the use of minox. (2 weeks after the surgery) my scalp started peeling. It peeled pretty heavily for a couple weeks. I began to wander about it. So, I went in to the transplant doctor. He told me that the peeling isn't normal and that I shouldn't be peeling. He told me to use this special minoxidil with the marking of "5% B/v - No PG" for one week and return to his office in 1 week. But, if the peeling didn't stop in 3 days stop the minoxidil completletly and retun to his office immediately. It didn't stop!

I returned to his office on the 3rd day. He told me not to use minoxidil anymore. He gave me cortisone foam called "Luxiq betamethasone valerate Foam, 0.12%" and told me to use it for 10 days and return to his office - no minoxidil.

So, I followed his instructions. The peeling stopped except for a couple of tiny isolated areas. After the 10 days and the office visit, I started using minoxidil again. Then again after one week my scalp started peeling again. Out of distrust I decided to go to a dermatologist through my HMO just to get another opinion. He told me that the Luxiq could have been contributing to the problem because it contains alcohol which dries the skin as it evaporates. He gave me a special shampoo called "DHS SAL SHAMPOO - salicylic acid 3%" to be used every other day. He also gave me a special bar of soap called "ZNP

Bar - pyrithione zinc 2%" to be used every other day on my scalp. Also, he gave me a lotion to put on my scalp twice a day called "Clobex - clobetasol propionate topical lotion 0.05%".I followed this doctor's orders who told me to stop the minoxidil for 2 weeks and use the things he gave me. So, I stopped the minox. for one week or so and the peeling stopped completely. Because I was very anxious to get back on the minoxidil I tried the minoxidil again. Now after 2 weeks of being on minox. I'm peeling again. I have tried all different minoxidil preparations and they all make me peel. I have since returned again to the doctor's office again he told me that I have developed an allergy to minoxidil after the surgery and I will never be able to use it again - I have to stop using minoxidil permanetly. The instuctions that come with the minoxidil says that if "irritation occurs .... discontinue use." It also says that "if use is discontinued... hair

will fall out after 1 month". This doesn't sit to well with me. I have just paid $10,000 for a procedure to fill in my hair and restore my head of hair and now I'm supposed to stop using minoxidil and let my existing hair fall out! So, I will look the same as before - just with hair in different places on my head and not in other areas. I'm very sad and angry about this!!!!!

The Head and Shoulders says that "if dandruff worsens ... discontinue use".

What's really going on with my scalp? Do I trust the doctor? He claims to be a dermatologist

as well as a transplant surgeon. Or ,perhaps, this doctor is attempting to scam me once again by making me stop the minoxidil so my existing hair falls out and then he can charge me more for a second procedure because more grafts will be needed after my existing hair falls out? Maybe his dermatology thing is just a front and I was duped? Is the peeling really abnormal? If it is not normal after a transplant, why did he have me using Head and Shoulders - the "dandruff control shampoo". Why is it that I have been using minoxidil for 6 years with no problems - why now all of the sudden? Perhaps my scalp just hasn't fully healed. Maybe, I just need to let my scalp heal and in time go back on the minoxidil. But, for how long? If I stop the minoxidil will I still loose the existing hair if I'm on propecia? Maybe I have unhealthy and/or frail skin from lack of sunlight and/or genitics? Could this cause this condition? The minoxidil has alcohol in it which can dry the skin out as it evaporates. Perhaps I could use a special preparation of minoxidil for my condition? I have always used the recommended amount of minoxidil which is about 1.0 ml on the balding areas (or crown on top and in back) as according to the instructions. The directions say little or no growth has been shown in something like 95% fo the other areas on most men. But, for 6 years I have always used an additional 1.0 ml from the crown forward to the front and never had any problems or side effects from it. In fact, I gained a tiny bit of regrowth and density in the

front by doing this as well as preserving some of the minatured hair in this area of my scalp. I sort don't want to know what could happen if I just keep using the minox. despite the peeling. But, I guess I should know. So, what could happen?

Will all my grafts fall out or worst case scenario

all of my hair on my head? The "doctor" as well the dermatologist I visited through my HMO, both have told me that my transplant went well and that I have had good results. Are they just jerking me around? How will I know that I havn't already lost a lot of grafts and/or existing hair from the peeling or from what has transpired so far? I do see some tiny hairs starting to grow from the grafts.

I apologize for being long-winded. But my "doctor" may be a person I cannot trust. He doesn't want to answer any of these questions that I have asked here on this post. I feel he is hiding something. Or, perhaps, he doesn't want me

to know what's going on because I could use it against him in court if I were to slap him with a lawsuit in the future?

WHAT THE !@#$ SHOULD I DO?

scalppeeler · March 25, 2004