The itching gets worse brother as the hairs are about to pop. Not sure what spray you are using but it is a good idea to use it rather than to scratch (which just makes you itch worse). This is the spray I used. Also, scabs should be out now. Soak them in shampoo or conditioner for 30 minutes, then they'll be soggy and will come out easily. Don't sweat it at this point if hairs come out with the scabs. It is normal.
I feel donor management is the true measure of a FUE procedure's merits and always ask for those pics. If you don't have a selfie stick, pick one up (something like this). I feel it is the best small investment a person seeking hair restoration surgery can make. Helps with taking pics of your procedure and keeping your sanity as you'll be able to take well framed, well lit pics in the same consistent environment and lighting conditions. When you are in the bottom depths of the ugly duckling stage, you'll be able to look back from once you came and laugh at how far you've actually come.
Youth sometimes is an advantage in surgery. Prejudices have not set in, making some surgeons stuck in their ways. It usually is in many other aspects of life. In your case, your immediate post-op results look quite excellent. The surgeon's youth didn't put you at a disadvantage at all.
Look forward to those donor pics. Also see if the clinic can provide them to you.
Those pain meds are the best thing for you at this time. When it comes to pain after surgery, best to keep it at bay (even if you don't feel pain) than to try to relieve it upon onset. For me, the 1st week was tolerable. I didn't feel great, but I wasn't in pain. I was given norcos that lasted for the 1st week. Week 2, the pain set in and was pretty bad. Week 3, the pain was at its worse before subsiding to discomfort. Everyone is different however when it comes to pain. Donor discomfort is going to last for a while so what is typically used for FUE donor area is 100% aloe vera gel, like this. Unfortunately, the 14 days or so after surgery, hardly anyone gets much sleep. For the most part, everyone just grits their teeth through it. Definitely don't start sleeping on your side yet; follow your clinic's instructions on that. My clinic's instructions were to sleep elevated on my back for 14 days. Which really sucked because I am a side sleeper too. But I gritted my teeth through it anyway.
In about a month, your recipient area is going to itch too. So while you are picking up the aloe vera, get some of this stuff to to help with that recipient area itch. It helps to temporarily relieve redness too. Just spray lightly as needed for instant cooling relief.
Would love to see pics of your donor area. Individual Trim FUE/no shave FUE are pretty rare. If you have pics you could share, that would be awesome! Upload to Imgur and paste a link if you can.
I am a dude, but I bought this shower head after reading a study about how hard water can cause hair loss.
Most beard and hair trimmers come with adjustable plastic guards. Here is an example.
Pro Tip: Get a selfie stick w/stand & remote. Something like this. Will allow you to take well framed, well lit, consistent photos from the same environment (likely in front of your bathroom mirror) of your entire procedure. Especially helpful for the donor area pics. Keeps your sanity when the despair of the ugly duckling stage hits you. With good documentation, you'll be able to look back, see how far you've come, then laugh at yourself.
Get a selfie stick with remote and stand so we can see what the crown and donor area look like from the back.
Use this stuff to help relieve itch. Spray lightly as needed. Don't scratch. Just makes you itch more.
> I plan on buzzing it until Month 6 and the re-growth starts.
This is actually one of my biggest questions... buzzing logistics. When can you start buzzing it? What length guard? I buzz my hair right now with one of these with a 0.5 but it's a little "aggro" on the scalp: https://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Professional-Balding-Blade-Model/dp/B000EVEKWY
>I am saying nobody cares anywhere near the amount you think they do.
I am slowly learning that this is the way. I talked to a guy who had a deviated septum and got plastic surgery for his nose. He told me that:
1. I am way overthinking it
2. He notices people's noses because that's what he was insecure about. I notice hairlines. I forgot that before I was self-conscious about my receding hairline, I didn't ever pay attention to peoples' hairlines.
>I do have to go back to the UK for Christmas, and my friends there (I live in the US) will give me so much banter, but again, it's not serious and nobody truly cares.
You know, this is a very similar situation to me. If you have lifelong friends who decide you suck because you got an HT, then they probably suck as friends and you need new ones. Good friends will probably just get a huge kick out of being able to make fun of me.
You've commissioned someone that must have been legendary Japanese Swordsmith in another life reincarnated as a hair restoration surgeon in this life to restore your hair line. You are in excellent hands.
2300 grafts is the same amount of grafts I got (2337 to be exact). Your temporal recession goes a little further back than mine did and is wider in area. I had some hair line lowering though. You can check out my immediate post-op pics for comparison. Having become a fan of Dr. Pekiner's work, I am sure he is going to rebuild your hair line at the forelock as well as reinforce the density there. I think 2300 grafts is right on the money for your case.
Do me a favor and grab a selfie stick with remote so you can take really good pics of your donor. Looking forward to the updates brother!
You don't have to go to Turkey. There are other options.
At this point, you'll want to take well lit and well framed pictures of hair from all sides, including the top. Helps to get a selfie stick with a remote to do this. Small investment that pays for itself quite quickly.
Depending on the clinic, you will have to shave your head. You'll want to do it anyway since you'll look awkward through the 12 month recovery period anyway.
It doesn't matter. After 2 weeks, you can resume showering as normal. I used this stuff to help with the occasional itch however. At this point, it is just doing the other stuff to ensure you yield well.
Scratching recipient itch only makes it itch worse by wounding your scalp ever so slightly. Get some of this stuff and spray lightly as needed. Heaven sent stuff. It also temporarily relieves redness. Also get 100% aloe vera gel for the donor area discomfort while you are at it. Any 100% pure organic stuff will do.
It gets better slowly. I think I finally got all the feeling back in my head after 4 months, might have been a little longer. 1st month was pretty bad. Then subsided to discomfort->itchiness->numbness->back to normal. Lots of nerve endings reconnecting in the scalp. It takes time.
100% aloe vera gel for the donor; apply liberally. This stuff for the recipient; spray lightly as needed for itch relief. It also temporarily relieves redness (if you have any). Both heaven sent stuff.
Used this stuff to help with dry itch relief in the recipient area. Also helps with temporary redness relief. Spray lightly when needed. Instant relief.
We can think of nothing better to do than to help out a teacher, brother.
I am in California as well (San Jose area). Being that you are a teacher, you are going to have to time your surgery to happen literally the following week that class ends. Your Summer vacation will have to be sacrificed a bit because you have to keep physical activity low the month following surgery and you'll have to keep out of the sun for 4 months. You'll be back at work around September but the hair you desire won't be in place when classes begin again in the Fall. You will be rebounding from what is called the "Ugly Duckling" stage right when school starts again in the Fall. If you are an early grower, you should look pretty decent around October and will hit your stride just before Christmas break.
Post some pics to Imgur and edit your OP with the link to those pics so we can give you an estimate of how many graft we think you'll need. Also, let us know your budget. Post some pics of that scar as it might pose a problem for transplantation. Get a selfie stick ($9 investment). That really helps take well framed pics as you send your pics in for consultations and keeps your sanity as you go through the year long process.
>Tbh I think I’m gonna stop counting the hairs in the shower, take my meds and just take progress pics then compare. Easier said than done though lol.
Pro Tip: Get a selfie stick w/remote & stand. $9 investment. Makes taking those progress pics easy and helps keep your sanity.
My whole scalp was numb for months. I was only a NW3, so hair line work only 2337 grafts. Every thing was numb. Thankfully, I didn't suffer from shock loss. Damnit, I am getting a 2nd repair surgery soon. Why do I have the sinking feeling I just jinxed myself?
Everything is looking really goooooood!
Get some of this stuff . You are going to itch a lot in the next few weeks as those sprouts start pushing through. Also, temporarily relieves redness, which you have lots of. Spray lightly as needed. Get 100% aloe vera gel for the donor area while you are at it. Both are God sent stuff.
No issues. Grafts are rooted by day 10. Get this stuffto help with dry itch relief. Spray lightly as needed. It also temporarily reduces redness.
Normal. I used this stuff for instant itch relieve. It also temporarily reduced redness. Spray lightly as needed.
Local anesthesia wore off a while ago. Your head is heavy from the saline tumescence injections used to inflated your scalp so they can increase graft placement density. It took 3 weeks for my body to pass those injections. It drained into my eyes at the end of week 1 and I looked like an assault victim for 3 weeks. It even drained into my manhood. So make sure to keep your head back so it doesn't pool into your face. Also, the numbness is from the thousands of wounds on your scalp. It might escalate to pain, so guzzle whatever pain meds they gave you to keep pain at bay instead of trying to relieve it upon onset. You should be hand washing at this point and removing the scabs around day 10. Did the clinic give you instructions for self aftercare?
Your scalp will remain somewhat numb for months. Normal scalp feeling for me returned in month 4, thereabouts. Get 100% aloe vera gel to sooth donor area discomfort. And get this stuff for when the scabs come out of your recipient area to help with the itch.
All good signs that you are going to pop in another 6 weeks or so. Get some of this stuff to help with the itch. Spray lightly as needed. Helps to reduce redness temporarily too. Don't scratch. Pimples you can leave alone and they'll resolve on their own.
Oh crap, I think I might have asked you that question already. But that is good. Yeah, stuff itches. It will itch more in the ugly duckling stage. I used this stuff to help with that itch and it also temporarily reduced redness. Sprayed lightly as needed and ended up with high yield. Donor area will need some relief too. So use 100% aloe vera gel in that area.
No worries, we are all brothers (and sisters for that matter) in the struggle and are here to help each other out.
Definitely get 100% aloe vera gel for the donor area. Also, your recipient area is going to itch pretty badly for the next few months. Get some of this stuff to instantly relieve that itch so you don't scratch. It also temporarily relieves redness. I ended up with really high yield using that spray. Both are heaven sent stuff for those first few months.
When all that discomfort goes away, it makes a quiet exit. It will be less and less prevalent as you go along. And one day you'll just wake up and go "Hmmmmph, you know, my scalp is feeling 100% normal now. I don't even know when it last bothered me."
I use Nizoral 1% shampoo (the over-the-counter stuff) 2x on MWF. I use Johnson's Baby Shampoo 2x the other days. I also used this spray for dry itch relief in those early days. Sprayed lightly as needed and it also temporarily reduced redness.
Nizoral is part of the "Big 3" for hair loss treatment along with fin and min. I started this 2 weeks post surgery and have kept it up in the 2 years since surgery. I ended up yielding very well. Didn't experience much issue with oily scalp or dry skin as a result either.
You 900 Euro procedure is 10000x better than my $20,000 USD procedure! As for dry skin, Nizoral shampoo and this stuff to relieve the dry itch.
Dr. Gabel does brilliant work. He's trained by Dr. Konior who is probably the greatest hair restoration surgeon that will ever exist. Dr. Gabel is the best option for US West Coasters, bar none so unsurprisingly, he has left his patient with proper aftercare instructions!
1500, hah! My spidey senses are off by 200. In my defense, I am only seeing one side of the recipient. Looking forward to seeing what your donor looks like too. Sounds like you got an Individual Trim FUE if they didn't shave your head but initially needed to. If they were going FUT, which most women opt for, they wouldn't need to shave your head at all. That is so cool that Dr. Gabel performs Individual Trim FUE. It makes him a great option for women who need to keep their hair long and don't want the more invasive FUT surgery.
You're recipient area is going to itch pretty good after the scabs come out, so grab some of this stuff. It also temporarily relieves redness. Spray lightly when needed. I swear this helped me with my eventual high yield too. Also, grab 100% aloe vera gel while you are at it to sooth the donor area. Both heaven sent stuff.
Following ya. Thanks for sharing. This is going to help a ton of women out!
Read this.
Most widely practiced instructions state that you should be gently hand washing starting around day 4. By day 7, you can gently shower. On day 10, you should remove the scabs. Here is what I did on day 10:
Those scabs must come out on day 10. Left into too long and they can damage the grafts. Also, you are going to itch for the next few months, so get this stuff and spray lightly when needed to relieve the itch. Don't scratch. While you are at it, get 100% aloe vera gel to sooth the donor.
Use this stuff to instantly alleviate itching. Spray lightly as needed. I also temporarily relieves redness. Doesn't impact yield as I ended up with high yield.
But yeah, itching is all part of the process. Went away around the 4-5th month for me as the sprouts came in.
I think I my shed was about 70%, TBH. I buzzed my whole head down to a 1-guard or 0-guard so it doesn't look as bad as it actually was in the pics. But it was bad. Plus redness that lasted for months gave me a semblance of a hair line.
Pretty much all of the grafts in corners shed. This is where most of the grafts were implanted. Most of the grafts in the forelock never fell out. Day 56 was when I was at the bottom depths of the ugly duckling stage. Then started crawling out of those pits from there. Like the last week of month 3 and from month 4 on, it was B-O-O-M! Month 4-5, what I thought were areas of no growth, when I tilted my head to certain angles of light, I could see transparent glass-like strands of (vellus) hair that eventually darkened as they matured. Hair line grafts were the last to sprout. I used minoxidil and I think that helped me be an early grower. I think during month 8, I was able to get a professional haircut.
You're going to itch pretty bad soon brother. I used this stuff and sprayed lightly as needed to relief that itch. It also relieves redness temporarily. Also used Nizoral 1% shampoo 2x on MWF. Johnson's Baby shampoo 2x on the other days. Also get yourself 100% aloe vera gel to sooth donor discomfort for the next few months. Keeps the stress down so you don't disrupt growth cycles. I ended up yielding pretty well (2 years post surgery from about a month ago) doing these things. But I do have to get a repair.
Yeap. It isn't called the ugly duckling stage for nothing.
Think it was about 3 full months for me. Here was my progression. I used this stuff for itch relief. It was fantastic and also temporarily relieved redness. I had high yield using that spray several times a day.
Get this stuff for dry itch relief. Spray lightly as needed. Also temporarily relieves redness. Heaven sent stuff. While you are at it, use 100% aloe vera gel to sooth the donor area.
I use ketocanozole-based shampoo (US named brand Nizoral 1%) 2x a day on MWF. Johnson's Baby shampoo 2x day on the other days. I ended up with really high graft yield. I have kept up with the shampoo regimen 2 years since my HT. Stopped needing the ocean spray around the 3rd or 4th month once the sprouts started coming in.
Get this stuff brother. Heaven sent stuff. Spray lightly as needed. Instant relief. Temporarily reduces redness too.
Your grafts should be in good shape. That spray didn't damage my grafts at all as I got really high yield.
All normal. It is a good sign. Don't scratch it though. Use this stuff to help with the itch. It helped me tons and I got high yield. It also temporarily relieved redness. Just spray lightly as needed. Stuff is God sent for that itch.
Yeap, "normal". Those were almost my exact instructions. Though they gave me graftcyte shampoo that lasted until about day 10. On day 10, I let the shampoo sit for 30 minutes using a timer and wrapped my head with a clean flayed produce bag so it wouldn't dry out. After 30 minutes, the crust was thoroughly soggy (looked like a blob of snot) and I moved to the sink and started teasing out the scabs in front of a mirror with wet finger tips. I still had crusting in at day 11 but ran out of graftcyte by then, so used Johnson's Baby shampoo to get the remaining crust out. Kept the gentle hand washing until day 14. Day 14, I was able to shower regularly. I used Nizoral twice a day on MWF. Johnson's Baby Shampoo twice on the other days.
I also used this stuff to help with itch relief in the recipient area until the itching went away. It also helped immediately and temporarily relieve redness. Redness went away between month 2 and 3 altogether for me. I ended up with really high yield.
The crust is important. Keeps those grafts in place, but leave it in too long and it can damage the grafts. Read this article. There were things they advised could have been done to reduce crusting. But you are past that now as the crusting does not form past day 2. By day 10, the grafts root. You just have a few more days to endure and you can get rid of the crust and should be a huge benefit with the itching. Hang in there bud. Restrain your hands while you sleep. Use the belt of a bath robe; that is what I did. Your grafts will thank you for it.
I only used Aloe Vera for the donor area for soothing relief.
Other or None of the Above.
I used this stuff in the recipient area. Instant dry itch relief and temporarily and rather immediately reduced redness. Redness went away for me between month 2 and 3. Also, I was a high yielder.
Aloe vera was used in the donor, not for redness. But for alleviating discomfort.
Yeap, I used minoxidil foam at 14 days which was when my aftercare instructions called for allowing my head to be under a shower jet. Right out of the shower, I massaged it in for 5 minutes using a timer to enforce good habits. So it was applied 2x a day. I also used Nizoral shampoo 2x on MWF. Johnson's Baby shampoo 2x on the other days. The only other stuff I used on my recipient was this for dry itch relieve. Sprayed lightly as needed. Instant itch relief and temporarily relieved redness too.
But I really feel my aftercare instructions in the those early days were vital.
Took two months for recipient area redness go to away for me. I used this stuff to help with dry itch relief and it also temporarily reduced redness immediately. I think it helped make the redness go away sooner. I ended up being an early and high yielder.
Ok, cool. Sounds good. Just let those hairs come out as you would normally shampoo them. No need to force them out. In a lot of cases, many won't shed at all. Dry skin is going to be a symptom of the ugly duckling phase. No way around it.
This stuff should help tons with dry itch relief. Spray lightly as needed. What kind of shampoo are you using?
Use this stuff to immediately relive dry itch. Also temporarily relieves redness. Heaven sent stuff. Spray lightly when needed.
Took a little over 2 months for me. I used this stuff for the recipient to give temporary redness relief. It was also great to address dry itch relief. I ended up yielding well using it. Sprayed lightly when ever I needed to relieve itching.
This stuff is God sent stuff for recipient dry itch relief. Also, it immediately but temporarily relieved redness. Sadly, can't use it while you are sleeping, LoLoL! Stumbled upon it from another user who swore it gave him good yield. I ended up getting good yield, so it didn't hurt me at all. Get aloe vera gel 98% or better for soothing donor area relief.
Those two weeks are critical. I gritted my teeth through it and gotta do it again soon for a repair :/
I used this stuff to instantly relief dry itch and temporarily relieve redness. Sprayed lightly as needed. Ended up with good yield.
Have you removed your scabs yet, btw?
Quick search in Google and Amazon finds a lot of options.
https://www.amazon.com/PANTHENOL-Altermed-Forte-Regeneration-Sunburning/dp/B07HS15WV6
Get also a Bepanthen cream after scab removal. It will help a ton for you.
Every doc has slightly different recommendations for these things. You should follow what your doc says.
As for redness, this helped me tons with instant dry itch relief and temporary redness relief. Spray lightly as/when needed: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007M1ZQM2/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My experience was that resulted in early growth at around the 90 day mark. You might get some pimpling soon. All normal. Definitely keep the area clean and watch if it does turn out to be serious.
Also, I used this stuff and it helped a ton with itchiness. Also, temporarily relieved redness. Just spray lightly when needed for relief. I used it a ton and ended up with good yield: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007M1ZQM2/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This helped me tons to relieve the discomfort of dry itch. Also seemed to briefly eliminate redness. Spray lightly for instant relief on the recipient area: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007M1ZQM2/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You should approach your hair loss with medical treatments first using what is called the "Big 3": finasteride, minoxidil, nizoral with ketoconazole. Your aim should be to stabilize hairloss first. Perhaps even micro-needling. But on the medical treatment, start finasteride 1st and commit to it. It takes some time with me for the effects to kick in, 4-12 months. All the while you should be mindful of any further or decreased hairloss once on treatment. Check your shower drain trap, the shampoo lather in your hair, your brush/comb. Be very mindful of side effects and stop if there are serious complications. You may experience brain fog or your balls tingling. Stick with it as these may subside after a few weeks. Once you see benefits, then add in minoxidil. You don't want to start both at the same time since if you experience side effects or benefits, you won't know which one is causing them and which one you should stop. The Nizoral shampoo you can start right away.
During the time you are applying the treatments, do heavy research about surgical methods. I was able to get my finasteride prescription through Kaiser just be asking for it via the web portal. It is not that hard. You definitely look like a good candidate for treatment. Good luck man!
Something like this is what you need. It's just a temp powder that sits in your hair
I used something similar to this one: https://www.amazon.com/Voltafas-Bepanthen-Moisturizing-Cream-Grams/dp/B075CXBPQT/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=EP6R0COYZSU2&keywords=bepanthen+cream&qid=1648909663&sprefix=Bepatn%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-3
I didn't wash it off, mostly applied more before going to bed. It didn't feel wrong, it soaked in quite fast.
There is also a Bepanthen Plus, but I was told in the pharmacy that it's worse for the scalp than the regular one.
Right on. I think I’ve heard of that. I’ve been using this:
DHT Blocker - Hair Growth Supplement for Genetic Thinning for Men and Women | Approved* by American Hair Loss Association | Guaranteed, Backed by 20 Years of Experience in Hair Loss Treatment Clinics https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PVLWW0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_H1W77MD0YN1WPA73CBWP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Honestly you're going to regret a transplant if you're not on finasteride medication to stop any further loss. Right now your hair is at a point most people here would kill for and 1000 grafts really won't do much besides make it more difficult in the future if you need a bigger procedure. This may even just be your mature hairline coming in which happens to us all.
I know that Body Dysmoprhia can make you see fixate on things that others don't see but chasing after that ideation of the perfect hairline will just have you constantly stressed.
My advice would be to speak to a doctor and have your hormones and bloods checked. If you've finished developing you can look into preventing any future hair loss with finasteride. And look for a qualified therapist who specialises in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and or Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (CBT/DBT). You may benefit from this as you're clearly suffering from some intense emotions. You will most likely be offered Therapy and maybe SSRI antidepressant medication.
Working through this book may also help. Good luck.
I read a recent meta analysis paper on various scar treatments and they reported that silicon provided the best clear results. I verified that with a pharmacist and dermatologist. Based on that I purchased ScarAway (ScarAway Scar Diminishing Gel, 10 Gram https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X17LJF9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_GA6651QASBZ49G3P0KZV) and have been applying it twice daily. Since I have no control (I'm unwilling to not apply to the have control!) I have no way of saying if is helping or not but the scar is healing nicely. Applying it your self can be difficult so it is best if you can have a friend help.
This is what I’ve been using
Eau Thermale Avene Thermal Spring Water, Soothing Calming Facial Mist Spray for Sensitive Skin https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002D48QUC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_9Z6F1KJSRY6W1ERPQGWJ
This really helped me: Avana Kind Bed Orthopedic Support Wedge Pillow Comfort System, 4-Piece-Set, Cloud/Camel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JMN5GWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CD2815CSMCT68WBPFBPN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I have this: Lunix LX5 4pcs Orthopedic Bed Wedge Pillow Set, Post Surgery Memory Foam for Back, Neck and Leg Pain Relief. Sitting Pillow, Comfortable and Adjustable Pillows Acid Reflux and GERD for Sleeping Brown https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZP6SJDQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_WQXKYMCRD79066WESHZM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
With a good travel neck pillow. That and all the drugs in me made me sleep pretty good the first night
>lantation). This way they won’t
I just got mine 8 days ago. In Mexico, I live in Florida. My flight was the following day after the surgery.
I think now is the perfect time to travel with something like this. Everyone is wearing a mask and covered up. I wore a very loose runners headband and a hoodie while wearing my make. Noone even looked at me.
​
Here is the link to the headband https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K3834FS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
How sharp is the camera? You could try a root cover up powder, it’s the type of makeup they use on TV to get their hairlines all perfect since nobody is born that way lol.