Transplant after effect questions

[Chief]

I have been reading the boards for a few years and rarely post. I am a 31 year old Norwood 3.5 who has been thinking about getting a transplant for five years or so.

I was considering not telling anyone about my surgery. (maybe my brother). My question is is this possible? Assume I could stay at home and avoid people for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks would it be obvious that something happened to my head? What if I was in a somewhat serious relationship? If I could get past the first 2 weeks, would this person notice that I had something done? Some of the pictures are pretty gruesome looking and just not sure how long that lasts.

Thanks. I appreciate everyone's help.

 

[Follically Challenged]

The scabbing will still be on your head in the donor area. They are rather large crusts that will be flaking off at two weeks but won't be all gone until 3 weeks or so.

There may be shock loss in either the donor or recipient area. I had bald patches because of shock loss in the donor region (because of the staples in my head) for 3 months.

If you do a FUSS (strip procedure) the scar will be very noticable, unless maybe the doctor does not shave a large area around where the strip is removed, and your hair is long enough to cover it.

 

[Full Head of Hair]

So basically if you get appx. 2000 or so graphs it will be very noticeable for at least the first 3 weeks??

 

[Chief]

Thanks FC

After the 3 weeks period of fairly severe scabs, can you go out in public and people not notice anything going on on your head? Could you be around close friends/family and people not notice anything? How long until you are close to an unnotceable state?

Thanks

 

[Follically Challenged]

I'm not saying three weeks will have you scab free but you will be close, if not completely there.

 

[Gorpy]

After a couple of weeks you can "start" to look normal again. However, you can have lingering redness in the recipient area. This is unpredictable and varies from patient to paitent. It doesn't matter which doctor you go to. I've seen it vary with all of the top physicians. You can also experience shock loss which will typically be at its worst point at around 2 months. I'd say at around the 3 month point you really start to look normal again.

I was out and about after 2 weeks. The redness, you can kind of pass off as sunburn or something. With the shock loss, people just think your balding/thinning more.

 

[Guest]

If you have a fair amount of exisitng hair in the recipient area, and do not sustain a noticable level of shockloss, then the recipient area should look fine in two weeks. Now if you are a slow healer or have the continuing redness that was mentioned, possibly it would be more noticable.

But remember, you know you recently had the procedure done, but no one else does unless you tell them. They have no other occaision to look at your recipient area any differently. Obviously any crusts at the recipient sites will be gone by then as well.

Let's talk about the donor area. If you do FUE, they undoubtedly will need to shave your entire donor area down. So it would be to your advantage to buzz cut your hair and let others get used to seeing you buzzed before you leave for surgery. If you decide on strip, be sure to allow at least 1 1/2 inches in length in the donor area. They pin up or tape up the top layer of hair just above where the strip is excised. They buzz down the width of the strip, not your entire zone. After the strip specimen is harvested, and they suture you closed, that top layer of hair drops back over the sutured area to hide the sutures. It kind of works like a window shade for lack of better description.

The key is, don't act nervous or draw any unnecessary attention to your self when you return. Just be your own self and chances are, after two weeks, no one will ever notice any difference.