how long did you take time off work?

[asianguy]

I work in a corporate environment so no hats allowed. Just wanted an idea how long should I take off work if I shave most of my hair a couple weeks before a ~2000 graft procedure so I don't return with too much attention? Also will I be able to use concealers when I return and will it help hide the redness?

[NotBelievingIt]

I work in a corporate environment so no hats allowed. Just wanted an idea how long should I take off work if I shave most of my hair a couple weeks before a ~2000 graft procedure so I don't return with too much attention? Also will I be able to use concealers when I return and will it help hide the redness?

I'd say it completely depends on the normal length of hair you keep.

Anything substantially different will be noticed.

[asianguy]

I'd say it completely depends on the normal length of hair you keep.

Anything substantially different will be noticed.

How long is this noticeable duration?

[win200]

It all depends. I had a transplant to the hairline, and neither the donor nor the recipient regions were shaved. I grew my hair long and wore bangs over the recipient area. No one--not even my best friends or parents--knew I had a procedure (they just thought I wore a dopey hairstyle for awhile). But if this isn't feasible, it'll be visible for awhile. The grafts are ready to come off at 10 days, but the recipient region will be red for weeks--probably months. In most surgeries, the recipient region looks like a mess for awhile, particularly if it's next to lots of native hair. For NW6-7s, where there's no native hair in the transplanted area, it's much easier to have an undetected surgery because there won't be a contrast between native hair and transplanted hair growing in.

Bottom line: if you can't stand the thought of having noticeable work done, it may not be a good idea to get the surgery. I'm taking two weeks off for my next procedure, but fully realize that everyone in my office will know I had work done when I get back.

[asianguy]

For NW6-7s, where there's no native hair in the transplanted area, it's much easier to have an undetected surgery because there won't be a contrast between native hair and transplanted hair growing in.

If this is the case, would I have an undetected surgery if I shave my head a few weeks before the surgery so everyone is used to seeing me with a shaved head and not be surprised when I return with very short hair?

Also, will consealers help on a shaved head with 1/4 inch of regrowth by the time I head back to work in 2 weeks?

[win200]

If this is the case, would I have an undetected surgery if I shave my head a few weeks before the surgery so everyone is used to seeing me with a shaved head and not be surprised when I return with very short hair?

Also, will consealers help on a shaved head with 1/4 inch of regrowth by the time I head back to work in 2 weeks?

I'm not sure about undetectable. Remember, the recipient zone will be very red given all the trauma to the skin. That redness stick around for awhile. The redness fades after a few weeks and then you'll just look normal while the regrowth starts. But until that point, you'll have a red dome. Take a look at some of the recent "after" pics on the forum and you'll see what I mean.