PLEASE put my mind at rest

[jimmycrick]

I have had very intense itching 12-18 days post op. I have had literally no choice but to scratch quite gently. It was driving me nuts.

I have lost a lot of hairs on the recipient area already while itching (somewhat gently) - much more than other 2 weeks post op images I've seen.

Have I ****ed up my growth?

If not, why doesn't everyone just start purposely pulling the hairs out 2 weeks post op? That would speed it up, surely?

[JoeTillman]

I have had very intense itching 12-18 days post op. I have had literally no choice but to scratch quite gently. It was driving me nuts.

I have lost a lot of hairs on the recipient area already while itching (somewhat gently) - much more than other 2 weeks post op images I've seen.

Have I ****ed up my growth?

If not, why doesn't everyone just start purposely pulling the hairs out 2 weeks post op? That would speed it up, surely?

Relax. You're fine. One thing I used to do to fight the itch was to fill a small spray bottle with water and just mist the area when the itch would kick in. When wounds heal, itchiness is one side effect so it is normal indeed. Speak to your clinic about using a bit of vitimain E oil on the recipient zone as well. Your donor will also start to itch soon if it hasn't already You've not hurt anything so don't worry.

[jimmycrick]

Relax. You're fine. One thing I used to do to fight the itch was to fill a small spray bottle with water and just mist the area when the itch would kick in. When wounds heal, itchiness is one side effect so it is normal indeed. Speak to your clinic about using a bit of vitimain E oil on the recipient zone as well. Your donor will also start to itch soon if it hasn't already You've not hurt anything so don't worry.

Thank you. It's just concerning to see that I've already shed quite a lot of hair compared to other images of people at my post op period.

Also, is this kind of a blessing in disguise? Might it be that, because I have itched my hairs out earlier than most, I may have earlier regrowth too?

[JoeTillman]

Thank you. It's just concerning to see that I've already shed quite a lot of hair compared to other images of people at my post op period.

Also, is this kind of a blessing in disguise? Might it be that, because I have itched my hairs out earlier than most, I may have earlier regrowth too?

No, it doesn't mean you'll have earlier growth. Just follow your doctor's advice and you should be fine.

[jimmycrick]

Thank you, Joe. Much appreciated.

Any second opinions from others? I'm willing to be confronted with a less than desirable diagnosis. It looks like I have a 0.5cm2 bald spot on one part of my recipient area, such was the level of shedding as a result of itching.

[jfeury]

Hi Jimmycrick; I have had 4 hair transplants to date; I would agree with Joe to fight the itch and to use a spray bottle with water; itching won't affect your growth but it is best avoided and to give the new hairs and follicles the best survival chance possible. A 12 months review will be required to analyse the final result and success of your hair transplant.
For now there is nothing further you can do but to fight the itch, allow your hair to grow and most importantly enjoy your life and to review the success of the hair transplant in 12 months.
All should be fine.
Regarding your question: "If not, why doesn't everyone just start purposely pulling the hairs out 2 weeks post op? That would speed it up, surely?"
From my experience, people including me prefer not to touch any new hairs even when washing daily and to only gently apply shampoo with warm water; it is best to be careful with the new hairs; and whether the hairs fall out early or not this will not effect the speed of the new hair growth; it is best to let occur naturally.
Now it is just best to wait and all should be fine with a review in 12 months to see the success of your hair transplant. Just allow the process to happen naturally.

[jimmycrick]

With all due respect, all you've said is to stop itching, i.e. itching is bad, don't do it.

What that essentially means is that I have done harm through itching. Just say it: I have harmed the prospects of a good hair transplant result.

Why do people on forums struggle so much to answer the question at hand?

You all seem to have missed the point that I've ALREADY itched a shit load. There's no turning back the clock. Telling me to stop itching doesn't tell me whether I've ****ed it up or not at this point.

[CaliD]

jimmycrick I lost count of how many times I freaked out during the first 2 months post op lol. Everything I've read says that follicles take root and are difficult to dislodge after day 8. Most likely you did zero damage by gently scratching. I did the same thing gently scratching and here I am about 4 months post op and new hairs are breaking thru the skin like wildfire. I see new growth almost every day! I looked more bald post op than I did pre op. I looked bad til about month 3.

I'd say try not to freak yourself out but I would be a hypocrite as I kind of freaked out every other day. All I can tell you is once it starts to grow around month 3-4 it will be worth the wait.

[jimmycrick]

Thanks. I am a deeply unstable person lol, so this is probably causing me more distress than it does for most people. I saved up a lot of money and went through a lot of emotions in getting this done.

[CaliD]

I've got a buddy who gets totally paranoid and freaks out. He sees my hair growing in now and is wanting to do a transplant himself. I told him I didn't think he could handle how he'd look for the first few months.

I started taking 5HTP as a natural mood enhancer to keep me from worrying too much. I am NOT saying you should take this because I am NOT a doctor. I will say that it helped me relax a bit and took the edge off (though it did give me some weird dreams).

The waiting part sucks but try to work, hang with friends, exercise or have a hobby. Anything to take your mind off your hair as much as possible. It gets worse before it gets better and my shock loss caused me to look really bald at weeks 3-10ish. Pretty much everyone goes through this. It was a little easier for me because I knew 4-5 guys who had a HT before me that I could talk to. Once you see those new hairs breaking thru you'll be thrilled! You gotta wait this first 3-4 months out first.