Too long shampooing 11 days post off and flaking scalp

[Gallo]

On my day 11 post I did the stupid mistake of doing too long hair wash aiming at removing all scabs (10 minutes water, 10 minutes shampoo massaging, 10 minutes water, 10 minutes shampoo massaging, 5 minutes water).

I am on day 26 post surgery and my scalps is flaking non stop more and more since I did that mistake of keeping too long the shampoo over the scalp. It is specially visible after showering when I see white skin patches that are removing slowly throughout the days.

I'm afraid the long time exposure I did with the long hair wash with shampoo dehydrated the skin and now the skin is getting renewed.

I contacted with my Clinic 2 days after that incident and Dr told me that everything looked normal in pictures and that flaking was part of skin healing, but I think that what I am having is definitely too much and I am also flaking parts of scalp that were not touched by surgery. It is like renewing all scalp skin.

If anyone could give me some more feedback. I am trying not to freak out but I can stop regretting how stupid I was with that mistake, specially taking into account that I have gone through this surgery already several times.

Do you think that skin dehydration due to long shampooing could dehydrate new hair follicles on day 11th?

Had anyone have a similar experience?.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.

[Gallo]

Probably I did not express my concern properly:

Could keep shampoo sitting on transplanted area too long without rising water and just massaging (around 20 minutes) damage the grafts at 11 days post op?

[Gallo]

Could anyone provide some feedback or opinion on this?

I can see that in this Forums participate some hair transplant mentors, some Drs and many experience patients. I would highly appreciate if I could get any feedback about this issue I had in my post op.

[MillerWong76]

Probably I did not express my concern properly:

Could keep shampoo sitting on transplanted area too long without rising water and just massaging (around 20 minutes) damage the grafts at 11 days post op?

Not at all. It wasn't a mistake. By the 10th day, the grafts have have seeded themselves into your scalp. It is important to remove the scabs right around the 10th-12th day. If not, the adhesion of the follicles to the dried blood is stronger than to the roots. As you may have residual growth with your transplanted grafts, not removing the scabs runs the risk of doing damage to the roots. You did good with your routine.

When I was going through this, I showered for a good 10 minutes. Shampoo'ed my hair and didn't wash out the shampoo. Wrapped my head with plastic to keep it from drying out. Hopped back into the shower after 30 minutes to wash off the shampoo (another 5-10 minutes of hydration). Then worked out the scabs in front of the mirror. Took 2 days, but all the scabs came out and my yield thus far has been good.

Also, as for your over-hydration concern, I am sure it is possible. But what you described doesn't sound like you over did it to the point where you could have damaged the grafts. I only count 45 minutes of hydration.

As for the dandruff. I didn't experience any of that. But know it is normal. What shampoo are you using?

[Gallo]

Many thanks for your feedback and reply.
It really helps me a lot and release me psychologically, reading how you applied something similar and so far you have a good growth.

My Dr also told me that he did not see any threat for my grafts with that. He explained me that grafts are at a different skin level where shampoo can not reach them at day 11th post op.

I used the shampoo the Clinic provided for the post op washes until I run out of it on day 20th post op.

From day 20th I am using a baby shampoo without sulphates, without perfumes, without silicones, without PEG and with PH 5.5.

One again, many thanks for your attention and testimony.

[MillerWong76]

I ran out of the clinic shampoo on the 7th day. Switched to J&J's Baby Shampoo 2x every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. I use 1% Nizoral 2x on the other days. I remember when I was younger, I would see flakes of skin coming off my scalp that were larger than cornflakes being held to my head like fish caught in a net by my hair. I guess the cheap shampoo I was able to afford back in those days might have contributed to that. But the regiment of alternating J&J's Baby Shampoo + Nizoral has remedied all of that.

I also use Rogaine foam 2x a day all over my crown and recipient area + 1mg finasteride 1x/day. My yield/density has been great.

[MillerWong76]

Many doctors advise their patients not to clean their hair with shampoo for the first 48 hours after the hair transplant. This is due to the fact that the hair and especially the scalp need a little time to regenerate after the treatment before they are stressed again by the subsequent washing. headstones prices near me

True. But in this case, as shown in the thread heading, the patient was on the 11th day when his concern was raised. So he was well past 48 hours and should be fine.