• 05-03-2012 12:33 PM
    gillenator
    IMHO, as long as you wear the cap when in direct sunlight, you'll be fine. That minute amount of light coming through the seams is neglible. The color makes no difference except to the degree that the darker colors are more heated than the lighter ones.

    It is more beneficial for us to cover our scalps with sunblock. That's really where you can make the difference in protecting the tissue and the grafts. The higher the rating, the better.

    I personally recommend utilizing both whenever in direct sunlight especially in the summer months when the UVs are especially high.
  • 05-03-2012 01:32 PM
    topcat
    I would disagree with the sunblock advice completely. Using sunblock is a good way of increasing your risk of cancer. Just a small amount of reading and you will realize most of the chemicals in that crap are estrogenic.

    Vitamin D actually decreases your risk for cancer. Maybe it’s time for people to start analyzing all the crap they have been shoveling down their throats that is not real food. But it’s always easier to blame it on something that doesn’t make money for anyone like the sun.
  • 05-03-2012 11:34 PM
    dergol
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gillenator View Post
    IMHO, as long as you wear the cap when in direct sunlight, you'll be fine...It is more beneficial for us to cover our scalps with sunblock. That's really where you can make the difference in protecting the tissue and the grafts...I personally recommend utilizing both whenever in direct sunlight especially in the summer months when the UVs are especially high.

    So Gillenator, I'm a bit confused by your reply. Are you saying that a hat by itself is ALONE sufficient to protect from the sun, or that you need sunblock in addition?

    I've never heard that both were necessary; rather that a hat alone was sufficient and that sunblock was necessary if the hat were left off. Problem with sunblock is that you don't really know if you're using enough and if you're replenishing it often enough.

    Addionally, I've generally stayed away from sunblock as I fear clogging up my pores or damaging the grafts in any way by adding foreign substances to the scalp, at least for the first 6-9 months. I've even stopped using styling gels for this reason. Just to play it safe. Though, I could really use them as my hair is quite wavy and I tend to grow it out.
  • 05-04-2012 11:30 AM
    gillenator
    Dergol,

    What I am saying is that using both (cap & sunblock) is the best ultimate protection that one can possibly utilize, especially throughout the regrowth period. I am not saying that you "must" do both.

    Many doctors concur that a cap in "direct sunlight" is sufficient enough to block out the harmful rays when outdoors in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. Others advocate sunblock/sunscreen. Opinions vary.

    I favor the cap because then one does not have to keep applying the sunscreen. It's easy to apply it and then forget about it later. I especially see this with golfers, swimmers, etc. And yes IMHO I think the cap is sufficient to block out the harmful effects.

    Hope that adds some clarification for you!:cool:
  • 05-15-2012 09:29 AM
    dandy
    Well, its nice to see that this thread is still active because i just had another FUE session and feel that there is a lot of research to be done concerning the effects of sun exposure and hair transplants.

    I started getting growth after 3 months since my first session in December and the hair just thickened for every month but the yield was not very good so i decided to increase the density after only 5 1/2 months. The problem is i cant be sure if its the procedure itself or the sunburns i got earlier that are the reason for the poor yield so this time around i wont take any chances at all.

    Im also worried about the chemicals in the sunblock but then again its either that or wear a silly hat or cap for months.
  • 05-15-2012 01:23 PM
    gillenator
    But at 5 1/2 months post-op, the regrowth is just kicking in from your first procedure.:rolleyes:
  • 07-20-2012 01:16 PM
    gillenator
    Over exposure to ultra-violet rays is bad for anyone irrespective of the country one lives in.
  • 08-18-2012 02:06 AM
    dandy
    I just returned from my vacation and managed to get my scalp pink again despite applying LOADS of spf 50 sunscreen. I had a second transplant session in mid May and avoided the sun completely 2 1/2 months until my vacation in August.

    I even buzzed my head to make it easier to apply the sunscreen but maybe that was a big mistake because obviously the sunscreen did not help to protect the scalp from getting a tan because the sun was very strong.

    I never burned the scalp because i felt no pain or experienced any acute redness but as the days went by the pinkness became obvious as even other people noticed it.

    Now its a little better but still has a dark tint to it which makes it quite visible despite that the hair has grown longer and i hope that someone can tell me if there is a risk for permanent discoloration or if there is something i can do to reduce the pink color somehow?

    I should have waited another month or so but i was desperate for some sun after eight months of avoiding the sun like a vampire :(
  • 08-22-2012 12:56 PM
    gillenator
    Dandy,

    It does not sound like you experienced a sun burn thank goodness.

    Everything will resume normal coloration in several weeks, possibly several months.

    You'll be fine! :cool:
  • 08-23-2012 02:24 AM
    dandy
    Thanks Gillenator :)

    I really hope that you are right because otherwise i can forget short haircuts for the rest of my life.

» IAHRS

hair transplant surgeons

» The Bald Truth

» Recent Threads

1800 graft repair case results by Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Last Post By Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Navigating the German Job Market as a Kenyan Citizen
11-04-2023 06:31 AM
Last Post By Keegan212
Yesterday 03:51 AM
DR HAKAN DOGANAY/ 4500 GRAFTS / Implanter Pen+FUE
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
Last Post By Hakan Doganay, MD
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
The Mane Event for Thursday, June 15th, 2023
06-15-2023 02:59 PM
Last Post By gisecit34
03-26-2024 08:05 AM