time off work after FUE

[Thinning@30]

For all FUE HT veterans: How much time off work did you take, and how much time away would you recommend, assuming you don't want your HT to be extremely noticeable? Did you avoid social situations after your HT, and for how long? I am seriously considering a FUE procedure, and I understand one of the benefits of FUE vs strip surgery is faster recovery time. I also wouldn't want my procedure to be immediately noticeable to everyone me. I imagine I would have to take some time off work, and I would probably retire socially for a while, but I want to get an idea of how long. I would appreciate hearing anyone who wants to share their experiences.

[CIT_Girl]

This can vary quite widely depending on your personal healing characteristics and the type of FUE procedure you have. If you opt for non-shaven FUE, any signs of surgery will be much less detectable from the get-go. We even have patients who go back to work the day after a non-shaven CIT procedure without telling anyone about their surgery.

With FUE in general, any scabbing will usually be gone by the third day. We recommend that patients use Post-Biotin Spray starting immediately after surgery to help the scabs stay moist and heal faster. Any swelling should have subsided at one-week post surgery, and the grafts should be firmly in place by day 10 (so you can resume shampooing/combing/brushing hair normally) . Some patients will have a little residual redness or pinkness in the recipient area beyond this time but I would generally say two weeks is more than sufficient to get back to looking 'normal'.

We've found that PRP treatment can really accelerate and improve healing; so, if you're in a hurry to get back to work/a normal social life, you may wish to look into this. Our return patients have been really impressed with how much sooner the redness in the recipient area abated following PRP treatment- some patients have reported it's completely gone within a week and another recently told me that his only lasted two weeks, versus the nearly two months it lasted following a prior procedure.

[gillenator]

How many grafts will you be doing? Unless you are doing a very small procedure, your donor area will be shaven. That will be noticable. You want to find out beforehand so that you can maybe shave your scalp. That way others will be used to seeing you with a shaved head unless you already are buzzed. When you go back to work with your donor zone healed, no one will ever know the difference.

The extraction sites will show scabs for at least one week and that's even if you use a post-op healing product. How noticable? I have seen so many pics of post-op FUE cases. There are some variables including the sizes of the punches used. Some docs use larger punches (1mm plus) and larger punches make larger holes which formate larger scabs than if smaller punches are used. Larger punches also create more trauma to the area so potentially more redness and swelling can occur and linger longer. I also advocate the use of post-op healing products. There are several on the market and some docs may just advocate the use of a saline spray both in the donor area as well as the recipient area.

The recipient area will be noticable on average for a week as well. It depends where the recipient incisions are located, how many involved especially when re-constructing a new hairline, and the instrumentation used. Many of the top docs use tiny custom sized micro-blades to create tiny slits. These tiny recipient sites receive leanly cut single follicle grafts that were dissected under scopes. Post-op, there is very little crusting, little trauma associated with such tiny incisions, minor swelling if any.

It always helps to have existing hair in any of the recipient areas to help camoflauge any effects of the surgery.

Generally speaking, the larger the session you are having, the more time off you will want to take 7-10 days post-op to heal. The scabbing and crusting will be gone by then.

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

I have many FUE patients that are completely healed in 6-7 days where you cannot tell they have had any procedure at all. I agree that in patients with fair skin they tend to stay a little red in the recipient area for up to a week longer then those patients who have darker skin types. I recommend the biotin or copper peptide sprays and a special ocean water sprays that really helps to reduce redness and heal wounds.

[JonB.]

This is a big issue for me as well so I appreciate the question and answers..

Shaving parts of person head where the transplants go is really a bizarre look. I understand shaving the back portion of the head for the donor area and can see shaving down below that donor area after ward to blend the look and avoid the racing stripe..

Sounds vain but some of these photos of areas that presently have some hair being shaven to implant others is somewhat of a concern.

Shaving the whole head after the surgery would be fine too.... and may in fact be a better way to go...and then just let all the hair grow back at the same time..for an even look..

[gillenator]

This is a big issue for me as well so I appreciate the question and answers..

Shaving parts of person head where the transplants go is really a bizarre look. I understand shaving the back portion of the head for the donor area and can see shaving down below that donor area after ward to blend the look and avoid the racing stripe..

Sounds vain but some of these photos of areas that presently have some hair being shaven to implant others is somewhat of a concern.

Shaving the whole head after the surgery would be fine too.... and may in fact be a better way to go...and then just let all the hair grow back at the same time..for an even look..

I agree that shaving the entire head to even out the look is the best way to go for most patients. It will definitely cut down on the eye drift from others.

[MN New Guy]

I very much appreciate this thread as well as I'm considering HT. But, i've been told that for the best results strip is still the way to go. From what I understand the best docs can harvest a great deal more donor hair from strip and the scar is basically undetectable.

I would be adding to my hairline as well as throughout the top of my head and crown. Any advice on when I could go work without concern that someone could see it would be appreciated.

[Don'tDoIt]

...i've been told that for the best results strip is still the way to go. From what I understand the best docs can harvest a great deal more donor hair from strip and the scar is basically undetectable...

Yeah, sure. That's what I was told. That the strip scar is basically undetectable. Well, guess what? It IS detectable unless I keep my hair long in back.

Do not go through with a strip procedure unless you are willing to wear your hair long in back. For the rest of your life.

[gillenator]

Yeah, sure. That's what I was told. That the strip scar is basically undetectable. Well, guess what? It IS detectable unless I keep my hair long in back.

Do not go through with a strip procedure unless you are willing to wear your hair long in back. For the rest of your life.

I agree. Sure in a few cases the scar is not that noticable until you shave the area. I tell every guy who is considering surgical hair restoration that the possibility of shaving down or even buzzing down to a number 1 in the future is very remote especially when doing strip. Some say that FUE is scarless. Don't believe that for one minute. However FUE on a small to medium scale with the extraction sites spread out, good healing qualities on the patient, FUE can be almost undetectable.