FUE question

[jleve1974]

Hello,

I recently went to a Dr. for a consultation to address the thinning of my hair and we discussed the FUE method since my approach is to basically add some more fullness and also have no visible scar on the back of my head since I keep my hair real short.
Anyway he suggested as little as 300-500 grafts and said he'd have to shave the section of my head where he would be implanting the grafts. I understand having to shave the area where he would be extracting the hair but is it necessary shave the area of implantation? Couldn't the hair be implanted between the existing hairs without shaving it?

The reason I have this question is beceause I'd like the procedure to be as unnoticable as possible since I would be returning to work 2 weeks post op and shaving of the transplantation area (top of the head) would make it that much harder to hide since I keep the hair longer there to purposely mask the thinning. Any advice?

[VictimOfDHT]

The reason they shave the area is because they can see where they're putting the new hairs. They can distribute the hairs evenly. Having long hair in the area would make that harder to do. Maybe you can try cutting your hair short. It might look thin on top but so what if it's just for a few months. No body would even be able to see the transplants after two weeks. Discuss it with the doctor. I've had doctors who shaved the area and ones who didn't.

[mattj]

Since the donor area will be shaved, you'll need very short hair all over if that area is to blend with the rest of your hair by the time you return to work. Aiming for an all-over length which matches the length the shaved donor region will have reached by two weeks post-op will probably be your best bet.

300-500 grafts is quite a low number. I have no idea what sort of area you are going to have addressed with your surgery but it sounds like it must be fairly small. The smaller the better when hiding it is a concern.

[Ahairdown]

jleve - from the research I've done the donor almost always needs to be shaved in fue cases. At a week out you can fly under the radar by trimming the back and sides really short to blend it in. The extraction sites should be basically healed by then.

As far as the receiptient area is concered, there are plenty of quality docs out there that will not make you shave the recipient area. I'd recommend going with one them if downtime is a consideration.

It was for me too. I went with a recommended doc (FUT) that doesn't shave the recipent and was back at work five days after the procedure unnoticed. Sounds like you have some hair left on top so I'm sure you could do the same.

Being almost three weeks out now, I can't imagine it being camoflauged if the area had been shaved, the recipient sites are still healing/scabs shedding.

Good luck!

[Spex]

Shaving down in most cases is essential and it only benefits the end result. Always think long term not short term and if the doc you feel confident with and have chosen recommends shaving down then its for good reason. Some do it without shaving down. Ask any doc if he would rather do a session shaved down im pretty sure they would all favour it as it aids in so many ways.

With FUE you will have to have a section shaved down in the donor region anyway as mattj has correctly mentioned so this could be tricky to cover - i dont know how long your native hair is. However with HT's come "downtime" its just a fact so consider allowing the Dr what he needs to ideally do to perform on you in the best way possible and consider the long term result rather than the short term inconvenience.

Info on a "Down Time" topic i made some time ago :

Down time!

A very common question associated with getting a HT and one of the most common reasons for not getting a ht sooner in many cases. Many guys know which Doc they are going with after much research but then need to wait months, sometime years to get an appropriate window of "Down time" in order to pull the HT off unnoticed by family, friends, work colleagues etc...Down time is a pain in arse - NO DOUBT!!!

Downtime is definitely an element of the whole HT procedure you need to consider when embarking on your HT journey.

Depending on the size of the session obviously some patients down time is less than others: ie smaller sessions can get away with a shorter down time period compared to larger session sizes.

Healing is only half the battle - Many guys heal up with no real evidence of surgery in as little as 10 days and some can still have lingering redness for quite a prolonged periods of time - especially fair skinned patients. There is also the factor of having to have the recipient areas shaved down in order to achieve the best result possible and provide the doc great flexibility etc -Shaving down is essential!...(thats a whole other topic )

The answer to the question of "how much down time do i need?" is an impossible one to answer but i recommend that you give yourself as much time as possible - a MINIMUM of 2-3 weeks ideally 4-5 (especially larger strip sessions.) If you can wear a hat to work then you are laughing and could literally be back to work within days if you wanted to but for the vast majority wearing a hat at work is not an option and the appropriate amount of downtime post op needs to be considered!

I have received a number of sessions over the years and never once have i been able to back at work within 2 weeks and i know all the tricks - Some are below, please feel free to add any handy minimising "down time" hints.

1. Apply Aloe Vera gel, Emu oil, distilled witch hazel etc.. to the healing areas to help soothe and speed up healing process.
2. Take MSM (3000mg) to speed up the existing hairs growth since the buzz to get some length back to help disguise.
3. Use concealers in areas once hair is long enough to help bulk up and disguise lingering redness.
4. Wearing a hat to buy you valuable days.
5. Growing hair long pre op to help disguise areas worked on.
6. Buzz hair short pre op in advance so people you see on a day to day basis don't notice the new buzz cut post op.(Especially FUE guys)
7. Take a holiday post op and take yourself out the loop for 3-4 weeks
8. Take sick leave right before your holiday comes to a close - buy you valuable days



Regards
Spex