Minor and short-term side effects of a hair surgery may include headaches due to the tugging and adjustment of the scalp area during the procedure, a modest amount of bleeding which is normal, numbness or scalp tenderness and non permanent thinning of pre-existing hair. Both thinning of pre-existing hair and scalp numbness happens to a good number of hair transplant procedures, but are temporary condition.
Another less frequent side effect is swelling which normally occurs around the forehead and the eye area. Besides the patient can feel a little discomfort and headiness, the swelling normally lasts two to five days, and the doctor can write you a prescription for something that will help reduce the swelling.
There can also be itchy scalp after the surgery, which isn’t strange or cause for alarm. Regular shampooing and utilizing saline to moisten the grafts usually aids you to reduce this condition. Adopting the instructions for post-operative care is essential for a satisfactory healing process.
Irritation
In very rare occasions some patients experience irritation in the scar tissue after their procedure. On the onset this is normal; if it. persists there may be a problem. For some patients, the healing process along the scar tissue is fast and undetectable. Others may experience inflammation and irritation due to slow healing. Sometimes after the sutures are removed the skin begins to stretch and the scar widens a little more than desired. I’ve seen this before, and you do have options to remedy your situation. When I mentioned that the scar may widen, I didn’t mean open. It may be just a fraction wider than normal. If you decided to live with it like many do, you could allow your hair to be a just a little bit longer in that spot for coverage. If you really feel self conscious about it, the doctor can retighten that area. Although this sounds like discouraging news, don’t run for the door yet. These are minor setbacks that are relatively simple to fix.
Swelling
It is very common that anywhere from a couple of days to a week you will experience swelling. The swelling is normally found in the forehead but can also spread throughout the head. Although it may feel uncomfortable, it will not affect your health and will go away on its own.
Scabbing/bleeding
Naturally, when you scratch or cut yourself your white blood cells comes to your defense. During this healing process the body produces pus that forms a hard shell called a scab. Underneath the scab your cells are regenerating and fighting off bacteria. After your surgery, tiny scabs will form around the incision and the transplanted hairs. 1111S is the body’s natural healing and protection process. Your first impulse may be to pick at the scabs, but this will cause bleeding and damage to the new follicle. The scabs normally begin to fall off naturally within 10 days or less. A few days after your surgery, you will return to the office and the staff will give you a light shampoo which will soften some of the scabs which will cause some to fall off Remember: Do not pick the scabs! It can and will cause bleeding and possible damage to your scalp and hair follicle.
Numbness /tingljng /pain
After your surgery, many patients experience numbness in their scalp and head. The reason for this is two fold .. First, the numbness is from the remaining effects from the anesthesia used during surgery. This type of numbness goes away within a day or two. The second reason is reduced circulation of blood in the capillaries. This is part of the body healing process of regenerating and strengthening tissue around the hair follicle. The tingling/pain you may experience is from the nerve endings that were severed during the procedure. Over the next few days to weeks, the nerves will begin to heal, and you will begin to feel normal again.
Shedding
Premature shedding could also occur if the doctor inaccurately predicted future balding. With androgentic alopecia (male pattern baldness), we know that hair is genetically predisposed to fall out due to it’s susceptibility to DHT. If a person went bald on the top of their head, leaving a wreath of hair, the bald area would be considered the recipient site and the wreath the donor area. This fringe area is called dominant because of its resistance to the effects of DHT. The transplant graft is harvested from the donor dominant site and placed into the recipient site. 1hat specific hair is used because the doctor wants the newly transplanted DHT resistant hair to continue [0 grow without shedding. This brings me to my point: If the patient has not completely lost all the hair that is susceptible to DHT and [he physician uses that hair as donor hair! it will fall out in the future. This is why you need a surgeon that is skilled in the entire procedure, including anticipating future loss.
Keloids
A keloid is a raised scar that appears thick and swollen. Although this is not a widespread problem, some patients are more prone to keloid (than others. Asian Americans and African Americans typically experience [his side effect. If you have already experienced any form of keloidal scarring, notify your doctor before (he surgery. A simple test will be conducted [Q find out the probabilities of scarring after the procedure.
Infection
If you take your prescribed antibiotics before and after your surgery the chances of infection is almost zero. However, there are cases where infection has occurred. One form of infection could include swelling, pain, redness and discharge around the incision/grafts. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Antibiotics will normally contain the infection to prevent spreading and to prevent damage tome hair follicles.
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