9 Weeks post-op donor area

I had a haircut a couple of weeks ago to try and even out the different length hair. The hair around the strip was a little longer, basically because the surgeon shaved the strip to be taken at a different length but (I think) did not take all of it.

Everything's growing back in the donor area and looks pretty much as it did before. Certainly a lot better than the 4 week update!

Above : how the donor area looks now. You can't see the linear or FUE scars.

And this is what it looked like before I went to Istanbul...

4 weeks after HT (donor area)

After four weeks, the donor area seems a lot better - and hopefully the untrained eye would have no idea I've gone through surgery. 

I have to admit that the FUE scars are more noticecble than I thought they would be (at least the ones towards the nape of the neck are). The FUE that was taken from above the FUT line are totally invisible and the hair seems just as thick as it always was. The hair has grown over the linear scar so you can't really see it any more. 

It should get better in time

Day 21 : Three weeks after Hair Transplant

Three weeks have passed since the operation. I'm feeling a bit nervous because I constantly worry that my original hair is not going to grow back properly. I am also still wearing hats in public, but my friends have told me that it just looks like I've had a bad hair cut. The FUE area hasn't healed quite as quickly as I had expected, and the growth back looks a bit patchy. However, it's still very early days (hard to believe) and I promised myself I would reserve judgement for at least six months.

Still a bit painful on the back of my head when I'm lying down on a pillow. And also there is still numbness in both the donor and recipient areas. I sent these photos to the clinic and the manager told me that everything looks like it's on track. And other good news- I'm allowed to start swimming in week 4. I've already started exercise at the gym, but nothing too strenuous.

Day 12 : Staples are out!

Initially the surgeon had said it was ok to take out the staples after 10 days, but it turns out that's if the clinic does it. Because I'm now back home, I have to go to the local nurse. I wanted to go private so as not to burden the NHS with my cosmetic/non-essential treatment. But having phoned round several places, none was very helpful nor close by. In the end I just went to my local NHS GP practice and it was done in about 20 minutes. A good thing, because I was flying off the same day.

I thought there had been about 15 staples. The nurse told me it was more like 50!

What does it feel like to have staples removed from your head?

It does sting a bit when they take the staples out, but it's a short, sharp pain. Just have to grit your teeth and think of how much better it'll be without those staples. Some of the tightness in the scalps is relieved when the staples are removed, too. Unfortunately it's still a bit sore when I apply pressure to that area (for example when my head rests on the pillow), but still better than having staples.

A tiny bit of bleeding, but not much. There was quite a lot of scabbing that I couldn't clean off before from where the staples were. However, these are easily removed in the shower. The staples left small marks, but invisible after a day or two.

Here they are! 

Day 10 : two days before staples are out

Here are some clearer pictures on day 10. Most of the redness has gone down in the recipient area, although there are still red punch marks where the FUE was done. The main thing now is realising that my scalp is still quite numb and that it may take two to six months for the sensation to come back. I felt a lot better after a bath on day 9, and scrubbing most of the scabs off the recipient and donor areas. It's also nice knowing that the grafts are secure now, so I don't have to worry about them coming out when I itch my scalp.

Day 8 : donor area

The donor area has been properly cleaned, and isn't looking so bad. I've shown a few friends who have all said that it looks sore but in truth, the only pain is when I wake up in the night and the staples are digging in because they're pressed against the pillow. The only other thing that's annoying is putting the hat on, and taking off jumpers. Basically it's because of the staples. The FUE grafts are itchy but not really painful.

In the recipient area, I've had a few instances of going for an itch and ending up with a graft under my finger nail (with the bulb attached), which is dispiriting. But you have to expect to lose about 10% because of this, and grafts not rooting properly. 

as someone who is rather impatient I am already finding it frustrating, but I'm pleased with the number of grafts achieved and the new hairline. Just have to wait for it to grow!

Day 3 : more pictures post surgery

A few more pictures, the swelling has gone down a bit more. No real pain during the day but I am still taking the one pain pill per day as prescribed. Scalp is quite crusty but avoiding touching  it. Donor area looks worse than it is!