A concern came to me last night while at work and my upcoming HT in July.

I work graveyard, driving frontload garbage truck in the city. At night it is generally cooler in the summer but last night was warmer than usual and I began to get a taste of what’s just up the road this summer. I am in out of the truck a lot and the activity plus the heat of the truck interior alone can bring out quite a sweat. Last night I had sweat running down my head profusely. I do wear a hat because debris and dirt is constantly falling from the garbage containers over head and the hat does provide some what of protection from this stuff. I am sure the hat helps with heating my head up also. With my HT in mid July coming up I will have only 6 days between the HT and going back to work. This means I may be sweating like a racehorse, on top of my head. I was thinking that after I leave the shop I could loose the hat since it is night time and no one would really see my fresh HT area, but then I do want protection from the dirt and dust falling down on my head.

Does any one know if the 6th day past the HT a long enough time to go before getting head sweat?

Q

I'm guessing that even after the fourth day, the grafts should be in there pretty well..sweat is a natural body function; even during sleep, your body sweats, including your scalp...and as far as dust and dirt, theres plenty of that outside and inside...maybe instead of a hat, you could try wearing a bandana or two..take a couple with you at night, and change them occasionally..dont forget, keeping your scalp moist is a GOOD thing right after your surgery...

Hey Q,

Make sure to keep the area free and clear of debris and dirt (agree with Rug about the bandana). Dont bump, scratch or lift heavy weights and you should be fine. Sweat will keep the area moist and will allow you to shed your scabs sooner.

I think I'd be more concerned about the lifting you have to do than the sweat and the debris. Have you asked your HT doc about that kind of work afterwards? You don't want your scar stretching because you didn't wait long enough before you started doing physical work.

Thank you for the feedback all……….sweating is beginning to sound like it may have more benefits to the HT than anything else. I guess when you think about it there is good healing properties in salt water when it come to sore throats (gargling) sore muscles (soaking) and now the cleansing effect of sweating around the healing grafts.

NC30….I have thought about that part of my job as well….I really do not lift a lot, the most strenuous activity is pulling containers and even at that I will take it really easy and slow the first week. Just from the motions I go through in my job, I cannot recall anything I have to do that requires a “weightlifters” act. My job involves commercial recycle cardboard so I am fortunate that the items I pick up aren’t real heavy. If something does come along heavy that needs lifted………..it’s getting left where it lays, at least for the first week back.