Ok, i'm sure these questions have been asked before, as I have read the answers before my HT, but their harder to find now. lol

Anyway, before I get to the questions I've got a suggestion to the Admin.: Maybe you could create a "sticky" area for threads about frequently asked questions.

On to the questions:
1. When do you start shedding the transplanted hairs (one, two, three weeks post-op)?
2. I'm 8 days post-op, and the Dr.'s instructions were to gently start massaging the recip. area when washing to get rid of the scabs. I don't have any scabs but have what probably is dead skin as it is white. It looks like dandruff when it dry. I tried rubing it and got some off, but noticed one or two hairs attached some of this dead skin. Is this normal?
3. My scalp (recipient area) feels tight and like it's made of leather. When will it start to feel normal?

Nice to see you are doing well Barca.
Some people do not shed the HT hair but for most it starts going away within a week or a little more.
Yes it is normal, some of your grafts are shedding.
Your recipient area is still swollen and the nerve endings are slowly getting back online after the numbing and the trauma. It took me over 3 weeks to go away.
Yout pics look very good, this Dr used Ultra Refined techniques and you'll have great results.

Thanks HK500.

Post op pics look great...that is some great looking work. We have a similar hair type and from what I have heard curly black hair tends to "amplify" the effects of the grafts. Anyway good luck to you. I'm sure you will be pleased in the long run.

Thanks Orion. Just checked out your weblog. Looks like the babies are coming in nicely. Good Luck.

Hey Barca,

What I'm about to say is controversial. Last time I mentioned this I was quickly informed that it was not necessary.

However, if you want to get rid of the crusts AND keep most of the transplanted hairs intact, then you might consider using a product such as liquid vitamin E (or aloe vera, or similar). For me, using the liquid vitamin E and massaging the transplants caused the crusts to very easily be removed without the transplanted hairs being attached to them.

But I suppose the "it doesn't really matter" argument is pretty compelling since I ended up losing most of the transplanted hairs by the shedding process at about the 2 month mark.

(for what's it's worth?)

Barca,

HK's given good answers to your Q's. Everyone's a little different but the majority of your transplanted hair will likely be gone by the 3 week or so.

Healing time varies. My recipient site didn't feel "normal" until 3 months or so. Even then as I would comb hair the scalp was a little sensitive.

It just takes time. Hang in there!

..

Barca,
I just read your log. You mentioned you were done by 12:30pm. Is this accurate? I find it hard to believe the techs can place that many grafts in 4 hours. I had a little over 3000 and I was in the chair till 5:30pm. I started at roughly the same time as you did. How many techs were placing your grafts?

Orion - Forgot to mention my techs where Superman and the Flash. lol Actually, the procedure ended at 12:30a.m. Thanks for catching that...gonna try and correct that in my log

First let me say that after looking at your photos I think you will be thrilled in six months.

My HT hairs shed at two to three weeks. Some stuck around and grew a bit, but alas all shed by 5-6 weeks.

If you have continuing scaps, I know Dr(s) like Rassaman and Bernstein advocate - while in the shower, after hair is wet, let conditioner stand on your scalp for about ten minutes. After the ten minutes under the shower massage gently w/ fingertips and crusts will drop away. I think that is what you still have with the "dead skin." As far as if the hairs in the skin is normal, I think probably. From what I understand as long as blood is not associated, its probably just the HT hair shedding and not follicle loss. After ten days, those babies are in for good!

The leather skin feeling in recipient area for me has just recently resolved to where it feels normal. I'm just at 11 weeks po.

Happy growing and thanks for sharing your expierences.

Toad