Hello Forum!
I need to return to work and also I am the best man in a wedding, shortly after my grafting session. I really need to cover up the redness and grafts. Has anyone tried the various cover ups with success?

Thanks!FNP

On how soon after the procedure you need to cover up, and it depends on how much exiting hair you have and where the grafts are. Can you elaborate?

FNP:
I wouldn't plan anything that requires a cover up for at least a week. I wouldn't be getting anything topical near my fresh grafts except Graphcyte or mild shampoo.
After that, redness to the transplanted area will not be too noticable (if even that) at all because hairs will be there over the pinkish area. No one will say anything, I guarantee.
The donor scar is a different story. You better have hair long enough to hang over the scar region. Then you'll be okay. Man, I wouldn't apply anything to that tender region either after the HT for a while as cover up goes.
At three weeks, I found that a eyebrow pencil works a small miracle on the donor scar. I had one "thin" spot where too much of the overhanging hair was removed. The darkening effect of the pencil did the trick.
Honestly, even if I didn't camoflauge that area, I doubt anyone would have said a word.
Hope this helps.

vocor1
Knowledge is Power
If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

on using the pencil. I'll keep that in mind, if needed when I go back to work.

Thanks,

Mr. T

I would agree that you want to wait a while before putting anything on the grafts. I personally have tried a few products: ProThIK, Fullmore, and COUVRe'

Prothik and Fullmore are sprays and can cover really well, they just make a mess in the bathroom. And Fullmore doesn't hold up well in the rain or pool. You just dry your hair and spray on the thinning areas. Use existing hair to comb over it. These sprays also add texture to the hair making them thicker.

COUVRe' is a masking lotion that is applied with a small makeup sponge. I tend to use this one most of the time. You add a little lotion to the sponge and apply it to wet scalp. I start in the back and work my way up lightly to the front. The hairline should just have a slight "shadow" effect. Then you dry the existing hair and comb over the thin areas.

These all come in different colors and you should have existing hair to comb over it. It takes practice to get these right. They do not work on a completely bald head.

There are also a few other produts out there I haven't tried: GLH, Toppik, Dermatch, Great Coverup.

You can also apply these to the scar, however, they wont get rid of the "hat head" look.

Hope this helps!

vocor1 and Joe Transplant,

With regards to these cover up techniques for the donor area, are these temporary necessities until the scarring has healed, or do you find yourself doing these even now, sometime after the surgery. The donor area is one of my concerns of having the surgery.

tkotko:
No, it was temporary for me. My hair is a little longer now and the scar is much less red.
Still, in that area, it seems like the scar is a little wider than elsewhere. The "pinkness" is an area 3-5mm wide. I'm not sure why the pinkness seems wider there. Maybe that part of my scalp just didn't heal as well.
I'm going to reserve judgment on what exactly happened until a few months down the line and certainly until after I see the doc down the road. I'm sure he'll have some insight into all that if it bothers me.
No, I haven't applied a "cover up" for two months now.

vocor1
Knowledge is Power
If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

tkotko,

I don't use coverup on the donor area anymore.
I received my transplant 2 1/2 months ago and the first month I used it in two small spots because the hair was very short and there seemed to be more hair missing in those areas. The hair since then has grown out and looks very good. I actually got a haircut today and almost all of my "hat head" appearence is gone. It's funny, but my barber acually thinned out the area just above my scar and it helped it blend in a lot better. In about a few months, it should all look great.

I still use coverup on top because about half my hair fell out from shock and it'll be at least a couple of months before anything starts growing out.

Thanks for the input guys!