Sooner or later Im going to get my procedure done, but my biggest worry is work. I can take about 10 days off which I know is good, but I guess I wonder how bad would it be if I wore a hat for 8 hours a day afterward to avoid people at work noticing I had a HT? I also sweat alot at work and get dirty! Is this a problem after 10 days! Im just nervous that maybe this is the reason that my last HT failed and that I will have the same problem.

I believe after 10 days you can sweat all you want. Can you work a weekend into it; and say have it done on Thursday and not return until the two weeks later on a Thursday, which will be 10 working days off?

That's a short term problem, though. Think of the life changing experience getting your hair back will be.

dakota3-
Wearing a hat after 10 days should not be a problem. Forgive me if I don't know the details, but what about your last procedure "failed"?

Timothy Carman, MD

I had my HT on the 15th of May. I took 12 days off from work for my HT. Thanks to Memorial Weekend .

At this point I dont know how my frontal area is gonna be but because I have long hair at the back, I can hide my scar. I will try to remember to drop you a line on the day I go to work if I come up with a strategy.

Advise...If you have empty conference rooms in your office go there and work if you can so that you can take your hat off and minimize sweating.

We are all in this together Bro...Best of luck with your planning !

I just got done with my blog. Below is the link

http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=766

quote:

Wearing a hat after 10 days should not be a problem. Forgive me if I don't know the details, but what about your last procedure "failed"?

Dr. Carmen

I went to Bosley In Feb of 2007 and had 1500 grafts done. When I went in they cut a 10 inch scar which isnt awful but not great by any means! Take a look at the pic attached. You cant see the full length of the scar. It actually goes to just above the ear!I had a decent amount of hair. 2 months after the procedure I had MAJOR shock loss do to transection I believe?? Now I dont know how to tell how much hair grew due to the HT, but I do know for sure that I have less hair now than I did before the HT

hair_001.jpg (78 Kb, 234 downloads)

Heres a top view. Again there was ALOT more hair there before my 1st HT

hair_002.jpg (27 Kb, 205 downloads)

Perhaps I am not able to appreciate the scar fully, but in general, that scar really is not that "bad". The length is not unusual (although I can't see how far forward each side extends). Even the best healed of incisions will be visible with your head shaved.
As for the graft survival/shock loss, unless the graft survival was an issue, since you are adding more hair, the only other explanation to ending up with LESS hair was that there was a high transection rate of pre-existing hair which did not "come back" after the procedure. A hair restoration surgeon, under high magnification, should be able to tell the approximate proportion of native vs transplanted hair.
You r on finast, right?


Dr. Timothy Carman

PS What's the 'konji' (spelling?) on your neck stand for?

Dakota3,

Wearing a hat isn't a problem. In our clinic we give you one when you walk out the door and you can continue to wear it, or a clean one of your choice, afterwards while your recipient area continues to heal and progress, even out to when your new grafts start to grow in. This will also be ideal to help keep the area clean at work so I don't think you'll have any problems with the result because of this.

Thanks Doc! Yes I've been on Finesteride for over a year and havent lost any hair since after the initial shock of the 1st surgery.I'll be interested to know how many grafts actually grew. I doubt 1/2 of them grew though.

The Sign on my neck stands for BULL! I'm a Taurus! Not knowing what signs really mean it really could have been anything, but I've had a couple of Asian people confirm this.

Thanks Joe! I'm looking foward to my procedure! Hopefully soon

hey dakota,

I feel your pain man. I took 10 days off myself, and go back this upcomming wednesday. I still have scabs on my head so hopefully they will heal/fall off before then. I've been showering twice a day and scrubbing lightly to help get them off. They're comming, but slowly..

I work in an office, so i can't hide my HT with a hat. I guess i'll just use toppik to help conceal while i still have the grafts, until they shed. I usually use toppik anyhow b/c my hair is thin, but i imagine this being the only way for people to conceal their HT until the grafts start to grow in for good?

It took me awhile to get up the nerve to do it, and i still don't know how well it will turn out, but all you can do is be optimistic if this is what you truly want. Do your homework, choose a good doc, and you should be fine. What people think in the comming weeks will pale in comparison to all the extra hair you'll have down the road!

In my 3 HT's I have returned to work at around 10 days with no problem with anyone notcing.. NOW, there were a couple things I did to help

1- didnt shave my head for the procedure
2- kept the donor area long enough to cover the sutures
3- Used Dermatch ( and the remaining hair) to cover the pinkness? slight scabs left
4- Left my hair a little longer to conceal

thats the plan

So I can wear a hat FOR 8 HOURS A DAY and NOT have any side effects is this true?

only after your grafts are set. usually after 10 days from the HT surgery, the grafts aren't going anywhere. wearing a hat before that period, and you risk dislodging some grafts depending on how the hat fits.

The hairs on your head get most of their oxygen from your blood stream, not via the top of your head. This is why using concealers or wearing a hat don't really affect your hair-loss / strength. Just ensure you eat a proper diet with good nutriot that will allow your body able to carry oxygen to your head thru your blood adequately!

I took various vitamins and reduced certain mineral intake such as iron. Eat plenty of protein as well, and fruits and veggies to aid in skin repair.