Hi, I had a 1,500 graft strip procedure done in July 2009. Ever since then, I’ve had headaches and numbness in certain areas of the back of my head. The headaches got so bad that they became daily, pretty much from the time I awoke until I went to bed, so about a month ago I went to a neurologist and he had me get a Cat scan, and everything came back negative, so he currently has me on meds for that. The people who did my surgery says the headaches are not connected to the surgery, would you agree with that? About the numbness, I know that’s connected to the surgery. It’s not totally numb, because I can feel myself touching it, but it is numb, if that makes any sense. I still have pain if I touch it too hard, and it’s never gotten any better. Also, if I touch my scar, that causes immediate pain. Could there possibly be permananet damage to my nerves in my head? Or is a chance that I could still get feeling back there? Also, is there a way that you could possibly fix that scar, and if so, would that possibly fix the numbness in my head? — C

Thanks for your question regarding headaches and numbness after a hair transplant. We would tend to agree that the headaches you are experiencing are not related to the hair transplant surgery. Some numbness surrounding the donor area is not unusual up to a year post-op. It is very uncommon for our patients but in some instances, sensations can remain in the donor region to some degree. Permanent nerve damage is unlikely but a small part of the nerve ending could be trapped in scar tissue which could cause some pain. A scar revision would likely result in an improvement or elimination of the numbness or discomfort but there are no guarantees.

If you would like any further discussion or information regarding scar revisions, please contact our clinic. Our friendly and informative staff would be happy to speak with you.

— Jerry Wong, MD

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Can I wear a hat post-op? My job requires me to wear a hat for the whole day. thank you.

— B.

You can wear a hat as long as it is clean and not too tight fitting and does not touch the grafted area for the first few days. If you have had temple reconstruction, you must be a little more careful that the hat doesn’t push to hard on the sides. Most baseball like hats are fine. No knit caps or anything that may attach to the grafts for the first week.

— Victor Hasson, MD

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How does smoking post-op affect the long term results of transplants? Does it make the hair shafts thinner and eventually hair loss in the grafted region? Is this something that will reverse with exercise, and stopping smoking? — S.B.

Dear S.B., there is no evidence that smoking has any negative long-term effect on hair transplant results. As doctors, we don’t want patients to smoke for health reasons, but also, we urge patients to refrain from smoking in the short term post-operatively for an optimal healing process. Smoking reduces blood flow, and may slow the short-term healing process. Many patients who smoke simply don’t stop smoking pre-op or post-op and there is no negative impact on the results. Stopping post-operatively is a “nice-to-have” not a “must-have”.

— Jerry Wong, MD

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If I went tanning in a high powered tanning bed for about 15 minutes without covering my head a few days after a hair transplant would that delay or restrict growth of the newly transplanted hair? — S.D.

There is not sufficient data on exactly what effects a tanning bed may have on the transplanted grafts soon after surgery. We advise our patients to limit sun or tanning bed exposure to the transplanted area for up to 6 months after surgery. Severe burning of the area can potentially cause damage to the grafts. Your 15 minute exposure probably would not have caused any harm. However, if you were a patient of ours we would recommend that you stay out of the tanning bed for several months post-op. If a patient of ours feels it necessary to go in the tanning bed, we advise they cover the recipient area to prevent exposure.

— Victor Hasson, MD

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I have had a hair transplant with a local clinic about 1 1/2 years ago and I am not that satisfied with their work. I can conceal it pretty well and Finasterid is currently stopping my hair loss. However, there are two or three bumps in the temple area where the clinic transplanted hair. You can barely see them because of the hair covering it but I can feel them. Will they go away over time? Are they dangerous? — J.

Thanks for the question, J. The bumps could be a few things. Since they are not very noticeable, they are probably of no concern and almost certainly would pose no danger. If a graft was not properly trimmed and excess tissue was left, the area may be raised or a small bump can result. Larger incisions can also create a little scarring which could also be the case. In either of these scenarios, it is not likely to diminish over time at this stage. If there is an ingrown hair, the spots would likely continue to get bigger over time and some inflammation may be present. In this case, the ingrown hair would need to be freed. This may solve the problem but once in a while when the new growth cycle occurs and a new hair comes in, it could possibly get trapped under the skin again.

It is difficult to be accurate without being able to see the area. For a little better diagnosis, send good clear photos of the areas in question via our hair transplant consultation form. I hope this helps. Good luck.

— Jerry Wong, MD

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I’ll need to fly to Vancouver, undergo a 4000 graft surgery, and be back in the office within three days. I do not want to reveal that I’ve had cosmetic surgery. How do I conceal the shave, incision and staples? Other than wearing a baseball cap 18 hours a day, how do other patients handle this? — N.

Hi N.
Regardless of which clinic performs your surgery, there will always be visible signs only three days post-op with or without shaving the recipient and donor area and regardless of the hair transplant technique employed, particularly for a session of 4000 grafts. With smaller sessions, say 2000 grafts, we can get away with foregoing the shave. If there were not shaving (which we never recommend as we can more clearly visualize the recipient site with head shaved) then the staples would be hidden as would the recipient area. However, even if we forego shaving there is potential for some post-operative edema (swelling) which usually begins on post-op day three. Edema is common to all hair transplant surgery and though you may be one of the lucky ones who is not affected, there is no guarantee that it won’t occur.

Educated patients who understand the value of a dense packed megasessions with a top-tier clinic, and the need to shave for an optimal results, know that the minor inconvenience is a small price to pay for a world-class result that will be on your head for a lifetime.

At about 10 days, with a short hair cut to blend the sides into the top, the hair transplant will not be detectable.

— Jerry Wong, MD

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Dear Doctors, I had a successful hair transplant in the front area only. my hair is short and i like it this way. after 10 days the skin under the transplanted hair is still a bit red thus given a contrast and showing the transplanted region darker. How long for the skin to regain its original light brown color, and is there any medicine that accelerate this healing?
— H.K.

Hi H.K. Thanks for the question.
Generally, patients will experience some redness for a few weeks post-op. Those with darker skin tend to show less redness. For fair skinned people, the redness can take longer to subside. Though most people won’t notice it, there can be a slight pigment difference up to several months after a hair transplant. There is no effective way to reduce redness quickly, but some patients have found that the use of vitamin E oil may make a slight difference. Best of luck with your hair transplant results.

— Victor Hasson, MD

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