2 months after FUE Hair Transplant

2 months have passed by since my FUE hair transplant.

There was no significant changes since my last post.

I am facing some hair loss due to the shock shedding plus the fact that I have been off Minoxidil for two months.

Besides the shedding, the new hair is weak and the hair density doesn't look that great, as can be seen in the pictures.

I am not alarmed by this symptoms as it was kind of expected. I need to give it some time to see the final results.

Today I will resume the Minoxidil regimen and hopefully the hair will become thicker and fuller in the incoming months.

1 month after the FUE hair transplant

1 month has passed since my hair transplant.

The reddish color on the recipient area maintains. Much less than a couple of weeks ago but it is still noticeable a pink area in the hairline. (Two weeks ago pictures)

I feel some itching in the recipient area from time to time, which is quite annoying.

Some small blemishes have popped up in the hairline and that's where the itching is stronger.

Yesterday I made sports for the first time. I was going crazy at home without being able to do any sports.

I touch the ball with my head a couple of times, which was not a very smart move but hopefully not enough o cause any damage to the hair grafts. After one month the hair grafts should be already strong enough to hold on.

Overall, I seemed to have archived the the main goal of my hair transplant on my hairline, the forehead looks much smaller.

I am still not sure about the hair density, it doesn't look that dense but I will have to wait a bit longer to see the final results. 

I am currently not taking Finasteride or applying Minoxidil. 

Finasteride for the reasons mentioned in my post about Finasteride.

My doctor's recommendation was to start applying Minoxidil one week after the FUE hair transplant but I think it is too early for the grafts and follicles to receive such a strong alcohol based solution. I will go back to my Minoxidil regimen in one month. (see my post about Minoxidil)

Side note

I have decided to don't tell anyone about the hair transplant. It was really hard to be isolated for so long in the beginning. The first two weeks I didn't see or talk to anyone. After two weeks I saw some friends and went back to work without having anyone noticing my hair transplant.

This was a personal decision because I was afraid of the people to judge me, to think I was superficial and of giving to much importance to the apparency.

If you are thinking about going through a hair transplant procedure, one thing I can say, it is possible to go through it without anyone noticing.

The next question is, do you want that? 

If you are afraid of peoples judgment, for whatever reason, then sacrifice two weeks of your life, isolate yourself and do it. There is Netflix for entertainment and Skype to contact your friends and family, no problem.

If on the other hand you don't care about what other peoples opinion and you give more importance to feel supported, go ahead share it with your friends and family, they will certainly understand you and it will be much easier.

Day 20 - First day at work

It was my first week at work after the hair transplant.

I was absolutely sick of being at home and afraid of what the people would think if they see me like this.

In the recipient area there are no significant marks and it's hard to tell that I had a hair transplant. (As you can see in the pictures after the first week).

The recipient area is another story. It is still quite pinkish and it's noticeable that there was something done there.

So far no one made any comment or asked anything, besides why did I shave my head, which is a good sign.

Day 15 - shedding and shock loss

Today while running my fingers through my hair I realised that I started losing the new hair.

Hair shedding after a hair transplant is a normal (between week 1-5) occurrence and is the body’s way of responding to the trauma it received during the hair transplant procedure.

The shock loss is caused by trauma of the hair transplant, causing the native hairs to temporarily shed. While the hair is shed due to trauma, the dermal papilla remains so hair does grow back.  

Interestingly, the more severe one’s hair loss and hair miniaturization is, the more likely that person will experience increased hair shedding after a hair transplant.

Day 10 - Major breakthrough

Ten days have passed since my FUE hair transplant and today is a special day for many reasons.

The little pain I had once in a while in the donor area is totally gone, no more painkillers needed.

The scabs are all gone. I was really afraid of massaging too hard and loose some of the grafts but I knew that it was really important to get rid of the scabs so that the skin could breathe and give room to the new hairs. What I did was to gently massage the recipient area a couple of times a day using the provided Keratene oil. I noticed a few hairs falling off along with the scabs but not the roots, which is good.

Unnoticeable: Finally I don't need to wear a hat or anything to go outside. The recipient area is still pinkish but only noticeable at a close look. 

Tomorrow I will go back to work and to my normal routine. (No sports yet though).

Day 8 - First week

One full week has passed since the HT.

I have recovered the sensitivity in the whole head.

I still have some pain in the donor area, it's very sensitive, specially in the evening, before bed and when I wake up.

I started to massage the recipient area today and the scabs are starting to fall off.

Day 5 - Healing process

 It has been 5 days since my FUE hair transplant.

The donor area looks almost perfect and it doesn't hurt as much as in the last days.

The recipient area is drying pretty well and looks less reddish. The scabs are forming all around. 

The forehead is also improving, I regained sensitivity until almost the hairline and it's less swollen.

Some pictures of the recipient area day by day:

Day 3 - Recipient area

 Day 3 - Donor area

Day 4 - Recipient area

  Day 4 - Donor area

Day 5 - Recipient area

 Day 5 - Donor area