wassup HT #5

wassup

I just posted some pictures from HT #5. today is my forth day out from surgery. I'm using Hair Cycle products (biotin spray, shampoo and donor gel) to help with the healing - they seem to be working really great - scabs are starting falling off already. some pictures may look a little shiny because of the biotin spray. I'm also using hydrocortisone cream on my donor as well. Some donor picts may have blotches of the cream that I was not able to wash out this morning (I'm pouring water from cup so I'm not agressively washing yet). Thanks again Team Cole - you all are awesome and do some amazing work!

http://www.forhair.com/hairtransplant/album_personal.php?user_id=134

wassup

I tried to get cleaned up the best I could without disturbing any of the grafts or donor and take some pictures today. these picts are immediately after clean-up.

http://www.forhair.com/hairtransplant/album_personal.php?user_id=134

wassup

just posted some new 8 day picts:

http://www.forhair.com/hairtransplant/album_personal.php?user_id=134

drcole

looks like the strip scarring will do even better after this pass.

wassup

Dr. Cole that would be awesome. I'm really hoping all the grafts take. Do you know about how many grafts went int my strip scars this last round? I thought it was somewhere in the 150-200 range... Many thanks!

wassup

just posted some two week post-op picts... most of the scabs are gone. I've gone a bunch of shedding of skin and planted grafts as well... I'm sure this will continue for a little longer... I'm keeping my fingers crossed for no shockloss. I also started using minoxidil twice daily this week as well. I may drop back to nightly - the donor and recipient are starting to get a little agitated - they are more noticeable now as well (red) from the minox - otherwise I don't think they would be noticeable at all. these will be the last of the frequent post-op/healing picts unless something drastic occurs. I'll pick back up with monthly progress picts from here on out...

is is safe to put aloe vera gel on the donor and recipient areas at this point...?

http://www.forhair.com/hairtransplant/album_personal.php?user_id=134

drcole

it looks very good so far.

i would definitely cut back on the minoxidil to once a day and if the irritation continues cut back to every other day.

it is hard to say what is causing skin shedding. It may be increased cell turnover and healing from the biotin spray. i've heard of this at least once before.

yes, it is very safe to use the aloe vera on the donor area at this time. in fact you can use it anywhere you want though it is best for the donor area. you were probably safe at 7 days, but 10 days is certainly very safe. the only concern with is product was that it tends to peel and stick to the skin. we put some grafts in the donor area and we did not want you to accidentally pull them out when you peeled the aloe vera off. if you do not have fit farming or grafts in a donor scar, you can begin using it on the donor area immediately. Some people have told us that it burns a little the first day or two so i often tell people to hold off until the 2nd or 3rd day following a session of FIT.

wassup

Dr. Cole - as always, thank you for your time, help and insight. I will definintely drop down to once a day and see how that goes. Of note, I have used the aloe for about 3 nights in a row now and I noticed a immediate soothing effect after the first night. the redness did subside a little the very next morning, so I'm thinking about just doing the minoxidil in the mornings and aloe all over at night. we keep our aloe in the fridge and when used at night in both the donor and recipient all over, wow it feels so cooling and refreshing all over. I have not experienced the peeling affect of aloe since I'm past two weeks and have transitioned into the shower and just give my head a little massage with the water and it's gone. Thanks again Dr. Cole.

drcole

The propylene glycol in the minoxidil is probably what is irritating your skin. You know this stuff is antifreeze. When you have just had a procedure, you have some healing wounds that can become irritated easily. Aloe Vera gel is useful for healing and soothing; it inhibits brandykinins and is useful for burns, frostbite wound healing and as an anti inflammatory. washing it out is the best way to get the gel off. i used it on a hyperpigmented, red burn scar i had on my arm two years ago. i can't find the scar any longer so it did a good job for me. I imagine it does feel good when chilled. that's a clever idea.

i don't know if you have tried the 5% Rogaine foam. i imagine this is very expensive, but dries much quicker. Propylene glycol is an oily liquid that dryes slowly. i think they put more of it in the 5% solution because it can take hours to dry. the foam dries almost imediately. it does not have propylene glycol in it. you might try the 5% foam to see if the irritation ceases.

nmaccari

Actually, the Rogaine foam isn't that expensive. You can pick a one month supply up for about $25 at WalMart. I saw it there a week ago.