5th day after FUE, difficult to sleep, sore/painful donor area (3200 grafts). (photo)

Question

4th night started a different kind of pain (only on donor area), like a pressure, soreness, I woke up all night sporadically. 5th night I slept a little and then I couldn't sleep anymore for the next 5 hours due to the pain. My doctor told me to take Tylenol 750mg every 6 hours. It's more painful laying down than standing up. Tried a lot of sleeping positions (semi-sitting, etc) hard to make it work. Laying on my back is worse. Maybe if I apply an ice pack on the donor area?

Ozge Ergun, MD · Answer

Dear madd86
Thanks for the question. A hair transplant operation can take four hours or more. Your stitches will be removed about 10 days after surgery. You may require up to three or four sessions to achieve the full head of hair you desire. Sessions occur several months apart to allow each transplant to fully heal. I wish you all the best.

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

In your situation, a pain killer with anti inflammatory effect may be more effective than Tylenol which has not anti inflammatory properties. Contact your doctor for management.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

Everybody is different in how they experience pain or their post operative experience.  If you are concerned it is best to contact your doctor.

Emrah Cinik, MD · Answer

There could be same pain in donor area, especially first week after surgery, due to contraction. If it is not bearable level, aloe vera gel can help you with that but still it is useful for you to consult your doctor.

David Deutsch, MD · Answer

Although the majority of our FUE patients experience little or no pain/discomfort after the procedure,some do have more significant discomfort for 1-2 weeks.Tylenol or Ibuprofen should suffice to control pain during that period.

Greg Williams, FRCS (Plast) · Answer

Despite what is often written and advertised, having a hair transplant by the Follicular Extraction FUE method is not painless.First of all, the donor and recipient areas need to have local anaesthetic injections to numb the skin. There is great variability in patient's pain threshold and how they tolerate the injections. Some people find it mildly uncomfortable whilst others find it quite painful. Sometimes the local anaesthetic wears off during the procedure and needs to be augmented if any discomfort or pain is experienced.Likewise, post-operatively there is varying degrees of discomfort or pain reported. If there was 'no pain', then pain killers would not need to be recommended or dispensed.The duration of discomfort or pain after a hair transplant can vary but should diminish as the days go by. Occasionally there are longer term 'dysasthesias' such as shooting pains, pins and needles, numbness that persist for long periods of time after FUE.If the surgical area remains sore, or discomfort increases, then you should contact the doctor who did your procedure.

Sean Behnam, MD · Answer

Some mild pain is normal for the first few weeks. If it is severe or gets worse over time, contact your doctor as soon as you can because that could be a sign of something wrong with your healing process. What you describe sounds more intense than I would expect a patient to be feeling at a week after transplant, but for now just do what your doctor recommends.

Baubac Hayatdavoudi, MD · Answer

At 5 days post op it is normal to have some slight pain and discomfort. It will subside in the coming days.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

If you are having pain on the pain on 4th night after FUE, you should use the medications given to you by your doctor or go see your doctor and get appropriate medications

Cory Torgerson, MD, PhD, FRCSC - Account Suspended · Answer

Some people will experience pain in the donor area. This is nothing to be concerned about. take 2 extra strength Advil as needed. Follow up with your doctor to make sure that nothing else is causing the pain. Maybe he can prescribe something to help you sleep for the next couple of days even. But the pain will go away soon.

5th day after FUE, difficult to sleep, sore/painful donor area (3200 grafts). (photo)

Answers (10)