Did I ruin my hair transplant by rubbing the scabs and crust off? (Photos)

Question

Gently Massaged/Rubbed scabs/crust off on 8th and 9th day. Concerned I ruined surgery.

Levent Acar, MD · Answer

Apply a  moisturising foam to the transplanted area and after 20-30 minutes you can wash it with a gentle massaging .This will help to soften the crust.

Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  One of the most common questions I hear from post-hair transplant patients is, "How long do the scabs last for?"  Generally speaking, the scabs can persist for roughly two weeks before they start falling off but in some patients the scabs fall off much sooner.  I do recommend that my patients refrain from rubbing or massaging the scabs immediately following their hair transplant procedure to avoid disruption of follicle take.  Beginning about 10 days after their procedure, patients can start to gently massage the scalp (including the scabbed areas) assuming that they are recovering well based upon a physical exam.  Because each surgeon will have their own specific post-op protocols, I would defer to your operating surgeon for the best advice.  At 8-9 days post-op you should be fine, but if you are concerned I would encourage you to follow up with your operating surgeon for an evaluation.  All the best.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

It is best to check with your doctor for post operative care.  If you follow your doctor's post operative instructions it should be fine.

Sam Jejurikar, MD · Answer

Patients always tend to worry about rubbing out scabs right after the procedure. In general, scabs generally last about 10-14 days after the procedure and then begin to start falling out. It's not uncommon for some scabs to begin falling out after a week.
I generally am fine with patients washing their hair with a gentle shampoo a week out from the procedure. Based on your pictures, it's unlikely you suffered any long term damage.
Hope this helps! Sam Jejurikar, MD

Satinder Singh, MBBS, DNB · Answer

One should not rub or massage the scabs or crusts early because this may bring off the graft follicles. It is recommended that one should wait for around 12 to 14 days before gently rubbing or massaging the transplanted area. In order to keep the area clean and crusts soft one should wash the head by gently pouring the mild shampoo solution and rinsing it by pouring the water over the scalp.

Glenn Charles, DO · Answer

We recommend
that you allow the hair to fall out naturally, and not scrubbed too early.  If there are scabs on the scalp that are
aesthetically annoying, they can be delicately washed off in the shower after
10 days with smaller transplant sites. 
It is suggested a patient wait a little longer if bigger sites were
used.  To be on the safe side, a patient
should wait a full 2 weeks to be positive that grafts are secure.

Baubac Hayatdavoudi, MD · Answer

At 8 days post op those grafts should have been secure in your scalp, so rubbing the scabs should not effect your result. It's important to follow your doctor's post op care plan for you, so continue to do so.

Richard E. Moore, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. I would always recommend following the advice of your hair transplant surgeon. Chances are you did not adversely effect the results of your hair transplant at 8-9 days out as long as you were not overly abrasive. The base of the follicle becomes fairly well implanted by 72 hours after the transplant but is still susceptible to trauma. We find that encouraging our patients to spritz their transplant sites accelerates the shedding of scabs while avoiding trauma. If you have further concerns, I suggest following up with your hair restoration center. I hope this was helpful - Dr. Moore.

Karl Hekimian, MD · Answer

If you were gentle and didn't scrape or dig out the scabs, and did this with your surgeon's approval, you will probably be okay though there's no way to tell for sure until the grafts grow.

Sahar Nadimi, MD · Answer

You should be fine at this point. I generally recommend that my patients begin to wash and gently massage their scalp 7 days after a hair transplant. Every hair transplant surgeon has different postoperative instructions and I would follow those as outlined by your doctor. Best of luck!

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