I had Mohs surgery November 2015 - am I still experiencing side effects?

Question

I had Mohs surgery on my forehead in November 2015. I lost the feeling in my scalp and was told by my surgeon that the cancer had wrapped around my nerves so they had to be cut away. He did say that the nerves may grow back due to my age I was 34. Post surgery I noticed that my hair grew in different directions&become more coarse at the roots. At the moment my scalp is really itchy and has a burning sensation a lot of the time -It's driving me mad! My scalp feels tingly, any advice is welcome.

Kristine Romine, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. 
Typically, during Mohs surgery, nerves are cut which leads to some loss
of sensation in the area.  Nerves take
the longest to heal, up to one year.  The
feeling, or lack of feeling, that you have in the area a year after your
treatment is the feeling you are going to have from here on out.  However, if you are experiencing an itchy,
burning sensation more than a year after your surgery, I would recommend
following up with your board certified dermatologist.  This may or may not be associated with the Mohs
surgery and you will want to ensure that something else is not causing the
irritation, and they may refer you to proper specialist for evaluation.

Inessa Fishman, MD · Answer

Tingling and itching after surgery often indicate return of sensation, as sensory nerves grow and reconnect during healing.  These may be positive signs of returning sensation.  I generally discourage scratching, as this can be irritating to the skin and hair; however, pressing on the itchy area may offer the brain a similar amount of itchiness relief, without the irritation associated with scratching.  Check in with your surgeon for a re-evaluation and good luck!

I had Mohs surgery November 2015 - am I still experiencing side effects?

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I had Mohs surgery November 2015 - am I still experiencing side effects?

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Everything you need to know about Mohs Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.