This is a follow-up to my 4-day post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HairTransplants/comments/1sqon2z/4_days_postop_at_moart_hair_clinic_seoul_2200/
For context, I had a fully shaved FUE procedure, around 2,200 grafts. Main areas were the M-shaped recession/temple corners and some thinning around the crown/top. Still too early to judge the final result, so this is more of a healing/update post.
At day 18, the transplanted hairs are around 0.25 inch / 7mm long. They were only about 1mm long right after surgery, so they’ve grown a bit. So far, the hairline doesn’t look too straight or pluggy to me. The more recessed parts of the frontal hairline were brought forward by roughly 1cm / 0.4 inch, so that area looks less receded now. The temple corners and crown/top also look a bit more filled in, but I know this may change once shedding starts. I was told shedding usually starts around weeks 3–4.
The first week was honestly rough. I wore a loose bucket hat when going out and was pretty paranoid about touching the grafts or bumping my head. I even tied my hands while sleeping for a while because I was worried I might touch the recipient area by accident. Showering was allowed after 2 days, but I kept it lukewarm and used the clinic shampoo very gently.
For the first 2 weeks, I sprayed the recipient area every 30 to 60 minutes with either the clinic’s spray or sterile saline. That was probably the most annoying part of the aftercare. Around the 2-week mark, I gently removed the crusts/scabs with the clinic shampoo. No pain or bleeding.
At the 18-day follow-up in the clinic, they used a red laser device and gave several small scalp injections. I’m not exactly sure what the injections were, so I won’t comment too much on that. They also told me to keep taking oral minoxidil consistently for at least the next 4 months.
No real pain now. I still have some prickly/tingly sensation in the donor area, especially when lying down or sleeping. I was told sensation can take up to 3 months to normalize.
Overall, healing seems to be on track. I’m happy with how the hairline and crown look for day 18, but obviously the real test will be shedding and regrowth over the next few months.