I have two clipped aneurysms (unruptered.) I had blood supply loss to the right side of my head.
In a nutshell, my skull rejected the plates and refused to close completely leaving an open "pit" that required many complicated procedures with Plastic Surgeon. My last procedure (02/11) finally closed the "pit." However 3 weeks post-op I lost the majority of hair on the left side of my head.
Healing was slow and the incision scar (from temple up to forhead and down the entire length on
top and several inches down the back.) actually widened as much as 2" in some areas. Some of my
hair grew back. The hair did not grow back in the incision areas and left a bald spot at the temple
and another at the back of my head. I've been wearing hats since last February.
So much for the "nutshell."
Anyway, I'm going to have Tissue Expanders placed to assist with scar reduction and hopefully
hair will grow again (And I can stop wearing stupid hats!) I'm curious if anyone has had a similar
situation or has had Tissue Expander placed under scalp? If there is anyone, I would love to
Thanks for sharing your story. I can totally relate to having your hair come out all at once. When I lost
all the hair on the left side last year, I was just lightly brushing around the incisions when WHAM! Chunks of hair just slipped right out. I know it seems vain, but to me, my hair is (was) a part of my identity. I've been in hats for over a year.
Most of the hair has regrown except as the incision started healing it got wider and wider and no hair there. Although I'm lucky that I didn't have ruptures, I still have my pity party going on. I'm hoping
the next procedure will be sucessful and the last one.
Hi Sue, you must have stressed out even more when the braid was in your hand. I am happy it did grow back for you. I hate to complain about my problems when I see others here go through worse problems. I do feel though that we can learn a lot in reading what others experience.
Would you consider wearing a wig instead of a hat to get you through your transition? There are some awesome styles available in many designs and price ranges.
When my surgery was done, they shaved my entire head so I wore a wig during my transition. May people have smile when I've described wearing in previous posts my 1969 Afro wig!!! It was great. My hair grew back and well covered my scar and bone flap for almost 30 years then, I started to lose much of my hair because I have female pattern baldness!!! :-(
These days, as an African American woman, I could actually get away with going bald but, I don't because of the scar and the somewhat protruding bone flap. So, while I am disappointed that I have to wear a wig, I do. and I'm very thankful that I can. The scar and bone flap are signs of the success of my surgery, so long ago.
Hi Leanne, I know several who have had surgery and difficulty with the plates; but overall their hair has grown back. Now, go for what makes you feel right; hope others have your experience to share more with you.
Some years back, I knew a man at work who had a "natural" balding and he got some hair implanted...know nothing of how it was done; tho it was successful for him... Over the weekend, I will call then and ask for the name of it... like everything else, it has probably improved over time...
Wishing you your best success in what you want done. This is a minor thing; however, those of us with coils and multiple angiograms also experience hair loss; we just do not have qa scar area; tho the volume of hair loss can jam up the drain...
I've tried several wigs but can't wear them because they irritate my scalp. I was really bummed out because they are nice wigs. Ended up being an expensive and unsuccessful endeavor (can't return wigs.)
I agree that an African American woman could pull off the shaved head look. Did you notice Viola Davis at the Academy Awards? Her hair was pretty much buzzed and she looked fantastic! As I understand it she had overprocessed her hair and had been wearing wigs for a long time. She got tired of the wigs and decided to go au natural. I don't think caucasion women can really pull off the
shaved head. Looks like you're in Chemo (as does always wearing a hat for that matter.) I had given some thought to just shaving my head and scars be damned! I thought I'd show my scars like proud battle medals. Unfortunately, because of the lack of blood supply (here's TMI) I actually have scabs that heal, fall off and just scab again. So I think shaved head with scars might be okay. Showing scabby scars is kinda gross. Anyway, the upside to shaved head, wigs and hats is NO BAD HAIR DAYS!
I'm very sympathetic to the challenges you have. Solving the problem is s really not as easy as it might sound.
I have VERY sensitive skin and unusual allergies. So, I have to avoid wigs that have polyester in them and also avoid direct contact with uncovered elastic. A wig with a lace cap design works best for me since it breathes.
Post surgery I placed medical gauze inside a hairnet. I put this on first, to protect my scalp and scar from the friction of the wig. I remember that it worked very well for me. If you haven't tried this already, it may be of some help to you especially since you already have the wigs. :-)
Try this website http://www.ultimatelooks.com/. They have good prices, lots of designs and best yet you can look at the materials, weight and dimensions to find what might work well for you. They have good customer service and can help you with finding a color that you like in from a different manufacturer. Their products are returnable if they are still in the plastic.