I did a mohawk before my surgery, but only because it was something I'd always wanted to try and figured it was a good time. I wore a scarf for awhile while things were growing back out / my hair was nappy from infrequent washing, but that time doesn't last long. Especially with the steriods for post-op swelling, my hair grew back fast.
I'd say if it's something you want to do just for fun then do it, but you don't have to because of surgery.
I thought of doing this too Nicki, but I didn't have the guts!
As far as the original question, I was told not to shave my head. They took a small swipe starting right above my left ear and followed by hairline down behind it. When I wore my hair down, you couldn't even tell. It took less than a year for it to grow all the way back down to my shoulders (approx). Not too itchy when it grew back. The hardest thing was when it was a few inches long, but not long enough to fit it in a ponytail. Thank God for hats
One thing my hair did do about 3 months post-op though is thin out a lot....like falling out all over. Couldn't really notice except when I'd shampoo may hair and there it all was. The medical term is telogen effluvium. I know others on here had experienced it as well. My main concern with shaving the head was that I was always scared about how it would be texture wise coming back in. It is not unusual for hair to grow back differently after being shaved.
-Amy
