"hair-raising" questions

[Heidi in Omaha]

Of all the major things this surgery is going to involve, I'm wondering about the silliest things right now, like my hair! I mean, really, who cares in the grand scheme of things, right? I hadn't thought to bring it up with my doctors while discussing all the risks of the procedure because there were so many "bigger" things to talk about, but curiosity is totally taking over now.

I'm wondering just how much hair they are going to shave in order to make the incision.  I have another appointment coming up soon, so I can ask then, but would love to hear some stories. Any of you ladies with longer hair have any tips
for before or after the surgery? I'm having retro-sigmoid.

[HeidiC]

I am having Mid Fossa on Oct 6th, so it may be different for you, but my dr told me they would shave about an inch wide strip from in front of my ear toward the top of my head.

~Heidi

[MGengo]

I also had Middle Fossa.  My surgeon told me he would shave "four fingers width just above my ear.  After the surgery, I wondered whose fingers he was referring to - Shrek maybe?  More than I expected.  Not to worry, it all grew back.

[CHD63]

I've had two retrosigmoid surgeries by two different doctors in two different states.  In both cases, they only shaved a narrow swath behind my ear, down to the hairline ..... easily covered by the longer hair from above after surgery.  In fact, people looked at me post-op (after coming home and stitches out) and kiddingly said "yeah, right, you say you just had brain surgery, show me."  Totally invisible unless I pulled up my hair.  Kind of insulting, considering what I had just gone through.   

Clarice

[mk]

I also had retrosigmoid. They didn't shave ANY hair. I don't know how they managed this. They used some kind of "glue" to arrange the hair on both sides of the incision, but no shaving at all. After the stitches were removed the incision was barely noticeable - now almost 4 months after surgery no one can believe I had such a surgery.

From what I have heard from others who did have some hair shaved, long hair covers easily the area.

Marianna

[hruss]

I had three retrosigmoid surgeries. The first two in Bulgaria - so here they shave the whole skull. So the morning before the surgery a nurse came and .. it was my first time to see myself bald. I have beautiful hair (this is what hairdressers say) - naturally pitch black long thick hair. It did not come to my mind to take the hair - I would have donated it or sell it but in this moment such things did not come across my mind, so understandable, right?

For the next surgery - shaved again and for the last one in Germany they shaved only a stripe in my skull and used a glue-kind substance that made my hair stay in one direction for a week or so before being able to wash it. This stripe was covered by the rest of the hair so it was not a problem. yes, the hair from one side of my head was less than from the other but it was hardly visible and honestly, I would not care - more important was that I had my brain back. As we say in Bulgaria hair grows, but mind does not.

all the best in your outcome from the surgery!!

hrissy