My hair is driving me crazy!!!

[cinnamon]

I have been home from the hospital for 2 weeks now and my hair is driving me crazy. I got the stitches out on tuesday and i finally washed my hair all over last night. I have never had dandruff but i noticed that a couple weeks before surgery i started having it alot. Has anyone experienced this? I googled remedies for it but I am nervous because of the incision. I don't want to infect it. What is good to use? I am still using baby shampoo on my hair in the tub, I haven't taken any showers yet. I can't close my eye so I want to be careful with showering. The flakes are yucky and I just feel it is gross. Do you think the bably shampoo is greasy also? Maybe  I should use a different shampoo. Any thoughts, ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!!!

                    Lisa

[Battyp]

Lisa I had the same problem after surgery...I'd sit and literally scrape the dry skin with my nails it was so bad.  I don't think it has anything to do with the shampoo as much as not massaging the scalp enough (dang that hurt!) and not rinsing all the shampoo out (dang can't keep those eyes closed!) I think it took me about 2 mos to get it under control. It reminded me of cradle cap (crap) a baby gets. 

[cinnamon]

So i guess i have to tough it out. I am hoping to wash my hair more frequently now but i am nervous around the incision, i will try to massage the scalp more though. Thank you.

         Lisa

[Desilu]

Hi Lisa,

Have you talked to your doctor about this? He may have a few suggestions for you. Also, you might want to try your local drug store, maybe the pharmacist can give you some ideas. Hope this helps?  Ann

[matti]

I had it too Lisa. It was worse on the AN side. I agree with BattyP, I think it has to do with not being able to wash and massage the scalp like we are used to. I know it's frustrating, but hang in there, it will get better. Run it by your doctor just in case.

Sending hugs
Cheryl

[amymeri]

I didn't have the problem but I believe baby shampoo can be very drying to the scalp and might contribute to the flakey scalp.  I used baby shampoo for awhile and then switched back to plain Suave.  I don't remember how long I used baby shampoo after the stitches were out but not too long.  Ask your NS when you can change to your regular shampoo.  I massaged my scalp pretty hard with the pads of my fingers and my incision more lightly.  The wound doctor actually said to SCRUB the incision with shampoo but I didn't feel comfortable with that until it was more healed.  But I will say that when I got a small suture abscess (drainage and scab from a tiny bit of suture material left in the incision) I DID scrub it after it was opened up and cleaned out and it helped.

Anyways, long story short...ask your doc about your regular shampoo and also think about conditioner or dandruff shampoo just on your good side (you might need help with that!)

How are you feeling otherwise?

Amy

[Captain Deb]

My wonderful friend and fellow Captain, Marge would lay my head on a table twice a day, drip hydrogen peroxide on my incision from an eyedropper till it quit fizzing, and then slather the area with Neosporine--a trick we learned from many years of boat-living in the tropics. Then I'd massage a little Vaseline Intensive Care around the shaved area to keep it from itching.Worked great!
Capt Deb

[cinnamon]

   Thanks for the answers. you have helped me alot. i did start putting neosporin on the incision yesterday. I don't see my ns til next month he is so booked up so that is why i asked for answers from all of you. I really like the idea of putting vaseline intensive care on the site because the itching is getting to me much more.

    Other than my hair I am doing pretty good. I am going to physical therapy twice a week and they are really helping. I didn't think my neck could get so stiff. My speech therapist is doing mouth exercises and word processing with me. It gets my brain thinking. I am starting to get used to this clear patch being over my eye which is good. Since i can't blink it does ususally get really irritated but not so much with the patch. I am just taking thingss one day at a time. I just had surgery three weeks ago today. Thank you everyone for your support.

             Lisa

[amymeri]

Lisa

Talk to your NS office before using neosporin or vaseline.  Some offices say clean and dry and NO OINTMENTS and some say neosporin is okay. Sometimes neosporin and other emollients or ointments can cause skin breakdown and scalp incisions are delicate.  I used neosporin on my suture abscess at the wound doctors suggestion but that was 3 months after surgery when 99% of my incision was healed over.

Each doctor has a different protocol so check it out and if they say "yes" then go for it! 

Amy

[Gennysmom]

Hi Lisa!

I used the baby shampoo once, it made my hair like straw and very yucky, so I went immediately back to the salon shampoo...and it's still a little straw like.  You'd think that not washing it for 2-3 days at a time would make it soft and silky???  Who knows.  Don't worry, in a couple weeks the wound will feel better and you can more easily scrub that area.

About the ointments...I was at the Doc's today, and he noticed some of my sub-Q stitches working their way out finally and he pulled them and advised me to put some Bacitracin on the wound.  I think that or Betadine would be the best...It's what hospitals use...Neosporin can make wounds like this heal too quickly...when I had my belly button pierced they said no Neosporin, that it can cause your body to reject the piercing. 

As for the neck, I got one of the microwaveable/freezeable buckwheat bat-wing things from Walgreens and wore it constantly the first 3 weeks.  Saved me, let me tell you.  It even helped cure my nausea by relaxing me.  It's a must for home after surgery. 

Glad you are doing well!  I can't believe I'm more than 5 weeks out!  Things are getting easier every day, and I am so thankful for that!  Hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!

[Obita]

All of my hair issues went away after I was off the decadron for a while.  Steroids do a number on hair.  As with most post op stuff - this too shall pass.  Kathy

[Cheryl R]

I had to clean my incision with peroxide and then rinse that off with salt water, then put Bactracin on it twice a day.       Keeping the ointment on should help keep it moist to aid in healing.     The big thing in wound care anymore is to keep them moist to help the new cells grow.     Actually peroxide isn't used like you think in regular wound care as it can kill new cells.           I have heard one should use a ointment with only 1 antibiotic in it as one has a greater chance of an allergic practice with the triple kind.          In practice can't say have seen it happen.     Our hospital only stocks a single antibiotic ointment for us to use.   
I just used my regular shampoo post op with no problem and avoided the incision.
                                      Cheryl R.

[Captain Deb]

AAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just slosh summa yer grog ration on't and the rest down yer gullett--we don't want no crazy Wenches around here, fer sure!
Capt Deb

[Patti UT]

I remember the same problems with the hair but it is pretty short lived. your scalp is in shock from beiong pulled back when they did the surgery. The problem I have had, almost 2 yrs post op, is that I lost a lot of hair aroung=d the surgery site. The docs told me it is "surgical shcok" and that it will come back.  I'm 11 months since they pulled back my scalp and still no sign of hair regrowth.  As if all the other  residual issues I have to deal with after AN surgery aren't enough, I have to loose hair too      Has anyone else experienced this? I must be the only one?