How much hair do they shave?

[alwaysthere]

I keep my hair really short and was wondering how much do they shave when you have surgery? My brother in Texas thinks I need to shave the whole head ( which is tempting). The grandson thinks I need to get a mohawk (yea right!). I'm thinking of keeping my hair on top and having the sides and back clipped really really short. To tell you how short my hair is, it was cut 3 weeks ago and it is now about 1/4in on the sides and back and about 2in on top. I need other opinions please.

Patty

[msmaggie]

Don't worry, Patty.  They don't go crazy when it comes to shaving your hair.  Most drs. are very aware of how much women dread having a big bald patch to worry about.  In my case it was a tennis ball sized patch behind my ear.  I would really think twice about shaving ALL your hair off before surgery! If your hair is as short as you say, it won't be long before your surgery patch catches up to the rest of your hair.  I think there are pics on the forum of new incisions, so you can probably find one if you look around.  Good luck!

Priscilla

[Jim Scott]

Patty ~

My wife has hair about as short as yours..  We both love it!

As Priscilla noted, they don't shave off much hair.  Although a pre-op head shave would obviate the issue of having a bald spot, it isn't really necessary, unless you wanted to, anyway.  I have a short man's haircut and my surgical 'bald spot' was unnoticeable within about 3 weeks of my surgery. By 6 weeks , it was all grown in.  My barber tells me that the average person's hair (male or female)  grows at from 1 to 2" per month, with the average about 1½" per month so even with very short hair, your incision bald spot should be hidden by newly grown hair within a month of your surgery.  Let us know what you decide to do.  Thanks. 

Jim

[MAlegant]

For me they shaved about a 2 inch strip behind my ear, extending from the nape of my neck to the top of my ear.  My hair is longer on top so they moved it aside so that it covered some of the incision.  It was no biggie and I have short-ish hair.
Marci

[CHD63]

Patty .....

From the sounds of things your hair is already very short, which is the way you like it and are more comfortable.  Since your surgery is scheduled for next month, you will have warm weather months (unless you leave in the Southern Hemisphere) afterwards.  I would vote on just keeping your hair like you usually do.

As others have said, most surgeons lift back your hair and only shave the 2" strip or so that they need to have clear.  By the time I returned home from my out-of-state surgery, my friends said "I thought you had surgery on your head."  So, I had to lift up my hair for them to see it.

Because of your short hair (and as is the case with most men), your incision area will be more noticeable until your hair grows back, which usually happens very quickly.  If you are like many of us, you will probably be among family and friends for most of that "growing back in" time anyway.   

Keep us posted.  Clarice

[chocolatetruffle]

i had the same experience as clarice - i had long hair so when they shaved behind my ear (about 2 inches out), people were like "eh? you had brain surgery?" - and i had to lift up my hair to show them the shaved section and my battle scar.

but 3 mths later, when my shaved hair grew back and i decided to cut my hair really really really short (really short at the back and sides, but longer/spikey at the top). i call that the sharon stone's short haircut - chic and pixie!!

[leapyrtwins]

Patty -

they don't shave a lot - in fact, most docs only shave what is absolutely necessary - so don't worry.  The description of your current haircut sounds like the doctor's "styling" will fit right in    Although if you want  to go the mohawk route, to score some points with your grandson, you could 

I was concerned that my whole head had to be shaved during my surgery - and truth be told, my kids were horrified when they thought that would be the case - but that isn't going to happen.

I also found post op that my hair grew back very rapidly - even around the incision.  In fact, by the time I had my stitches removed (9 days post op) my incision was barely noticeable.

Jan

[wendysig]

Patty,

Thought I'd chime in.  My hair is mediium length and my doc shaved a strip about 2 1/2  inches wide.  when my hair was down, no one would have guessed any part of my head was shaved.  I was missing a chunk on the right side that just looked like a bad haircut.  Since you wear your hair so short, IMO, you should just leave it and let the docs do their thing, your hair will grow back before you know it.

Wendy

[dmseibert]

Guess I will let everyone no my experience with the hair issue. The doctors and nurses told me they would only shave a small patch behind my ear and I woke up with the whole back of my head shaved. I am almost 3 months post op now and still trying to figure out if I just want to cut it all off. I wore my hair short and spiky for years and more recently tried to grow it out a little. I too was worried about my hair and went to the salon and had the back shaved as close as possible two days before surgery.  That turned out to be a waste of my money... With all that said I guess it is only hair and it will grow back..   

[alwaysthere]

Thanks for the responses. It does give me an idea on what they do. I'll probably just have it cut the way I always do, but maybe a little shorter on the sides and back. My hairdresser is a really nice person and she will come to my house and straighten up anything that is messed up after I get home. As she said, it's no big deal, I can fixed it!!

Patty

[stoneaxe]

Thanks for asking the question Patty. Not that I have much hair to worry about. I'm considering just shaving my head just to freak my kids out.....

[leapyrtwins]

Sounds like a plan, Bob.

In addition to freaking out the kids, it might get you some sympathy from others post op 

[LOIS]

 Patty,

 I guess I'm the odd one here.  My dr. just parted my hair and did the surgery, then stapled over my hair.  I had asked him and thats what he told me he was going to do and I thought he was just kidding but thats what he did.  The first dr. I saw I also asked that question and he told me he would be shaving my whole head.  I didn't like him, for other reasons not the shaving part, so it never happened.  My dr. was very upfront with everything.  If you ask him, I'm sure he will tell you the way he does it.  I guess they all have their own way of doing things.

 Lois