4 Years After Hair Transplant, I Am Still Numb
I had a HT from another surgeon about 4 years ago. The numbness area has still not gone away after 4 years. I was told it would take 3 months to a year. Is there still hope for my nerves to reconnect on their own? If not, is this correctible by surgery or any other methods?
Thanks.
Numbness after a year reflects some nerve damage. I would want to know where you are numb. There are nerves in the back of the head than can be damaged from surgery. They are the greater and lesser occipital nerves, temporal and third occipital nerve. The following image shows the major nerve distribution and it may correspond to the area where your sensation is impacted:
As you can see from the picture, these nerves specifically cover different areas of the scalp. If any of these nerves are injured, a sensory defect will reflect the nerve’s distribution. We are fortunate that these nerves overlap in most people, and if one is damaged, the other has a distribution that covers the damaged nerve. It sounds like your back-up system did not work.
After 4 years, the nerves usually are dead, so that surgery (which is very difficult anyway) will not work. If there is pain in these nerves, then there are things that can be done to alleviate the pain, but usually after 4 years, all pain should have gone away.
(image source: eMedicine)
Yikes, is this a common occurance? Any statistics? Thanks
Hi Doctor, I’m experiencing a similar problem. Its been a few years since my HTs and there is a nerve in the back of my head that is still sensitive to the touch – very sensitive, but only when I touch it. Also, my head is still numb in certain areas. Not completely numb, but numb none-the-less.
I get occasional sharp, but relatively mild pains in the back of my head right where the nerve is, especially when the weather gets colder. Sometimes a get very quick, mild headaches that only last a few seconds.
My concern is that I could develop occipital neuralgia. In fact, I’m very worried about this. What is likelihood of the pain could get worse? And me developing occipital neuralgia? Have you ever heard of this or anyone developing occipital neuralgia from hair transplants?
Also, the scar in the back of my head is quite large. I was considering having scar reduction surgery, OR have them graph it with hair follicles. Could this result in the same type of nerve damage?
I having the same problems after my 2nd HT surgery, so I am curious as to the answers toward the 2nd comments on this page. Any advice is appreciated, Thank you :)
Dan
Was this question answered somewhere else? I have having a similar problem.
i have been with this problem for 8 months, and i think it effected the nerves in my head,somtimes i have dizzeness and light headness i don’t know if this is resulted from the ht surgery
Hello Dr:
I had a HT done about 8 months ago and 1 month after my surgery I started experiencing really really bad headaches. i tought it was something else, so I was tested for pretty much everything and nothing came up. My only one explanation is that the Dr who did my HT damaged a nerve inseide of me.
My question to you is, I wouold like to know what nerves were damaged and if the problem can be fixed?
Hi,
Can anyone please update if there is solution to this problem?
I also had hair transplant using FUHT (strip) method in Jan. 2012 and still I am having pain near to scar area and numbness. I take quarter of asprin tablet to get rid of pain.
Please help ..