Trichodynia After a Failed Hair Transplant

Hello Dr Rassman,
I would like to start with complicating you on your website. I think that what you are doing, in providing free information with such dedicated professionalism, which must be so time consuming is a testament to you as as a surgeon.

Doctor my question is a simple one. I had a hair transplant almost a year ago and I am living a life of hell since. I am now suffering from Trichodynia and every morning I wake up I say to myself I cannot wait for the day to end. I go to bed hoping the pain will be gone when I wake up each morning. I am emailing you as a last resort. I have been to a pain specialist who has prescribed amitriptyline and lyrica together. I am on this medication for 4 months now and as the dosage goes up there really is no difference in my condition. My transplant was also a failure along with being left with a scar of between 5 and 10mm. Please please help me doc. I did not have any pain pre surgery. Kind regards

For those readers who does not know about trichodynia, it is a condition where the patient experiences a painful, burning sensation on their scalp. From Wikipedia — “Often there is an underlying psychosomatic cause, such as stress, depression or anxiety.” It also could be caused by trauma to a nerve(s) from the surgical wounds created during a hair transplant.

I do not know the cause of your pain and the answer you desire is not so simple. You state that the pain started after a hair transplant surgery, but I do not know if there is an actual correlation or just coincidence with the hair transplant. You need to find a physician who will listen to you and examine you. I would want to know where the pain is, if there are any sensory defects in the nerve distributions of the major and minor nerves of the scalp. Without a full history and physical, I really cannot offer much help. You are more than welcome to make an appointment to see me or Dr. Pak either in Los Angles or San Jose.