Surgical Hairline Advancement Patient Instructions

Post-operative instructions:

Questions If you have any questions or concerns following your surgery, then please contact the office at (212) 970-9404. If Dr.Linkov cannot be reached and you are experiencing increasing pain, swelling, bleeding, or any other concerning symptoms please present to your nearest emergency room or call 911.

Anesthesia Your procedure may be done under deep sedation or general anesthesia. You will need to have someone drive you to and from the hospital/office on the day of your procedure. If you have general anesthesia, you may feel fatigued for a couple of days following the procedure.

Swelling and bruising There will be a moderate amount of swelling and bruising following your procedure. You should not drive if the swelling is obstructing your vision. You may use ice packs as needed for swelling and bruising, 20 minutes on then 20 minutes off for the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. You should attempt to ambulate as early as possible after the procedure since lying in bed can worsen the swelling. You may need assistance when ambulating for the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery due to swelling. When lying down, it may be helpful to elevate the head of the bed for at least one week. The swelling will subside slowly each day. You may also experience alterations in your sensation over areas of the scalp, such as numbness or tingling. This is due to the disruption of nerves during the procedure. This usually improves over weeks to months after surgery.

Wound care Most sutures are removed after seven days. Until then, the following should be done to best care for the wound. Shower or bathe normally after 48 hours, allowing the water to wash gently over the suture line, but do not scrub the sutures or incisions. It is fine for soap to wash over the incisions, but it must be rinsed off. If you should develop crusting over the incision sites, please cleanse gently with soap and water and follow by gently applying half-strength hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide mixed half-and-half with water) to the area with a cotton tipped applicator (Q-Tip®) twice daily. You should be able to see individual stitches. You should obtain a topical antibiotic ointment to be used on your incision sites. Please apply the topical antibiotic ointment to the incisions twice daily until your post-operative appointment. Applying topical antibiotic ointment keeps the wound moist and helps prevent infection.

Keep the wound covered when outside or when in a place where the wound might get dirty. It is otherwise fine to leave the wound open to the air as long as the topical antibiotic ointment is used to keep it covered. Do not swim (pool, lake or ocean) while you have sutures in place or for two days after they are removed – this can cause infection. Please take extra care to avoid sun exposure until the wounds are healed and then protect the incision sites with sunscreen as sun exposure can interfere with the healing process. Sun exposure retards healing and causes discoloration of the scar that may never disappear.

Activities Again, please ambulate as soon as possible following your procedure to avoid swelling that is worsened from lying down and to prevent the formation of blood clots. You may return to your daily activities in approximately two weeks. You should avoid heavy lifting (greater than 10 lbs) or strenuous exercise for at least two weeks. Although it varies from one individual to the next, you will typically be able to return to work one to two weeks following your procedure. Hair coloring and permanents are permitted three weeks after surgery. Because of potential temporary loss of sensation of the scalp, use caution when using hot blow dryers and straightening or curling irons.

Medications In addition to a prescription for a narcotic pain medication, you may receive a prescription for an oral antibiotic. You may use Tylenol® for mild discomfort. Again, please avoid any analgesics that may promote bleeding (see pre-op instructions). If Tylenol® does not adequately control your pain; you may utilize the prescription pain medication. Please note that the prescription pain medication may be a Tylenol® containing product and the maximum dose of Tylenol® is 3 grams (3000mg) in a 24-hour period. You should not drive while taking narcotic pain medication. If prescribed to you, then you should complete the entire course of the oral antibiotic. Eating yogurt with active cultures may minimize the likelihood of developing diarrhea. However, if you should develop diarrhea, then please stop taking the oral antibiotic immediately and let us know.

Follow-up appointment You will have a follow-up appointment approximately one week following your procedure to remove sutures. Please do not remove any sutures until your follow-up appointment. You should have an appointment made at the time of your surgery scheduling.