Idea In Advance of Operation Please!

[RockyLvsAdrian]

Hi all!

I've been on the forum for quite some time but I'm not a regular poster. I joined after a bleaching disaster which left me having to chop my hair down to about 3 inches. I'm now about 2/3 inches from APL and pretty happy with the condition of my hair. My goal (at present!) is waist.

For the past 18 months I've been suffering from a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia. I won't bore you with too many details but it's basically a neurological condition where the biggest nerve in your head is compressed by a blood vessel which wears the nerve coating away and causes it to misfire and the lightest touch/breeze etc. causes excruciating pain.

After a long time going through various doctor and hospital appointments and medications trying to diagnose the condition I've finally had an MRI that clearly shows the compression and have been referred for surgery. I'm very relieved and looking forward to the potential of being pain free but (and it seems quite shallow!) one major draw back is that the surgery is cranial and will involve shaving a patch of hair behind my ear.

It's fairly frustrating that I've got so far in my growth with no layers and now I'll have a bald patch! I was looking for advice on how to style it or disguise while it grows out. I know there are some ladies on here who have, or have had, undercuts. If you're growing one out, how are you managing?

Thanks in advance! X

[winship2]

Hi! Oof, I don't have too much useful advice, but wanted to say congratulations on finally getting a diagnosis, and I hope the upcoming surgery will be very successful. This may not be useful at all at all, but as I was reading your post I thought of people who tattoo their scalp underneath their hair and then grow their hair out over it. This seems like the kind of enormous life event that might invite such a step. Sorry, hope that didn't seem like a hijack-- just came to mind :flower:

[SaucyWench]

Sorry you're dealing with such!

Could your doctor explain to you, exactly, where the surgical site is? Perhaps, even, mark it with a small Sharpie? Then, go see a good stylist and ask them about ways to style your hair post-op. That way, you'd be able to practice the style before your surgery and get used to it.

Hope all goes well. I have something called Chiari Malformation. Should I ever opt for the surgery (in other words, should it ever become intolerable), I am looking at their cutting a long, vertical strip of hair from the middle-back of the skull down to the neck!

Hope you feel better FAST!

[lapushka]

Depending on where they shave, you may very well be able to hide it by wearing your hair down all the time. At APL, that is still pretty easy to do.

[Elly May]

Wishing you the best and saying a little prayer for you!!!! I had a horse that had severe equine neuralgia and halters and bridles were excruciating for him--he had to have a special headstall. That said, I cannot begin to imaging how much you suffer and I am so glad that you can be helped! I'm sorry about shaving your head--maybe if you talk to the doctors, they can shave as little as possible, and even so, oh, the joys of being pain free!!!!!!

[RockyLvsAdrian]

Thanks all for your responses. I think I'm just going to get the shaved area tidied up so it's fairly neat and even and either wear my hair down or just screw it and show off my lovely big scar! Typically, I've just invested in a moon fork as I've started to be able to do more updos so there's no way I'm wasting that!! :)

[cathair]

You might be able to get creative with braids to cover it. My Mum has lost some hair due to an operation, she has about the same length hair as you. I can braid around the edge of her hairline and bring pieces of hair from the other side of her head into the braid so it covers the area where hair is missing and it stays in place. Can leave it so it has a tail, or keep going round and pin up the ends, so it's sort of like a fake crown braid. I reckon it will probably look fine with your hair down though :) Good luck with the op :)