Hair Transplant Trypophobia

Hair Transplant Trypophobia – Deal with hair transplant holes?

 

Trypophobia is the fear of patterned and structured holes. What this means is people with trypophobia have an aversion to seeing patterns of holes, dots or bumps that repeat. This can be triggered by looking at a wide variety of things like a tablecloth or a honeycomb. For patients with trypophobia the recovery process can be a little more triggering as right after the surgery the area of operation will look like a pattern of dots as hair follicles are a little more pronounced. 

 

In this article we will cover how hair transplant patients can deal with trypophobia and what symptoms of trypophobia can be. You will also find some tips to deal with hair transplant holes and what you can do to accelerate the process. Continue reading to find all about hair transplant trypophobia: how to deal with hair transplant holes?

What is the fear of hair transplant trypophobia?

 

People who suffer from trypophobia usually also suffer from hair transplant trypophobia. This is because the transplanted area will have small hole like incisions, depending on the method of hair transplant. For example in a FUE hair transplant, the surgeon makes small incisions in each hair follicle to extract the hair follicles from the scalp.

 

Similarly when the hair grafts are going to be transplanted small incisions are made by the surgeon. Though under a 1mm in size for each follicle, the look of this area is known to trigger trypophobia for patients who suffer from it, even the thought of it can lead to discomfort, stress or even fear. 

 

Why do you experience trypophobia after hair transplant?

 

The area of operation has a porous sponge looking look due to the nature of the operation. During the operation the surgeon will make incisions between 0.8 to 0.9 mm in order to both extract and then to transplant the grafts. After the first few days the scars from this process will start turning into scabs and during this process it is highly likely that a patient with trypophobia can be triggered with the look pattern like holes scattered throughout the scalp. Some of these incisions may not even be visible to the naked eye, however a patient with trypophobia may even be triggered with the thought of having these holes.

What are the hair transplant trypophobia symptoms?

 

Patients who suffer from trypophobia can have various symptoms in varying degrees. If you find yourself experiencing these symptoms you should consult a healthcare professional before further endangering yourself.

chills and shaking

Chills & Shaking

Some trypophobic patients get an extreme case of goosebumps when they see their hairline post-surgery. These goosebumps are so extreme that it is almost a faint itching you can’t scratch: It may even appear in the form of shakes and chills.

If the situation gets more extreme the patient may find it difficult to sit still and may even faint depending on the severity of trypophobia.

Nausea

Nausea

In some cases patients feel an intense nausea when their trypophobia is triggered. Looking at the mirror post op, looking at photos before or after the operation or in some extreme cases even thinking about the operated area can make the patient nauseous.

If the patient is subjected to more of these triggers it is also a possibility that the patient will vomit. In some cases the patient will be nauseous if their blood pressure has gone up due to being triggered by trypophobia and then vomit.

Hyperhidrosis Extreme Sweating

Hyperhidrosis (Extreme Sweating)

Trypophobia may make the patient feel disgust, terror and fear. As a result some patients start sweating excessively that may also be a suggestion to other conditions. It is usually a reaction related to shock or dire stress.

It can also be a sign that the patient’s heart rate is accelerating. Hyperhidrosis not only causes the body to lose water but it can also make the patient feel faint as their body temperature would rise significantly. 

Heart Rate Acceleration

Heart Rate Acceleration and/or Rapid Breathing

When exposed to a trigger for trypophobia, the patient can experience a shortening of breath or even feel smothered. Feeling like they can’t breathe, their heart rates will accelerate to a dangerous pace and their body might even go into temporary shock.

If the patient does not get enough oxygen or hyperventilate, they might pass out momentarily.

Paling of skin

Paling of the Skin

Sometimes when the patient comes across a trigger for trypophobia their blood pressure will drop. This sudden change in blood pressure will result in what you would call when someone’s face is drained of color.

Cold sweats and dizziness may accompany this sudden drop in blood pressure. When the skin pales it is a give away that the patient may have been subjected to something that may have triggered their phobia.

How to deal with the hair transplant holes?

 

There are several schools of thought when it comes to dealing with phobias like trypophobia. While some may say holistic approaches are better and have been known to benefit other aspects of the patient’s life, some say if it is a phobia it should be treated as such, like therapy which is administered by a health-care professional. 

 

Breathing Exercises and Meditation

 

Even though a more holistic approach, breathing exercises are beneficial to ease the symptoms of a phobia. If the patient is able to control their breathing, which they can only do by rigorous training and exercise, their body will automatically relax and get out of panic mode. If the patient regularly meditates they will be able to control their breathing and relax. Trypophobic patients that meditate are able to calm themselves down faster than patients who don’t.

 

Medication

 

Medication for treating a phobia can be considered if the phobia is a symptom of another condition. Anxiety or depression can cause a trigger in existing or newly acquired phobias which includes trypophobia. If you already have trypophobia and are scared of getting a hair transplant you can get prescribed anti-anxiety medication. Contact your healthcare provider for further and the best directions.

 

Therapy

 

Even though this is not a fast solution it sure is a permanent one. Depending on the severity and the actual cause of the phobia some patients can opt for Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) or even exposure therapy. Working with a therapist the patient will try to alter the “feelings” associated with what is causing the trypophobia. Which will thus allow the patient to react differently to the triggers that caused them trypophobia to begin with. Similarly with exposure therapy the therapist will aim to slowly introduce different levels of trypophobia triggering images or surfaces and guide their patient through them. 

When do hair transplant holes be invisible?

 

After the hair transplant the new hair follicles are sensitive and visible. However, do not fret. After 1-3 days the sensitive area starts to turn into scabs which later start falling at their own accord and at an impressive speed. This obviously has a lot to do with the washing routine and the patient’s preliminary know-how of the process. Check out our step by step guide about washing hair after a hair transplant to learn more about what to expect in this process.

 

In order for the “holes”, or scars, to be invisible they need to be healed and the hair growth needs to be in effect. Holes do start to significantly in the week following the surgery however it will be 1-2 months before the patient can see hair growth in the area. This doesn’t mean the hair is not growing there in those months but rather it is not visible to the eye yet as hair follicles are forming and rejuvenating. Check out our article that goes over hair growth timeline after hair transplant if you want to learn more about the speed of hair growth and what to expect.

 

How to accelerate the hair transplant healing process?

 

For all patients speeding through the recovery is important, but it is particularly crucial for patients who suffer from trypophobia. However the advice is the same, in order to accelerate the hair transplant healing process you just need two things: guidance and patience

 

Your clinic will give a list of instructions to follow. These will include tips on how you should sleep (you need to avoid sleeping in the area), avoiding strenuous exercise (sweating is not good for the first few days) and how to wash your hair (gently and with medical grade shampoo). Follow these steps and you would experience a smooth healing process. 

 

As for patience, know that downtime matters. You have to give your body time and not stress it any further with anxiety or worries about healing time. Take this time to relax both in mind and body. You will see that a carefree patient who knows when to pay attention and when to give themselves room to recover is the patient that has the fastest and most successful healing process. 

FAQs about Hair Transplant Trypophobia

Causes of trypophobia are uncertain. Just like any phobia it has psychological and traumatic roots however the exact cause is hard to determine. One can have trypophobia their whole lives or develop it all of a sudden. It is a trigger response to something we administer which is what makes it a phobia rather than a random fear element.

Beating a phobia is a concept that is significantly hard to achieve and depends on the level of gravity to begin with. However it is not impossible. With exposure therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), medication or meditation patients do fundamentally improve. Furthermore it should also be noted that it is entirely possible to get a hair transplant even if you have trypophobia. The patient and their doctor can work together to make sure the patient is not triggered while successfully going through with the hair transplant process. 

Instead of FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) which covers a bigger area with bigger incisions patients with trypophobia are offered DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) or FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) methods that are less invasive than FUT. Depending on the severity of hair loss patients can also opt for a no-shave hair transplant that would lessen the severity of the triggers of trypophobia significantly.

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