Washing Hair after Surgery

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I'm assuming you aren't supposed to bend over or lean way back too soon after

surgery. For those of you with medium/long hair, how soon did you wash your

hair after surgery and how did you do it?

Or are you allowed to just have a normal shower and wash it in there? I'd just

be worried about getting things wet or whatever.

~Kirstin

[Guest guest]

Do you have external, percutaneous stitches or wounds?

I had two little cuts that went through my cheek on the lower

jawline, one on each side. I think it would not have been clever to

get them wet, but the three stitches on each side were removed one

week post op. I have heard of folks having some sort of wound sort of

in the middle of the forehead. Those things I would try not to get

wet.

I think you need to be really careful about getting woozy in the tub

or shower, as well, and be sure someone is nearby.

Otherwise, far as I know, a shower is fine. Just stay vertical, and

if you have a shower playmate, invite him or her in -- but don't

expect to be up to much friskiness. You're still pretty unstable for

the first while. My surgeon's partner who assisted in the surgery

told me, " The only way you can really hurt yourself is to fall. " (I'm

sure he was excluding as understood my taking on a box of peanut

brittle or a sirloin steak.)

Cammie

> Hello,

>

> I'm assuming you aren't supposed to bend over or lean way back too

soon after

> surgery. For those of you with medium/long hair, how soon did you

wash your

> hair after surgery and how did you do it?

>

> Or are you allowed to just have a normal shower and wash it in

there? I'd just

> be worried about getting things wet or whatever.

>

> ~Kirstin

[Guest guest]

I was told by the hospital no showers for a couple of weeks, no

bending forward. I had upper/lower/genio. I found out pretty quickly

that bending forward equals nose bleeds. I suppose it also puts

pressure in places where it shouldn't.

I borrowed a bath chair, sat in it, leaned my head back enough that I

wouldn't get soap in my eyes, and had my husband wash my hair. I used

the handheld shower massage thingy to wash the rest of me. Showering

unattended is also not a good idea because you can be dizzy from the

effects of the anaesthesia - I was, and also weak for the first days

to a week. You don't want to fall and break your jaw after somebody

has professionally broken it for you at great expense : )

Having a bath is a great way to sit and soak, and get hot & steamy

moisture at the same time. Just make sure there's someone to help you

in and out (I also borrowed a bath handle which made it easy to get

in and out of the tub).

Hope that helps,

> Hello,

>

> I'm assuming you aren't supposed to bend over or lean way back too

soon after

> surgery. For those of you with medium/long hair, how soon did you

wash your

> hair after surgery and how did you do it?

>

> Or are you allowed to just have a normal shower and wash it in

there? I'd just

> be worried about getting things wet or whatever.

>

> ~Kirstin

[Guest guest]

My surgeon told me when I left the hospital that showers were OK.

He also said that leaning forward and getting a bloody nose was OK,

although I shouldn't stand there bent over on purpose just to make

it bleed. : ) Since it was 'normal' I never became alarmed to see

the blood drip. Every time I cleaned my mouth I just let it bleed

into the sink. It always stopped when I stood upright again.

I, too, borrowed a bath chair, although it didn't work well for

washing my hair. (I don't have a hand-held shower head.) My

husband held me up and kept me balanced while I washed my hair, and

then I sat in the chair for the rest. I only needed it for a few

days.

I was surprised that leaning back was much, much more painful than

leaning foward, which wasn't painful at all. I'm three weeks post-

op now, and I still don't like that half-way back position when I'm

laying down or getting up. I tend to go sideways until I'm down,

then roll to my back, and vice-versa for getting up.

Kris