Hi
I am posting because I honestly feel pretty alone in this and I have not yet found a doctor who can connect all the pieces or help me in a significant way.
I had an FUE hair transplant in 2020, when I was 20 years old. Since then I have had persistent pain and sensitivity in the transplanted area (1000 grafts crown, 200 grafts hairline). They are usually only painful when touched or pressed, but some days they also feel more tense and sometimes become spontaneously sore. Over time this has not really improved.
I have spoken with multiple clinics, and this type of long-term pain in the transplant zone seems to be uncommon. One possibility that has been mentioned is that the punch/incision may have been too deep or too large, leading to extra fibrosis or scarring in the area, pressing on nerves. An ultrasound showed post-operative fibrosis in the transplanted zone (much thicker area than non-transplant)
The clinic that did the transplant has now suggested Kenacort injections into the painful area. I am still trying to figure out whether that is actually a sensible approach or whether I should be looking for something else, as this has risks.
For hair loss treatment, I used minoxidil from 2020 to 2025 and finasteride from 2021 to 2025, both oral and topical at different times. I stopped both in summer 2025.
Since 2022,I developed an anxiety disorder followed by many random physical symptoms, including unexplainable inflammations/pain. The anxiety has improved, but since 2025 I have had a lot of brain fog and dizziness/lightheadedness, especially when I need to concentrate on work. I also often feel generally unwell and tired/motivationless, like I am ill but am not. I am fearing PFS, but have not really found an expert on it. I am European.
I have spoken with many doctors since I started having these symptoms. I have already been evaluated by dermatologists, a pain clinic, ENT, a gastroenterologist, a neurologist, a endocrinologist, a psychiatrist, and a psychologist. Most is being attributed to “stress related symptoms”.
I have also tried a lot of supplements with little benefit on the health side of things.
On the hairloss side, I am currently still doing PRP, microneedling, and rosemary oil for hair maintenance, but it definitely does not feel the same as the finasteride + minoxidil combination did.
My main questions are:
If you’ve had a transplant, have you experienced long-term pain on the transplant site years after FUE? Did anything help with the pain/bumps? Experience with cortisone injections?
If you’ve taken hairloss medication, have you had brain fog, dizziness, anxiety, or a constant malaise feeling after stopping finasteride/minoxidil? What helped?
Any experience, advice, or thoughts would be appreciated. I’m posting multiple issues at once, but I do feel they are connected and figured Reddit might have some insights as the specialists I’ve been seeing don’t really seem to have a solution for me.
Thanks for reading.