My crani was 2 clip 2 unruptured aneurysms, not for my AVM. I French braided my hair to help keep it under control (it was waist length or maybe a little longer). They just shaved the area needed around the incision.
I was told not to stick my head under the shower, but that I could wash it in the sink as long as I kept the incision dry--which I couldn't do by myself. Two weeks after surgery, I went to my hairdresser & she very carefully washed & dried it for me. The only "protection" I used was a scarf to keep from getting the shaved area & incision from getting sunburned.
I was REALLY cranky & irritable when I woke up--my head hurt, not just from surgery, but from getting up at 3:00 a.m. with no coffee, snack, lunch....(not eating is a migraine trigger for me.) I shushed my mom because she was too loud, and apparently later told my husband he was breathing too loud. I was moved from Neuro ICU into a regular room in the middle of the night during my 2nd night at the hospital. A couple of hours later, my mother-in-law went to the cafeteria to get herself some breakfast & bought me a mocha & I was sooo happy!
My incision began near my right eye, so in addition to my "good" eye being swollen shut, I couldn't wear my glasses to see out of my left eye. They had some things called "Swiss patches" that they soaked in ice water & put on my eyes--they helped with the swelling & were very soothing.
I borrowed an electric wheel chair & went to a HUGE dog show 2 weeks post surgery. (5 days in the Reliant Center in Houston, TX). I overdid it the first day & spent the next day in bed, but was able to attend days 3, 4, and 5 of the show, including participating in Meet the Breed with one of my Akitas.
Two weeks after that, I went back to dance classes.
Two weeks after that, I returned to work for the first day of teacher inservice--tired & forgetful, but lots of emails to myself & post-it notes helped me get everything done.