I always wonder if anyone else has what I call a scar day (a day when no matter what you do with your hair your scar is noticeable). I don’t mind having them now, I look at it as my battle wound and I never mind people asking me about it. Mine is on the life side of my head from the start of my hair line down to my ear (38stiches in the shape of a question mark?). Most days it is covered but like I said there are the scare days as I call it.
Would like to hear what other people make of this and how they approach it when they get asked. New hair dressers are always a good one when they first feel it and you can see in there face they are wondering what the story is. I’m look though that I have hand no complication from surgery even though I had a full out bleed which was the first time I found out that I had an avm! I can live with having a scar day every now and then and be proud of my battle wound.
I have the exact same scar… Hairline, over the ear, down, back toward the front a bit, then down to about the middle of my ear. Perfect question mark shape. Being a guy, my hair is generally pretty short, so my scar tends to show up a bit whenever I have my hair cut. Sometimes I am tempted to just shave it all off and say, “Yes, I have a large scar on the side of my head.” But it’s not so much showing the scar that bothers me, it’s the fact that my hair now grows in a slightly different direction than it did before my surgery. It used to grow almost straight down, and now it grows forward just a bit, but only in the spot where the “flap” was stapled back into place.
my hair is like that too. It lighter on the side of my scar and I have these short bits that never grow just at the top of scar. It is great to hear that other people are the same way about their scar. You are the first person I have ever spoken to who has had an avm and it great to see you have the same feeling about your scar that i do. I have not found any one yet from Ireland on this but its good to hear form you too all the way from America.
Being a hairdresser and having my own scar I hear ya! I don't mind my scar but it seems to make those around me anxious, I spend a lot of time at the beach or pool, so when I am wet it is there for all to see. I joked last year and asked if anyone knew where I could get an Auburn colored Sharpie! I wasn't kidding. I found one that I use to color my scalp before heading to the waters. It minimizes the appearence for those around me and makes me laugh.
So far as new hairdressers inquiring about it I would just be up front with them when you sit in their chair, it is a surprise for us when we see things such as that because believe you me it takes some real art work to design a "do" with a piece of the puzzle missing, referring to the hair of course. Take that time to educate those around you on AVM's and remember they could have one too and not know it.
Hi Brid, I have my scar in the same place, but my problem is that I have such little hair because of the anti-seizure med I’m on. My hairdresser can feel my scars when she is doing my hair, but I’ve never heard anyone else say they can see my scars. I’m just happy to be alive. It was my dentist who sent me to have an MRI (I had headaches after having my teeth cleaned), which discovered that I had an AVM. Crazy reason huh? Anyway we are members of this club no matter what country were we live!
I guess one of the afvantages of being a guy in this situation is that it is not at all uncommon for guys to shave their head. Not so common when it comes to women. I have a feeling, however, that if I were to shave my head, people who do not know me would probably just assume that I had cancer and that the scar was a result of removing a tumor. That being said, it could be a good conversation starter and a good way to get the word out about AVM.
On another note: Much like Louisa, my years of taking Keppra have left my hair thinner than it was even just a couple of years ago. Not just the amount of hair, but each strand hbas become more fine. Looks like it's just a matter of time before I get serious about busting out the razor!
I have those now and then, but have kept my hair short since surgery so it can be put down most days. Now windy days that is another story. Since hair will not grow over the scar I get a funky part. I too am very proud of my scar because I made it! I am here and I am ok! I also like to inform people that this this exists. I never knew what an AVM was until I was told I had one. One lady even said her sister always had migraines, but has yet to find a cause. She was shocked and called her sister and let her know to push the subject with her doctors. I tell people who cut my hair because my head is an odd shape now so it needs to be cut a little different on the side with my scar and the spot where the bur hole was made. And hey the scar makes you look like a bad ass. Cause well you are!
Everyday is a scar day for me. It is on the left side and it goes down to about the bottom of my ear. My surgery was done in the 1980’s and the incision was done much differently. I hate it when people ask me and I usually tell them a white lie so I don’t look different or stupid than anyone else.
HI,SCAR DAY’S I HAVE THEM AS WELL BE AS FOR ME AS YOU CAN SEE I CAN HIDE MINE LOL, MINE IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE AS WELL AS I STILL DONT HAVE ANY HAIR IN THE BACK WERE THE TUBES WERE IN MY HEAD AND RIGHT NOW WHEN I GO OUT I COVER MY HEAD AS WELL AS WHEN I AM HOME MY MOM ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY WHY I WALK AROUND WITH MY HEAD COVERED UP THE FAMILY KNOWS WHAT YOUR HEAD LOOKS LIKE BUT IT IS THERE. THE HAIRSTYLE THAT YOU SEE IN MY PIC’S I CAN GO BACK TO THAT IT’S NOT MY HAIR SO WHEN I GET READY TO GO BACK TO WORK I WILL DO MY HAIR LIKE THAT AGAIN. I DO UNDERSTAND IF IT WERENT FOR THE FACT THAT I AM A BLACK WOMEN I WOULD BE THINKIN MORE ABOUT HOW AM I GOIN TO HIDE MY SCARE AND LIKE YOU SAID IT’S NOT THAT WE ARE NOT PROUD OF OUR BATTLE WOUND BUT YOU DO GET TIRED OF TELLIN EVERYONE YOU SEE WHY IT’S THERE. SO RIGHT NOW I JUST WEAR IT VERY SHORT AND COVER MY HEAD WHEN I GO OUT BUT SOON I WILL GO BACK TO MY OLD LOOK. WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE BATTLE WOUND AND ALWAYS BE PROUD OF IT BE BLESSED
To everyone that had responded to this blog thank you very much. It is good to hear that other people have the same thoughts and feeling as I do in relation to scar days! I will continue to educated people when I get asked about my scar and be proud of it as it shows we are all survivors.