So stressful!
Hair is such a beautiful thing…baby hair to the grey I have now.
Having had a major removal from the back of my head to the smaller one on top, I was more stressed about the smaller one, as I was asleep for first one. I did not know how big (2”x4”) the removal would be. Pony tails are a great thing.
I can tell you that the Mohs did not hurt me at all, even while waiting for the results. Lidocaine is a wonderful thing!
A bit sore after, but nothing bad.
As I had decided to wear
“ patches” to cover my site, just Vaseline as the topical med, I asked for several sheets? of non stick bandages, cut them in tiny pieces, and used Vaseline to stick them on. Then I pulled part of my shoulder length hair over all of it, fastened with a barrette or a soft, smaller hair elastic. You can practice now, if that sounds like something that would work for you.
It helped me immensely, and kept most of the Vaseline out of the rest my hair.
As katgob mentioned, ask as many questions as you need, write them down! If doctor wants to do Mohs, with only lidocaine, then he/she feels that your cancer is caught in time to prevent major complications.
Will be thinking of you!

@cb50: I feel your pain, literally! I have had several Mohs procedures over the years but I do have to say, I've personally never found the procedure itself to be painful. That's because the lidocaine does such a thorough job of providing numbness to have no feeling on the scalp or region where the procedure is being performed - I've had it on my scalp, forehead, chest, arm, leg, so nearly everywhere you can think of. The reason most docs prefer avoiding anti-anxiety agents is because they'd like the patient to remain free from the drowsiness, dizziness, confusion etc. such medications could cause - this allows for ease of communication and assessing comfort.

The "football" is probably referring to the type of wound closure the doctor is planning on doing. It's an oval shape that helps prevent puckering of the skin, leaving a smooth result.

I understand your concerns about preserving your hair. This actually happened to my hairdresser a few summers back. She has a photo of the area that required an excision by her work station as she promotes a special sun screen for the scalp - I was surprised as she did retain her gorgeous locks, relying on a "topper", what we used to call a fall, that clipped into her hair, to temporarily cover the treated area until the hair there grew back in, luxurious as ever. However, keep in mind you may not even require an extensive excision. In fact, in my case, I was actually able to fly cross country a few days after my scalp surgery to check on my elderly dad, though I did have a sizable bandage on my head. The hair in the area was largely spared.

To help you relax beforehand I'd recommend practicing this: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368

Please let me know if this helps, and how you do after the procedure.

@cb50 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! I see there have already been good replies to your concerns.

Your doctor sounds pretty caring. Since this type skin cancer surgery can happen anywhere, they become well-versed in being creative while also doing a complete job. Two weeks ago I had MOHs surgery in the area of both eyebrows. They tried to be as least invasive as possible while getting everything out. Now I have "abbreviated eyebrows" and will ask my friend's daughter to help me with eyebrow pencils once the healing is complete.

@grammato3 told you about the football wound, which is pretty common. It is skin saving.
Ginger