Hair Transplant Aftercare
Numerous things need to be taken into account, from potential side effects to what not to do throughout the recuperation phase. The whole hair transplant aftercare and recovery process will be covered in this guide, along with any potential side effects and questions you might have about things like going back to work or washing your freshly transplanted hair.
Table of Contents
Process of Hair Transplant Aftercare
The hair transplant aftercare process seeks to inform you of all you do not already know about the Hair Transplant Aftercare Process.
Hair Transplant Aftercare – Washing Process
Spray some foam with the shampoo after placing it in the palm of your hand. By tapping and rubbing the donor location, apply the foam to the transplanted area. (Please don’t touch your head when using a bath sponge to spread the foam around your entire head.)
Next, give your head another rinse.
Repeat the washing techniques outlined above every day for a period of 3 to 10 days.
Just lightly touch the back of your head while moving only slightly. Avoid moving in a circular manner.
The heat from a hairdryer kills the hair roots, thus the scalp should be left to dry naturally. A moisturising spray could be used on the wound crusts a few times each day.
Always follow the instructions given by your medical team.
Hair Transplant Aftercare – Scalp Care
The first three days are crucial, so proceed with caution. Do not in any manner massage your head. Because any friction might cause the small grafts you have in your recipients to go loose.
The third day following your hair transplant is when you’ll start shampooing. Do not use towels to dry your head or cotton; instead, use paper napkins lightly.
After waiting 20 minutes, wash your head with non-pressurized water while the foamy shampoo is applied to your head.
Following surgery, irritability and itching are seen in the transplanted sites. Within the first 15 days, refrain from rubbing your head.
Always follow the instructions given by your medical team.
Sleeping Position For Your Hair Transplant Aftercare
Your scalp will naturally be exceedingly sensitive for some time following. In the weeks following your hair transplant, you must exercise extreme caution, especially at night.
- After a hair transplant, you should sleep on your back with your upper body looking up. To maintain optimal alignment and head-up positioning as you sleep.
- Avoid burying your head in the pillow by resting in a supine or semi-recumbent position with a neck cushion or towel supporting the back of your head.
- Stay away from flipping over or sleeping on your stomach. Many individuals discover that lying in a chair, making sure their head doesn’t touch any objects, is a nice way to sleep following a hair transplant.
- Many patients use painkillers, if necessary, to aid in a restful night’s sleep in this unnatural position.
- The healing process is half complete after six days. You are no longer required to sleep on your back; instead, you can switch to a side sleeping posture.
Exercising After a Hair Transplant
Even while contemporary Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplants are less invasive, every surgical operation puts stress on the body.
Therefore, it’s crucial to heal following your hair transplant procedure.
Always follow the instructions given by your medical team.
Sweaty or strenuous activities should be limited or, in the best case scenario, avoided entirely for at least 10 days following the treatment since they can have a detrimental effect on the healing process.
This is due to the fact that the perspiration that collects on the scalp provides a favorable environment for bacterial growth. This increases the chance of the hair transplants becoming infected.
You can engage in modest exercise after 10 days, and more strenuous activities after 15 days. To avoid getting struck, you must wait 90 days before playing football or kickboxing.
Supplements To Help With Hair Transplant Aftercare
Our bodies need a large number of calories to rebuild after surgery. Each stage of recovery calls for the consumption of specific nutrients, without which the cells won’t be able to operate normally, delaying the healing process.
Always follow the instructions given by your medical team.
The finest supplements to take following a hair transplant are those that contain vitamins C, E, A, and B. This is due to the fact that everything stimulates the body’s natural enzymes for hair growth while also facilitating the healing process following surgery.
- Vitamins C and E: The body may regenerate and repair cells with the help of these antioxidant vitamins. Collagen gains strength from vitamin C, while vitamin E helps to stabilise cells.
- Vitamin B12: Increases haemoglobin and red blood cell levels, which enables the body to more easily carry oxygen and nutrients to the location of the incision. It also encourages collagen production.
Here are a few supplements and foods to help with the healing process after a hair transplant.
- Aloe vera
- Fish oils
- Ginseng
- Rosemary
- Coconut oil
Side Effects Of Hair Transplants And How to Care For Them
Complications in patients might occasionally include crusting, shock, hair loss, itching, pain, oedema, and infections.
Pain: The night after your operation your pain can be severe. The day following it is less likely to remain severe. Your donor region and the recipient-area where new hairs have been inserted both feel painful. Although it shouldn’t be severe, it is frequently characterized as graze-like pain.
Swelling: Swelling often known as Oedema, is a typical adverse effect of hair transplants. It often affects the forehead and persists for 2–6 days following surgery. Rarely, swelling may affect the eyelid. The patient’s return to work may be delayed if this happens, but don’t worry—your eyes will recover.
Shock hair loss: If you have hair transplant surgery, hair loss, commonly known as “shock loss,” is a typical side effect. This is a fully natural procedure, so do not panic if it occurs. Transplanted hairs will present regrowth after this shock loss.
Bleeding: Bleeding is a side effect that might happen right away after your transplant. On the day of your operation, the area on the back of your head where your hair follicles were removed may leak. Over the next few days the region will recover.
Infections: There is always a danger of infection following surgery. This danger should be limited because your hair transplant should be performed in a sterile (clean) surgery environment. One day after your operation, the infection might begin. Your scalp will often feel hot, unpleasant, and itching when it’s infected. You will be receiving medicine in order to prevent infection.
Itching: It is a typical side effect of the majority of hair restoration surgeries and a normal reaction to the body repairing itself. However, scratching your scalp after a transplant may harm or knock your delicate new follicles out of place.
| Symptoms | Treatments |
| Pain | Painkillers could be helpful; if not, talk to your doctor about other options. |
| Itching | Most crucial, try not to scratch your scalp. You can use a gentle shampoo, steroid solution, or saltwater on your scalp. Antihistamine use is beneficial. |
| Infections | Typically, an antibiotic pill can be used to treat this quickly. Your infection should be cured by the medication seven days after it begins to function. If this is done quickly, there shouldn’t be any risk to your grafts, so be sure to see your surgeon as soon as you discover any infection symptoms. |
| Swelling | Drugs that reduce inflammation, such as dexamethasone (a steroid). This pill, which you take twice daily, aids in the reduction of oedema. In the majority of individuals. |
| Bleeding | Simply apply little pressure to the area with a clean swab, cotton bud, or towel. Avoid rubbing as this might move any follicles. The bleeding ought to cease eventually. |
What to Avoid After a Hair Transplant
In general, hair transplants are a safe procedure with a very high chance of success. However, there is always a list of dont’s you should follow during the aftercare and recuperation process for your health and safety, just as with other medical treatments.
In line with the hair transplant aftercare and rehabilitation directions, some behaviors should be avoided and regular routines should be suspended.
- Don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
- Do not wash your hair for the first 48 hours following your hair transplant process.
- Within four weeks of having your transplant, do not color your hair.
- In the same way that it’s crucial to avoid rubbing your new hairline on your pillow, it’s crucial to avoid putting ice directly on the parts of your head where you have hair transplants.
- Alcohol is a diuretic, thus it will cause you to get dehydrated. Your recuperation period may be slowed down, and you run a higher chance of experiencing pain. Additionally, it may cause your blood pressure to rise dangerously and lessen the flow of blood and important nutrients to your head. For the first five days following your surgery, abstain from alcohol.
- Try to give up smoking a few months before getting a hair transplant if you currently do. Quitting is challenging and raises blood pressure. Smoking may cause your blood pressure to rise all the way to a hazardous level. Keep in mind that good hair growth depends on blood flow.
Fast food is convenient, and while you’re recovering you might not feel like cooking. However, throughout your recuperation phase, diet is almost as crucial as good blood flow and sufficient water. For your hair to become thick, healthy, smooth, sleek, strong, and gorgeous, it needs a lot of nutrients.recipiant-are
Frequently Asked Questions
After the surgery, your newly transplanted follicles will be susceptible for some time. It’s crucial to give them time to heal properly since some hair products, hair dryers, and power showers might make them move before they recover, producing less-than-ideal outcomes.
Please get in touch with your doctor if you have severe discomfort or pain. You might have to take an anti-inflammatory drug.
There is no cause for concern. During the initial days following the surgery, you can notice dry skin or itchiness. This is a step in the recovery process. If so, you can either wash again or just spray with a cold natural saline solution.
Jorn
Last updated by Jorn on November 10, 2022. Content medically reviewed by D. Demirel, MD.
