When can I return to work following my hair transplant?
It is a question we often get asked at The Nova Medical Hair Transplant Clinic in Miami. Because many patients are concerned about the hair transplant recovery process and the possibility of showing noticeable evidence of surgery, this is a frequently asked topic.
This thought may have entered your mind, whether you’re merely wondering whether you can return to working from home or if you’ve been considering returning to the office. While we want you to be able to return to your normal routine as soon as possible, we equally want to make sure that your recovery proceeds as smoothly as possible to eliminate any potential risk.
We’ve compiled a list of the numerous things to keep an eye on throughout your hair transplant recovery and when you may anticipate to resume your normal routine. Continue reading to find out more…
Is Working Right After A Hair Transplant Safe?
When patients ask us how soon they can return to work after their hair transplant, the response is dependent on what the patient does for a living and on a daily basis. Depending on their job type these are normally divided into two primary categories:
Working From Home
If you are able to work from home, you may be able to return to work the day after your hair transplant treatment. If at all possible, it is recommended that you wait until the fifth day before returning to remote working, as this will give you enough time to heal. When you have less visible symptoms of surgery and your hairs aren’t as brittle in the recipient location, this is the best time to consider returning to work from home.
Returning To The Workplace
If you have to return to work, you should take at least 10 days off to ensure that you have completely healed and that you do not have any obvious traces of the treatment (redness and scabbing).
In this article, we discuss the concerns that a patient should consider before returning to their place of employment, including what to anticipate following surgery and hair transplant side effects. Let’s start off with some suggestions from our doctors.
How Long Do Grafts Last After A Hair Transplant?
You must be especially cautious not to dislodge any recently implanted grafts, regardless of where you work. Following a hair transplant, freshly implanted grafts take two weeks to properly integrate into the scalp. This implies that if you’re concerned about returning to work and dislodging hairs, you’ll have to wait until 14 days have elapsed since your procedure.
The first five days after a hair transplant are critical to the success of your transplant. The hairs are very sensitive, and even little touch with the scalp might cause them to fall out. As a result, we recommend that all patients rest for 5 days after their transplant. If 5 days are taken off in between two weekends, this may be extended to 10-11 days. As a result your hair will be well on its way to “taking root” by the time you return to work.
Resuming Your Job Following A Hair Transplant: Some Suggestions
You should follow these guidelines if you must return to work as soon as possible following your transplant to ensure that you remain safe and that you heal as rapidly as possible from your procedure. We suggest that you do the following:
- Rest as much as you possibly can.
- Give yourself some space to recover.
- Use the medication and prescription (if any) provided to you.
- It is possible that you may need to wear a hat to preserve your hair and hide your transplant, we suggest that you do follow this instruction as it will protect your head.
- Try to stay away from direct sunshine.
- If at all possible, refrain from returning to work for 10-14 days. If you must go to work, ensure that you refrain from overworking yourself and causing perspiration as this can cause infection and lead to failing of the grafts.
What To Expect Immediately Following Hair Transplant Surgery
Waiting for your hair to regrow may be a lengthy and difficult process that is both exhilarating and stressful at the same time. Do not be discouraged if you do not see any new growth in the first 2-3 months. The majority of patients do not observe any new growth in the first 2-3 months. Because the incisions used in FUE hair transplants are sub-millimeter in size, the recovery time is quite short. You may suffer some swelling or pain during the first three days, but this will go quickly. In the beginning, you will be left with a few short hairs that have been gently implanted in the recipient region. In the region where we have operated, you may see some redness and scab formation where grafts have been implanted. These visible traces of surgery will begin to vanish within 5-10 days of the procedure being performed. Some hairs may come out during the recuperation period; however, this is not a cause for concern since it is a natural component of the procedure. Most patients will see a change in hair growth within 3-4 months, according to their individual circumstances. There are a lot of things to consider throughout the growing phase of your newly implanted hair transplants and the healing of the donor site, particularly before returning to your place of employment. Following the treatment, patients are required to adhere to the aftercare and recuperation instructions provided by their surgeon. Our Surgeons are always available for a follow-up appointment and to answer any further questions you may have when your new hair begins to grow. Since every patient’s healing process is different, it’s important to know that what may work for someone else may not work for you. This is why we recommend being diligent when it comes to returning to work right away.
What Do You Do For A Living?
Hair transplants are highly successful procedures for enhancing the growth of your hair. That being said, a lot of people don’t consider the recovery portion of the treatment. If you have a job that allows you to sit at a desk or in an office space you will most likely be able to return to work almost right away, that is if you feel comfortable to do so. We always recommend consulting with your doctor about when to return to work based on what you do for a living. They will be able to properly inform you whether you should wait or you are free to go to work whenever you please. We’ve addressed several significant aspects concerning hair transplant procedures that we feel are particularly vital to know now that you know how soon you may return to work following a hair transplant in Miami.
How To Camouflage A Hair Transplant
If you’ve chosen to return to work, whether at an office or at a desk, you may wish to conceal or camouflage the appearance of your treatment. For many patients in Miami, this is a major concern. Many patients don’t want people to know they’ve undergone a hair transplant when they return to work. Here are some of the following reasons that people may tell whether someone has undergone a hair transplant:
- Back and sides of the hair are cut short.
- In the freshly implanted region, there may be a few little scabs that are visible.
- The donor and receiver portions are both red and may be swollen.
- Depending how soon you return to work, you may have a bandage surrounding the treated areas.
Hair Cut
Many patients will need to shave their back and sides of the head to a grade 0 in order to undergo a FUE hair transplant. It takes 7-10 days for this to develop to a length that isn’t considered too short for work. So, if you’re concerned about getting a too short haircut after your hair transplant, we recommend waiting 7-10 days before returning to work.
Scabbing
You may see little scabs where your freshly implanted grafts are during the first 1-4 days following hair transplant surgery. On the fifth day following surgery, when you finally get to wash your hair, these little scabs will start to fall out. These little scabs should have gone out completely by the 7th-10th day of washing. So, if you’re concerned about returning to work and someone seeing minor scabs following surgery, you should wait 7-10 days before doing so.
Redness
You will notice that the back and front of your head are somewhat red after your hair transplant. This is due to the fact that your hair transplant surgeon’s microscopic cuts heal with some redness. This redness is more visible on light-colored skin than on darker-colored skin. As a consequence, the redness may be more visible for a longer period of time.
The redness usually lasts 10-14 days as a rule of thumb. It is unusual for it to stay more than 6-8 weeks following hair transplant surgery, particularly if you have lighter skin. If you are concerned about redness following surgery, we recommend waiting two weeks before returning to work.
If you get an unshaven hair transplant, however, you should be able to comb over and disguise any red spots, thereby disguising any evidence of surgery. This implies that an unshaved procedure may be advantageous if you wish to return to work sooner following your hair transplant.
The Follow-Up Medication
In some cases, after your hair transplant you may be required to spray the area with prescription medication. If that is the case you will need to spray the recipient site every 30 minutes, or depending on your doctor’s suggestion.
You should take a 5-day break after your hair transplant since you will be spraying your freshly implanted hairs on a daily basis (every 30 minutes). On the fifth day following your hair transplant, you may be able to cease spraying. After that, you may want to return to work because you will no longer be required to spray on a regular basis.
How Many Days Are Normally Recommended Before Returning To Work?
After your hair transplant, you normally are able to return to work after 5 days. It’s at this point in your recuperation that you’ll see less symptoms of surgery and your hairs in the recipient region won’t be as brittle. If you have the option, you should try to only return to work when you feel that your grafts are recovering properly. You should be totally healed from surgery at this stage, with just minor indications of redness and scabbing.
Whether choosing when to return to work, patients must evaluate the sort of employment they undertake. We suggest that you avoid direct sunlight for the first two weeks after your surgery. Because direct sunlight might cause sunburn and harm to your freshly transplanted hairs, you should avoid it. As a result, if you work in the sun, you should consider wearing a hat or a cap or avoid working until you are fully healed.
Another factor to consider is whether or not you need to wear a tight-fitting hat at work. A tight-fitting cap that rests on top of your freshly inserted hairs may jeopardize their precise placement. We suggest that you take two weeks off work in these instances to promote a healthy recovery.
Are You Considering Having A Hair Transplant Performed?
Feel free to come into the clinic for a consultation if you are considering having hair transplantation but are unsure about when you will be able to resume your regular routine.
In addition to discussing your treatment choices, our surgeons would be pleased to discuss the hair transplant aftercare and recovery program, as well as when it would be the most appropriate time for you to resume your previous employment.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you are interested in scheduling a consultation, please do not hesitate to contact us!