Post Hair Transplant FAQs

While hair transplant surgery is the most important step in your hair restoration process, it is not the last. Hair transplants, like any procedure, need some downtime and activity restrictions to enable your body to heal, as well as a list of things you should and shouldn’t do to achieve the best potential outcomes.

You’ll want to know what to expect after your procedure before you go through it. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about hair transplant surgery at the Nova Medical Hair Transplant clinic in Miami.

Is It Possible For Me To Return Home After Surgery?

Yes since this procedure is considered less invasive you’ll be able to return home afterwards. You’ll need to arrange for a transport home from our clinic since we utilize a little sedative during the treatment. Plan on sleeping for the rest of the day when you get home.

Is This A Procedure To Be Worried About

One of the most significant benefits of the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) approach we utilize in transplant surgery is the absence of a more visible linear scar, which is typical with prior transplant procedures. Instead, scarring takes the form of a dot pattern that fades almost completely following healing and regrowth. This means that you don’t need to worry about any big wounds to take care of following surgery. It’s an effective and safe procedure all around.

When Will I Be Able To Return To Work?

Most patients may return to work the next day and resume most of their normal activities within a week to ten days. In terms of post-operative activities, be sure to follow your doctor’s precise post-operative recommendations.

When Will I Be Able To Resume My Exercise Routine?

Your body needs to spend its energy mending rather than working out in the first few days following surgery. Within three days after your treatment, don’t run, bike, or lift weights, and avoid excessive activity or heavy lifting for at least one week. Mostly avoid any activities that will make you sweat or create blood rush to your head.

When Will I Be Able To Wash And Brush My Hair?

Before shampooing your hair, wait at least 24 hours following your procedure. When you’re in the shower, gently wash your scalp with cold water. For as long as possible, avoid brushing your hair, stay away from hot styling products for at least a week, avoid using tight bands or clips, and instead of massaging your hair to dry it, use mild pressure.

Will My Hair Fall Out After The Procedure?

Don’t be alarmed if you detect hair in your brush or falling out after your transplant. The “falling out” of transplanted hairs in the first few weeks following surgery is quite typical. The transplanted follicles go into dormancy after surgery, causing your hair to fall out. The follicles, on the other hand, stay there and will soon start developing new hair.

When Can I Expect To Get Results?

You may not see your new, better head of hair for three to four months following your procedure since hair grows slowly with approximately one centimeter each month. Your hair will continue to grow thicker and stronger, and although the early growth may be spotty in certain areas, it will eventually level out. Your hair follicles will mature in eight to ten months, and you will get the results you have been waiting for after a year or so following your procedure though it may be closer to 18 months for some patients.

When Will I Be Able To Get A Haircut?

After a FUE procedure, you may have a haircut as early as postoperative day four, but it’s better to wait until any crusting on the recipient or donor region has gone, which normally takes approximately a week.

Wait for a haircut after a FUT surgery until the sutures have been removed. Normally it’s recommended to wait until at least a day after the sutures are out or around 10 days to prevent your barber or hairdresser catching a stitch on a suture and pulling it out which can be extremely painful for you and cause a possible infection.

When May I Use Rogaine Or Other Hair Products?

Before utilizing any products, it is advisable to wait until any crusting on the recipient or donor region has resolved, which normally takes approximately a week. Rogaine and its components aren’t often harmful, but they certainly make things a lot messier.

It usually takes a week for things to improve sufficiently to use any product.

When Is The Redness Going To Go Away?

It’s difficult to say since the response varies widely depending on the skin type of each patient. The redness in some people lasts less than a week. Others may have a little pink tone that lasts for months especially with lighter skin types. A pink tone in the donor or recipient regions from either FUE or FUT surgery will disappear with time in either case. Topical steroids may hasten the process, but it is typically gone by the time the hair has fully grown in, no matter how slowly it fades.

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How Long Until I Appear “Normal” Again?

What constitutes “normal” varies from patient to patient, and what constitutes “noticeable” varies according to the patient and the procedure performed. Most patients remark that after the crusting is gone, the top of their head – or the recipient zone – looks “natural” enough that they feel good going out in public.

The donor region, which is usually the back of the head, is visible in several ways depending on the surgery:

At roughly a week after a linear FUT procedure, most patients feel that they appear “normal.”
It takes a little longer to grow the hair back out and cover the region in FUE treatments where the back and sides of the head are shaved, but patients notice that 10 days is all they need to feel “normal.” Long hair FUE operations are less invasive and do not need shaving.
It takes a little over a month for patients to re-grow a desired quantity of hair after a “hybrid” procedure that includes both linear and FUE procedures.

Is It Okay If I Wear A Hat?

Yes. For the first three days, avoid wearing headgear that contacts the grafted regions. After surgery, any headgear that reaches the forehead and/or the back of the head around the donor region is allowed. As a result, bandanas, fedoras, cowboy hats, berets, and newsboy caps, among other things, are all good to wear.

However, the hat that everyone tries to wear – a baseball cap – should be saved until day 4 or later.

When Can I Expect To See Any Progress? After A Hair Transplant, What Are The Phases Of Hair Growth?

Within hours after being put in their new location, grafts begin to re-establish their blood supply. This process, known as neovascularization, takes around 72 hours, which is why the first three days are so important for a hair graft’s survival and regrowth.

Crusting normally disappears a week or two after a hair transplant, leaving just small short hairs behind. These hair shafts may seem to be the aim of the hair transplant, but what we’re targeting are the follicle and stem cells linked to the hair. Many patients believe they are losing the grafts they fought so hard for when these visible hair shafts shed, while in reality the follicle is entering the shedding phase known as Catagen in order to generate new hair. This transient and reversible process is known as “shock loss.” Native hair may also shed at this stage.

That being said, 3-4 months following surgery, growth begins slowly. New visible growth takes longer since the hairs need to grow in length before they can be seen, so expect to wait 6 months. It takes a year to reach full size, and in extreme circumstances it might take up to 18 months depending on the growth of your natural hair.

When Is The Swelling Going To Go Away? How Long Will The Swelling And Bruises Last?

Swelling usually peaks 2-3 days after surgery and subsides 2-3 days later, so the whole procedure takes around a week. Outside of brow restoration surgery, bruising is uncommon. If this happens, the recovery time might be anything from one to three weeks and again, depending on the individual.

Can You Go Swimming After A Hair Transplant?

Swimming isn’t entirely forbidden. In FUE situations, we suggest avoiding swimming for 10 days or until any sutures are removed, due to the great diversity of places to swim and the relative cleanliness of those areas.

When Will I Be Able To Wash My Hair? Is It Necessary To Massage The Recipient Region During The Washing Process?

Taking care of your new hair is extremely important after your hair transplant. Because wet wounds heal faster, it’s critical to keep the surgical regions clean and moist. There are various options for doing this:

Washed often. 2-3 times per day the first three post-operative days
Spritzing hair with saline or water or special medicated solutions.
Soaks that are medicinal. Solution-soaked gauzes and wraps over the donor and recipient areas.

Only pat the recipient area with lather in an up and down motion for the first few days. Rinse using a cup filled with warm water to avoid “shear forces” movements. Gently pat dry.

Any crusting that has developed should be carefully wiped off in tiny circles the fourth day following surgery. This is best done in the shower after soaking for at least 5 minutes. It’s a good idea to get rid of the crusts since they may yank out a hair if left in. This all being said, you should ask your surgeon what they consider for your case. They may suggest a different care plan for you following your hair transplant procedure.

Make An Appointment For A Hair Loss Assessment At Our Miami Clinic

We hope that this blog provided you with the answers to your questions about hair transplants. Make an appointment with the Nova Medical Hair Transplant clinic in Miami if you have any additional inquiries regarding hair transplant surgery or hair restoration solutions. Our hair loss specialists would be happy to answer any questions you may have!

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