FUT or FUE
Having a hair transplant, whether it is FUT or FUE, is regarded to be a serious medical procedure, and you should always follow the necessary recuperation recommendations to ensure that you get the best outcomes possible from your treatment.
In order to maintain your new hair grafts and your overall health, you must follow the recommended aftercare protocol given to you by your doctor. This includes refraining from returning to usual activities – such as going to the gym – too soon following your procedure. So, how long after a hair transplant can you go back to your regular workout routine?
We’ve created this guideline to better explain the recovery process after a hair transplant procedure and how long you should wait before going back to your exercise or regular daily routine.
Why Is it Important To Follow Post Hair Transplant Instructions?
If you do not adhere to the post-surgical advice and requirements you run the danger of ruining your hair transplant results, which is why it is so important to follow them.
When you have a hair transplant, you will ultimately be taking hair grafts from one section of your scalp and implanting them into another section of your scalp where you are experiencing hair loss or thinning. It’s important to take good care of the affected area in order to avoid the risk of infection and to increase the take rate of those hair grafts.
Not only should you be cautious after treatment, but this surgery is regarded as an investment, and you should not take any chances with your investment. Following the appropriate directions and undergoing the treatment (even if it means putting a pause on exercising) for a short period of time will be a little price to pay in order to get the desired outcomes you want from your treatment.
How Long Should You Wait To Return To Your Regular Routine?
It’s mostly recommended that for at least ten days after a hair transplant surgery, you refrain from engaging in intense activity. Light activity, including walking and yoga, may normally be performed four days following a transplant – but you should always consult with your physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.
In both Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT or Strip) hair transplants, healthy hair follicles are extracted and transplanted from a donor region of the scalp to the areas of the scalp where hair loss has occurred. Small incisions are created in the recipient region of the scalp, and the hair transplants are inserted into these wounds when they have healed.
These new hair grafts are very delicate in the days and weeks after the treatment and need special attention to ensure that they are protected, that they remain in place, and that your scalp can recover correctly.
Exercise that is strenuous may be harmful to fresh hair transplants for a variety of reasons, including:
- Heart rate: The rise in heart rate caused by activity will boost your blood pressure, which may increase the likelihood of bleeding in recipient parts of your scalp, dislodging the grafts, or bleeding in the donor area after the procedure is completed.
- Sweating: After a hair transplant, the scalp may be very sensitive, and saunas, jogging, and other aerobic workouts that generate sweating can irritate the scalp and destroy newly transplanted hair follicles.
- Stretching: A stretching force may be applied to a FUT scar if you do certain workouts that stretch the back of your neck (such as sit-ups). Exercise should be avoided for the first 2 weeks after FUT surgery, as should stretching exercises for the first couple of months after the procedure to ensure the greatest chance of healing with a tiny scar.
Exercise is, without a doubt, very advantageous to your overall health as well as the health of your transplanted hair follicles in the long run. However, in the short term, you may have to put your typical routines and gym visits on hold while you deal with this situation.
We understand that every patient is unique, and at Miami Hair Transplant Clinic, we can give you precise aftercare recommendations that are suited to your personal circumstances, including when you may resume various types of physical activity.
Recovery Timeline
First Three Days
Exercise should be avoided for the first 1-3 days after your hair transplant.
You should avoid any physical exertion as much as possible in the days after surgery, including working and needless strolling about the house. You will not be allowed to touch your new hair grafts at this time since they are in a sensitive state. We recommend that you avoid bending over and attempting to maintain your head above the level of your heart during this first period in order to minimize swelling and discomfort.
4 to 9 Days
Some very mild physical activity may be done if allowed by your doctor.
Light, non-strenuous activity like yoga or moderate strolling is normally permitted during this time period, but you should avoid jogging or aerobic exercise, which may produce excessive perspiration and a considerable rise in blood pressure.
If you detect an increase in swelling or discomfort during this period, you should restrict or discontinue your activity for a few more days to avoid further complications.
10 Days
Cardiovascular activity, weight training, and the gym should be avoided until this point.
Ideally, your scalp should be free of scabs and edema at this point in the process. In the majority of situations, it will also be acceptable to engage in some kind of aerobic activity, as well as gym and weight training. However, if you have undergone FUT surgery, you should refrain from doing any neck-stretching activities for additional 6-8 weeks after the procedure.
10 to 14 Days
The donor location that is stitched up for 10-14 days following a FUT treatment will be removed if your surgeon has examined and verified it is safe to do so.
Two Months
In the majority of instances, it will be safe to resume all intense activity within four weeks after your transplant, including weight lifting.
Although these are broad principles, you should always seek the counsel of your surgeon before making any decisions. We are here to give you complete information and assistance throughout the weeks, months, and years after your hair transplant procedure to ensure your desired results are achieved.
Frequently Asked Questions- Recovery After A Hair Transplant Procedure In Miami
When it comes to the recovery period after a hair transplant, you may have a lot of questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get at our clinic, which we believe may be of interest to patients who are curious about the recuperation time.
How Long Does It Take For A FUT Or FUE Hair Transplant To Completely Heal?
Following FUT or FUE hair transplant surgery, your scalp should be cured and scab-free by the 10th day after the procedure. In most cases, new hairs will begin to come through in the treated regions of the scalp after four months, and they will continue to thicken over the next 10 to 15 months beyond that point.
Will I Be Left With Scars?
There are many benefits to the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) procedure, one of the most significant being the absence of a more visible linear scar, which is prevalent with previous transplant techniques such as the FUT. As opposed to this, scarring appears in a dot-like pattern and is nearly unnoticeable when healing and regeneration has occurred.
When Can I Expect To Be Able To Return To Work After A Hair Transplant?
For the majority of patients, we recommend that you return to work after around 10 days, after your scalp has healed and is clear of scabs. Some patients choose to return to work sooner rather than later, which should be done cautiously and as long as they don’t mind their scalp revealing some crusts and redness in the treated regions while they are at work.
However if you work from home, you should have no problem returning as long as you’re feeling good following your treatment.
Is It Okay For Me To Wear A Hat Soon After A Hair Transplant?
We urge that you avoid wearing hats for the first 5 days after your procedure since the grafts are still delicate. As of day 6 after surgery, the grafts are stable and you will most likely be able to wear a cap again.
To disguise your grafted regions soon after your hair transplant, we recommend wrapping your scalp in clingfilm (after spraying thoroughly with the ATP aftercare spray) and wearing a light-weight hood over the top. During the first five days of healing, this is something you may repeat if you feel the need to keep things under wraps.
All this being said, your surgeon will let you know whether you are ready to wear a hat or cap during your follow-up consultation. Since every patient’s hair transplant is different, your recovery may change which may result in a lengthier wait time until you’re permitted to wear them again.
When Will I Be Able To Wash And Brush My Hair?
Make sure to wait at least 72 hours following surgery before you wash your hair again. When taking a shower, gently massage your scalp under cold running water. Maintain your hair’s health by not brushing it for at least a week, refrain from using tight bands or clips, and instead of rubbing your hair to dry it, use mild pressure to finish drying your mane.
When Is It Acceptable To Drink Alcohol?
For at least three days after your procedure, refrain from drinking any alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, beer, and wine. Alcohol may function as a blood thinner, as well as inhibiting and slowing down the healing process, among other things.
Is It Possible For My Hair To Stop Falling Out?
Don’t be alarmed if you discover hair in your brush or in your drain following your transplant. After surgery, it is totally common for transplanted hairs to “fall out” during the first few weeks after the procedure. Immediately after your procedure, the transplanted follicles enter a dormant state, resulting in the loss of your hair. The hair follicles, on the other hand, remain in place and will soon begin producing new hair.
When Can I Expect To Get Results?
It is possible that you may not see your new, better head of hair until three to four months following your procedure since hair grows slowly – just approximately one centimeter each month. Your hair will continue to grow stronger and thicker, and although the first growth may be spotty in certain areas, it will eventually become more even in texture and density.
The maturation of your hair follicles will occur within eight to ten months after your treatment, and you will see the results that you have been waiting for a year or more following your procedure though it may be closer to 18 months for some people depending on how fast their hair grows.
Learn More About The Hair Transplant Recovery Stages At Nova Medical Hair Transplant Miami
At Miami Hair Transplant Clinic, we believe that a hair transplant should be something that lasts for the rest of your life, and we consider our patients to be lifetime benefactors of our hair care services.
Following your transplant treatment, you will be able to check in with us for continuous support and assistance in the months and years that follow. We want to make sure that your results turn out exactly the way you want them to, this is why we suggest contacting our clinic to find out more about this form of treatment and what you can do to ensure that your results are achieved properly.