When you leave our clinic after your hair transplant procedure, your scalp will be wrapped in a surgical dressing to help prevent infection. In addition, you’ll be provided with an anti-swelling band to wear around your forehead to prevent facial swelling. During your follow-up appointment the next day, the dressing will be removed. However, you should continue to wear the anti-swelling band for up to three days.
In the first few days of a hair transplant recovery, your scalp will develop several small scabs at the transplant site. It’s vital not to touch or pick at these as this is likely to cause the hair grafts to fall out. These scabs will heal on their own over the next two weeks.
How Long Does it Take to Recover from a Hair transplant?
- After One Day
The day after your transplant, you’ll be invited to return to our clinic comprehensive follow-up. During this meeting, the surgical dressing will be removed from the recipient and donor areas and your doctor will evaluate the preliminary results. During your follow-up, you’ll also be offered complimentary PRP /or laser therapy to help stimulate faster, fuller results.
- After Three Days
For the first three days, you should avoid washing your hair as this can lead to the newly implanted grafts coming loose. When you resume washing your hair, you need to follow all advice given to you by your doctor closely. Your doctor will give you a special shampoo and lotion to use over the next 2 weeks and detailed instructions on the washing procedure.
- After One Week
By the one-week mark, the majority of the newly implanted hair grafts should have anchored themselves into the recipient site. Your scalp will likely start to itch considerably during this time. It cannot be overstressed that it is vital NOT TO SCRATCH the scalp as this can cause the new hair grafts to fall out before they have properly taken root.
After 5-7 days, many of the implanted hairs may begin falling out on their own. This is known as “shock hair loss”. This affects up to a third of patients and is a normal and expected part of a hair transplant. This stage will persist for the next 2-3 months as the new hairs restart their growth cycle.
- After 15 To 30 Days
By the end of the first month, you’ll likely have returned to your pre-operation appearance. You’ll have no visible signs left over from your hair transplant operation.
- After One To Six Months
After your newly-transplanted hair has been shed, it’ll begin to grow out on its own. By around 3 months, your new hair will become visible and growth will speed up. After 6 months, all of the new hair grafts should have begun growing.
- After One Year
After one year, your new hair will be fully grown and will continue to thicken over the next 6 months.
- After 18 Months
Final results will have been reached.
What Can I Do to Care For My Hair After A Transplant?
Most importantly, DO NOT TOUCH the transplant site for a minimum of three days. Afterwards, please follow our guide and all instructions from your doctor. We’ll give you all the necessary medications.
1 – Apply Lotion
Apply a few drops of the lotion to both the donor and recipient areas by gently tapping it into the transplant site. Leave the lotion for about an hour to give it time to absorb into the skin. Be careful to apply the lotion in line with the implanted grafts to help prevent any damage.
2 – Apply Shampoo
After about an hour, you’re ready to clean the transplant area. Take the shampoo that was given to you and rub a small amount between your hands to create a foam. Next, gently place the foam over the transplant area without any rubbing motions. Leave the shampoo for 2-3 minutes before carefully rinsing it off.
3 – Rinse
It’s important not to use hot or pressurized water. The best method is to fill a bowl with warm—not hot—water. Then gently and slowly pour it over your scalp.
4 – Dry
Don’t use a towel to dry your head as this is likely to stick to hairs and pull them out. Instead, use a hairdryer on a low, cool setting from a moderate distance.
Comprehensive Service With Dr Serkan Aygin
As a long-standing member of the International Society of Dermatology, Dr Aygin has assisted patients dealing with hair loss for over 25 years. In that time, he’s helped more than 15,000 men and women from around the world and has achieved a hair regrowth rate of 98%. Dr Aygin is a pioneer in the use of the Sapphire FUE hair transplant procedure. Book a free consultation today!
