After you've gotten a hair transplant and you've just reached home, there are many things you need to keep in mind to take care of your new hair grafts. Congratulations on transforming your hairline using one of many safe alternative hair loss treatments. These grafts are very fragile and they will have to be nurtured in order to take hold properly. We will now look at a couple of do's and don'ts that you have to remember after your hair transplant.
Hair Transplant Do's
Make sure that after your procedure is finished that you have someone to drive you home. Even though hair transplant surgery doesn't require heavy sedation, it is not advisable that you drive after this procedure.
You should also elevate your head when sleeping for the first week or as long as you have swelling. The vast majority of people only have swelling for the first couple of days and many don't even get any swelling. You can use a recliner as your bed and catch up on your favorite shows on Netflix!
Make sure that you also ask about medications that are safe for you to use.
Use ice to place over your eyebrows so that swelling doesn't occur. In many cases, swelling will happen in this area on the 3rd or 4th day after the surgery.
You should strive to be as gentle as possible when washing your hair in the first 5 days of getting the transplant done, starting from the 3rd day. You should avoid scrubbing and make sure that you don't blast your scalp with water.
It is best that you use a cup to wash your scalp.
When using conditioner, be very gentle and apply it to your scalp and this will help to relieve itching that you may have.
It is best to dye your hair just before the procedure if you think that you won't be able to make it for the 4 extra weeks. When you dye your hair before the surgery, you can rest assured that it won't negatively affect you.
Make sure that you properly hydrate and drink lots of water before and after your surgery.
After the surgery, it is normal for some hair to fall out about 2 to 4 weeks after the hair transplant surgery. This is perfectly fine and normal and it is necessary for the hair growth cycle. It does not indicate that your hair follicles are damaged. You should rest assured because your hair will regrow in approximately 3 months.
Don'ts After The Surgery
First of all, avoid sleeping on your stomach or side. You should not allow your new hairline to touch and rub on any of your pillows.
It is perfectly normal for swelling to happen, usually on the 3rd and 4th day after the surgery, so don't be scared when/if this happens.
Do not place any ice on the hair transplant regions on your head. You should not touch these areas at all.
Scabs will form on your scalp so don't prevent this from happening. This is very natural, after all, your scalp did undergo surgery. Scab formation is perfectly normal and part of your healing. If you get a scab on any other area of your body, you'd typically leave it until it falls off on its own. So, when you get scabs on your head, you also need to do the same.
Avoid washing your hair within the first 48 hours after finishing your hair transplant surgery.
You should not scratch your scalp at all. Even though it may feel a bit itchy, this is normal.
Avoid wearing any caps or hats within the first 3 days after the surgery. This is important so you don't disturb the scab formation on your head. It will take about 3 days for the scabs to fully form so don't allow anything to touch your head.
You should not go in the sun in the first 2 weeks after your surgery. Once the three days after your surgery has elapsed, you should wear a hat. Many people who do hair transplant surgery typically do so during their vacation. It is fine for you to be on the beach or outside, however, make sure that you properly cover your head so that you don't get sunburn. Make sure that you also don't go scuba diving as well.
You may want to exercise, however, avoid doing so, especially in the first couple of days after the surgery. It is important that you prevent exerting yourself since an increased heart rate and blood pressure can cause extra swelling. This may be very difficult if you love going to the gym. So, instead of going to the gym and lifting weights, the most you should do is go for a short run or do very light cardio.
You should not do any activities that will make you sweat a lot.
After your surgery, avoid dying your hair for at least 4 weeks after it. This is because the chemicals will negatively affect your newly transplanted hair follicles that would already be quite fragile.
You should also avoid drinking alcohol for the first 5 days after the surgery since this can negatively impact your head's blood supply.
Lastly, you should also avoid smoking for at least a month after your hair transplant surgery. This is also due to the fact that it would lower blood flow to your head. Of course, it is best that you stop smoking entirely.
