For those who find their hair loss something that they are embarrassed by and try to hide, hair transplant surgery can be the perfect answer. Men and women can not only get back a full head of hair with natural-looking results, but they have their self-confidence restored.
While a hair transplant can give back to you the hair that you’ve lost, there are things you need to do after your hair transplant procedure to achieve the best results. It’s important that you be aware of these important steps that you need to follow after getting a hair transplant.
Different doctors may advise different steps and treatments after having the surgery, but in most cases, the steps that you need to follow for the best results are as listed below. They help to ensure lasting results with any hair transplant procedure and encourage healthy hair growth.
Sleep semi-upright
To help keep hair grafts in place and to help reduce any swelling, it is recommended that patients sleep semi-upright. You want to keep your head propped up in pillows or lay in a reclining chair until the area of the scalp is fully healed. If the hair grafts transplanted are in the lower crown area, you should sleep on your side for the first few days but again you want to make sure your head is always elevated.
Avoid excessive sweating, heat, and cold
When you have excessive sweating, it can keep your scalp from healing properly. To help reduce this you need to avoid exercise as this can cause you to sweat. If the temperature outside is very cold out, it’s best to stay indoors but if going outdoors is unavoidable, it is advised that you wear a loose-fitting hat but only if it has been at least 2 days after surgery.
Clean gently
The hair grafts should not be disrupted or washed for 24 hours after surgery. After which, it is advised that you wash your hair carefully and gently with a mild shampoo or a product your doctor recommends. It is also recommended that you hand wash your hair in a sink rather than in the shower. Use of a shower should wait until 4 days after the procedure with low water pressure.
Stop smoking and drinking
Alcohol can thin your blood and cause bleeding, while smoking disrupts blood flow to the hair follicles that can impede their growth. Because of these issues, it would be beneficial to you to reduce both prior to surgery and to avoid both for the first month after surgery.
Avoid fidgeting, bending, or lifting
You do not want to pick on or scratch your scalp, even when there are scabs, as this action could have an increased risk of infection and puts the grafts at risk. Scabbing is normal but if it persists after 2 weeks then it is possible that your shampooing may not be done vigorously enough.
You also need to avoid bending over, lifting things, or even blowing your nose violently at least two days after surgery as these acts can cause bleeding and swelling. If you do have any minor bleeding, simply apply light pressure with a clean cloth to the affected area for five to 10 minutes until the bleeding subsides.
Take only the prescribed medication
Before you have any procedure done you need to discuss with your doctor any medication you currently take. After your surgery you any medications you may take could include painkillers and antibiotics. You will want to avoid any blood thinners as they can cause bleeding.
Get rest
As with any surgical hair procedure, getting adequate rest is important to properly aid the healing process.
The better you take care of your scalp the better and faster your recovery will be. While every hair transplant surgeon will undoubtedly go over post-surgery procedures, these steps listed here are a few of the precautions that come up the most. Your recovery will depend on many factors but mainly you and how well you follow post-operative procedures.
