Hair transplant aftercare & recovery

What should I do in the first 72 hours?

The grafts are most fragile in the first few days, while they settle into the scalp. The aim is to keep the area clean, avoid knocking or rubbing it, and keep swelling down.

• Rest at home on the day of surgery, and if you can, have someone take you home.
• Do not touch, scratch or rub the grafts. If you need to touch your head, keep to the edges, with clean hands.
• Keep your head raised, including when you sleep, to reduce swelling.
• Avoid bending forward, lifting heavy things and strenuous activity, which can increase swelling and bleeding.
• Do not wash the scalp until your surgeon tells you to start — usually not before 48 hours.

A little oozing from the donor area is normal, and light bleeding usually stops with gentle, steady pressure using clean gauze. Swelling of the forehead often appears on day two or three and may move down towards the eyes; it is not harmful and settles within a few days.

How should I sleep after a hair transplant?

For the first week or so, sleep on your back with your head raised on two or three pillows, or in a reclining chair. A travel neck pillow helps stop you rolling onto the grafts. Use a clean pillowcase — an old one, or a towel over it, for the first night or two in case the donor area oozes. After FUT, lying on the back of the head can be uncomfortable for a few days while the stitches are in.

When and how can I wash my hair?

Your surgeon will tell you when to start — usually on day two or three, once the first 48 hours have passed. Until the crusts have gone, wash gently:

• Pour lukewarm water from a cup or jug; do not point a strong shower jet at the grafts.
• Use the mild shampoo you are given or recommended. Lather it in your hands and pat the foam onto the grafts — do not rub.
• Rinse gently and pat dry with a soft towel, or let the scalp air-dry. Avoid hair dryers and hot water.

Once the crusts have gone, usually after about ten days, most people can wash normally, though still without scrubbing for a few more weeks.

What should I do about scabs and itching?

Small crusts around each graft are normal. Gentle washing softens them and they usually fall away within 7 to 10 days, often with short hairs attached. That is expected and does not mean the graft has been lost. Do not pick crusts off early, as this can pull grafts out.

Itching is common as the scalp heals. Try not to scratch; if it is troublesome, ask the clinic, which may suggest something to soothe it.

When can I go back to work and exercise?

• Desk work: most people return within a few days to a week, depending on swelling and how much the grafts show. A loose, clean cap can usually be worn after the first few days if your surgeon agrees.
• Walking: gentle walking is fine from the first days.
• Exercise: avoid the gym, running, heavy lifting and anything that makes you sweat heavily, typically for about four weeks, then build up gradually.
• Swimming, saunas and steam rooms: avoid for about four weeks, until the scalp has fully healed.
• Contact sports and helmets: wait until your surgeon clears you, as a knock or a tight helmet can damage grafts.
• After FUT: avoid heavy lifting and bending your neck forward sharply until the stitches are out.

How do I protect my scalp from the sun?

Keep direct sun off the scalp for the first few weeks. Sunburn on a healing scalp can prolong redness, leave darker patches and may harm the grafts. When you go out, stay in the shade or wear a loose hat once your surgeon allows it. After the first month or so, use sunscreen on any exposed scalp if your surgeon recommends it.

Do I need to stop smoking and drinking?

Ideally, yes. Smoking narrows blood vessels and reduces the blood supply the new grafts depend on, which can slow healing and may reduce growth. Stopping before surgery, and staying off cigarettes for as long as you can afterwards, gives the grafts a better chance.

Alcohol can increase swelling and bleeding and does not mix well with some medicines. The usual advice is to avoid both alcohol and smoking for about a month after surgery.

Which medicines will I need?

Take the medicines your surgeon prescribes, exactly as prescribed. These usually include pain relief for the first few days, and sometimes an antibiotic or a medicine to reduce swelling. Discomfort is usually mild.

Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen or other medicines or supplements that thin the blood unless your surgeon agrees, and tell the clinic about everything you already take.

Your surgeon may advise medical treatment, such as minoxidil or finasteride, to help protect your existing hair. Start, stop or change these only on their advice, and ask about side effects before you begin.

What is shock loss, and should I worry?

Shock loss is shedding of existing hair around the transplanted area, and sometimes in the donor area, in the weeks after surgery. Surgery disturbs nearby follicles and pushes them into a resting phase. It is usually temporary, and the hair regrows over the following months, alongside the transplanted hair.

Hairs that were already weak before surgery may not all come back, which is one reason your surgeon may suggest treatment to protect your native hair. Shock loss is separate from the expected shedding of the transplanted hairs at two to four weeks.

When should I call the clinic?

Contact the clinic promptly if you notice any of the following:

• Pain that is getting worse rather than better, or is not controlled by your prescribed medicine
• Redness, heat or swelling that is spreading or increasing after the first few days
• Pus, an unpleasant smell or yellow crusting around the grafts or stitches
• A fever, or feeling generally unwell
• Bleeding that does not stop after several minutes of gentle, steady pressure
• Grafts knocked out with bleeding, or a hard knock to the head in the first week
• Swelling that affects your vision or keeps increasing after the first few days

If you are unsure, send the clinic a clear photograph and ask.

How long does recovery take?

Most people are back at desk work within a few days to a week, and the crusts are gone by about day ten. Hair growth then follows its own timeline: shedding at two to four weeks, new growth from three to four months and the final result at around twelve months. The expected hair growth timeline explains each stage, and results vary between individuals.