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A hair transplant surgery is a medical procedure that may cause some side effects and complications. Although it is a minimally invasive procedure, it still needs small incisions on your scalp. Numbness after a hair transplant is just a result of nerve damage in the surgical areas and it can be considered normal as a side effect. Nerves are the structures that are responsible for nerve conduction. This type of nerve damage causes a loss of sensation.
Your doctor will have to numb the surgical areas to prevent any discomfort during surgery so you will not feel any pain while your doctor performs the hair transplantation. Anesthesia ensures that the nerve conduction is blocked during the surgery, which prevents the pain sensation in the patient’s brain. So the nerve-blocking effects of the anesthetic medication can last longer than expected, which may lead to numbness in the donor or recipient area after a hair transplant.
When Does Numbness Go Away after Hair Transplant?
It is not easy to give a proper answer such a question because every person has a unique physical structure and the reactions their bodies give to different stimulus changes. Also, the doses of the anesthetic medication will affect the reactions given by the bodies. But, most patients will quickly heal from such complications. Anesthetic drugs are usually used in low doses and their effects will disappear in a day. If this period is lasting longer than usual then it is quite likely that you experience nerve damage from anesthetic medications.
If your head is still numb after a hair transplant even though the first 24 hours after the procedure is up, then the patient will sense that something is wrong. Even though it is disturbing, for most patients this type of numbness will be temporary and gradually decrease until it is completely lost. As the surgical areas and the damaged nerves heal, the patient will begin to feel normal, and the numbness will completely go away within a few weeks.
However, this duration may even be longer for some patients. The numbness after a hair transplant procedure can continue for months, which may be alarming. Patients may feel like they have permanent nerve damage if the problem continues for so long. It can also make the patient anxious because changing bodily functions means the disturbance of what is considered normal by the patients about their bodies. But your doctor will probably tell you that it is normal if the numbness continues for months even up to a year, but it will eventually go away, and you will get better. Also, other personal factors can cause numbness at different levels, and your doctor will probably let you know about the possibilities considering those factors.
Should You Be Concerned?
If you have concerns about numbness after a hair transplant, you should first consult your doctor. The hair transplant procedure is not all about surgery and first care, there is also a preparation phase where you and your doctor negotiate all the possible risks and the results of a hair transplant surgery. Your surgeon will first examine you to make sure that you are eligible for the surgery. In the meantime, they may give you information about the risks that your other health conditions may put you at risk during and after hair transplant surgery. They will also inform you about all your concerns including head numbness after a hair transplant surgery. However, as long as your doctor is a professional surgeon with the necessary skills and knowledge, there is nothing to be afraid of.