Dos and Don’ts After a Hair Transplant Surgery

The hair transplant procedure is a minimally invasive operation but still, it is a medical procedure, and you will go through a recovery period following the surgery. Your doctor will give you information about the measures you should take before and after the procedure. You can take simple measures and promote fast and healthy healing. So you will need to be careful about dos and don’ts after hair transplant surgery.

Dos After A Hair Transplant Surgery

• You should not go home along following the hair transplant. Although you do not have to have a general anesthetic for this procedure, some people need sedatives to feel comfortable during the procedure. Also, though it is a simple operation, you will still need to rest right after a medical procedure.
• Listen to your doctor carefully and get the right information about the drugs you can use and the ones you should avoid following the surgery. If you know everything about the drugs to use and drugs to avoid, you can prevent most of the post-operative complications.
• You should avoid washing your hair for three days after the surgery. Your doctor will first wash your hair at the clinic and then you will need to wash your hair every day fora but 15 days. It will help fall the crusts out but you should be gentle and do not hurt your scalp. Otherwise, you may cause damage to the newly transplanted hair follicles.

• Do not wear a hat the first three days following the surgery but you should keep wearing it after 3 days. This is because you need to protect your hair follicles from the sun. So the first three days you should not go in the sun.
• Wear your headband as recommended by your doctor because this headband will prevent edema. But you should not sleep with it.
• Do not apply ice directly to the area of surgery but you can apply ice to your forehead. You should first roll it in a cotton cloth and then put it just above your eyebrows to reduce postoperative edema.
• Eat a healthy diet after the procedure. You should give your body and scalp the necessary nutrients for good blood circulation to the hair follicles. If your hair follicles do not receive the essential vitamins and minerals after hair transplant surgery, then they may not hold on to your scalp, leading to the failure of the surgery. So follow a diet full of healthy protein sources, vegetables, and legumes.
• Keep yourself hydrated after the procedure. We should not be dehydrated during the recovery period because our cells and tissues are in constant need of water to be healthy. Drink plenty of water before and after the procedure.

Don’ts after a hair transplant surgery

• Avoid smoking and alcohol for one week after hair transplant surgery. Smoking will disturb blood circulation and may delay the healing of hair follicles.
• You should not engage in activities that will make you very tired and cause you to sweat. Sweating may lead to bacteria overgrowth and cause harm to the hair follicles, leading to an increase in the risk of infections.
• You should avoid smoking and alcohol for one week after a hair transplant.
• You should not lay your head on the pillow for 7 days after the procedure. You should have a pillow under your neck to keep your head up at a 45 degree. This way you can prevent postoperative edema.
• You should not have your hair dyed for a month after the procedure because harsh chemicals in the hair dye can damage the newly transplanted hair follicles.
• Do not lift weights at least a month following the surgery and avoid heavy exercise until your hair follicles are completely healed.
• Do not take blood thinners such as ibuprofen for one week following the procedure. Also, herbal teas and supplements can have a blood-thinning effect so avoid herbs and supplements as well. Since blood thinners increase the risk of bleeding, you should stop taking them before and after the surgery.
• Crusts can form on your scalp after the procedure. You should not touch them and try to take them off. They form in the ordinary course of healing and will fall off on their own.
• Keep your head away from sunlight for a week after the procedure. You can go in the sun as long as you wear a hat three days following the surgery. 
• You should never put ice directly into the area of surgery.