Hair Transplant Recovery: 5 Tips After FUE or FUT Surgery
Hair transplant recovery begins the moment your FUE or FUT procedure is finished. The first days and weeks are about allowing the scalp to heal, protecting the newly transplanted grafts and following the post operative instructions provided by Dr. Matthew Lopresti and the Leonard Hair Transplant Associates team.
The surgery may be over, but your job is not quite finished. How you wash your hair, when you exercise, what you put on your head and how closely you follow your recovery instructions all matter during the healing process. Here are five things to know after hair transplant surgery to help protect the work that was just done.
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1. Be Gentle as You Care for Your Scalp
After hair transplant surgery, the newly transplanted grafts need time to settle and heal. Avoid scratching, rubbing or picking at the transplanted area, especially during the early stages of recovery. Follow the washing instructions provided by Dr. Lopresti and use only the recommended shampoo and hair products.
This is not the time to improvise. Those grafts were carefully placed for a reason. Give them time, leave them alone and let your scalp do what it does best. Heal.
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2. Give Your Scalp Time to Heal
Your scalp needs time to heal after hair transplant surgery, but that does not mean you have to put your life on hold. Most patients can return to mild exercise after about four days, while heavy lifting and more strenuous activity should generally wait about two weeks.
Follow the specific recovery instructions provided by Dr. Lopresti and our team, especially during those first several days. A little patience now is a small price to pay for protecting the work you just had done.
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3. Use Ice to Help Manage Swelling
Some swelling around the forehead can occur after hair transplant surgery. When recommended, an ice pack can help manage swelling and discomfort during the early recovery period.
Keep the ice away from the newly transplanted grafts and follow the instructions provided by Dr. Lopresti and our team. The goal is to make recovery more comfortable without disturbing the area that needs to heal.
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4. Follow Your Post Operative Instructions
Every hair transplant comes with post operative instructions covering washing, medications, activity, sleeping and caring for the transplanted area. They are not suggestions. They are part of the procedure. You spent the time. You made the decision. You invested the money. Dr. Lopresti did his part. Now it’s your turn.
Those first days and weeks matter. Follow the instructions from Dr. Lopresti and the LHTA team, pay attention to your scalp and give those newly transplanted grafts the time they need to settle and heal. This is not the moment to experiment with something you read online or take advice from a friend who had a hair transplant somewhere else.
And if you are ever unsure, call us. Google did not perform your hair transplant. Dr. Lopresti did.
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5. Protect Your Scalp from the Sun
Your scalp has been through surgery. Give it a break from the sun.
Protect the transplanted area from prolonged direct sun exposure while it heals and follow the specific instructions provided by Dr. Lopresti and the LHTA team. A loose fitting cap can typically be worn immediately after surgery as long as it does not rub against or put pressure on the newly transplanted grafts. Other hats and helmets should generally wait until about two weeks after surgery.
You waited for the surgery. You invested in the surgery. Now give your scalp the time it deserves to heal. A few smart decisions during recovery can help protect the work that was just done.
Hair transplant surgery may take a day. Recovery takes a little longer. Follow Dr. Lopresti’s instructions, protect the transplanted grafts and give your scalp the time it needs to heal.
If you have a question during recovery, call Leonard Hair Transplant Associates rather than guessing. We know what was done, we know how it was done and we’re here to help you protect it.