Hair Transplant Surgery: Short and Long-term Precautions Post-op
An FUE hair transplant can work effectively in fulfilling your wish for hair restoration. It is a welcome treatment to overcome your hair loss miseries and leave you with natural-looking hair that will remain forever on your scalp.
Nevertheless, the results will depend very much on the extent of the care you take for your restored hair. If you do not follow the necessary precautions, those permanent-looking results could be short-lived.
You should take careful measures to preserve your transplanted hair for a lifetime immediately after the surgery and in the long term.
Short-term Precautions after a hair transplant
Here are some worth considering tips to follow immediately after the surgery, till a few weeks later.
1. Showering precautions
Once the treatment is over, the doctor will recommend avoiding taking a shower for at least 24 hours. This is to stop your scalp from getting wet during this period. But make sure, your wait does not extend beyond 48 hours. Even while showering, do not let the water touch the new grafts. You may resume showering as usual, after 7 days of the FUE hair transplant procedure.
2. Take ample rest
The doctors advise the patients to rest and relax for around 4-5 days before getting back to their routine lives. Although recovery from the procedure may take around 2 weeks, most of the patients are likely to recuperate in 7 days itself. An additional off from the office for around 1 week would be better for enhanced recovery. This will also minimize the adverse influence of the surroundings on your hair.
3. Keep your head elevated while sleeping
Surgeons recommend sleeping in an upright position, with your head elevated at an angle of 45-degree above your heart for 3-5 days. This will reduce the swelling in your forehead, and prevent your head from damaging the grafts while turning. For proper movement of your head, it is advisable to sleep on one pillow and keep a travel pillow to cover your neck.
4. Apply ice packs
In the donor area of your scalp, apply the ice pack around the suture line for around 10 minutes every hour. Put the ice pack on the top of a gauze pad. Repeat this for 3 days. In the recipient area, avoid applying it on the grafted location directly. Instead, it is better to put the ice pack on your forehead for 10 minutes every hair while you are aware. Keep doing this for 3 days to reduce the swelling.
5. Keep your scalp untouched
Avoid wearing ball caps or hats for the first 3 days post-surgery, as it can affect the scabs that occur naturally after a hair transplant. They will take around 3 days to solidify and vanish. It is therefore essential not to let anything touch your scalp. Even if you are feeling itchiness, it is advisable to control the irritation and avoid scratching your head.
6. Avoid doing strenuous workouts
It will take some time to get back to your usual routine and workouts. Doing vigorous exercise or lifting heavy objects immediately after the surgery could prove detrimental to the healing process. Such activities can lead to swelling or bleeding. At the worst, these activities will compel you to part ways with the transplanted hair grafts. Therefore, you should bear patience for at least 10-14 days or as recommended by your surgeon before resuming your exercise regime.
Long-term precautions after a hair transplant
Just like the usual precautions soon after the surgery, you would need to take several essential measures till a long time post-surgery. Here is a glance at a few of them.
1. Healthy and balanced diet
To observe the transplant result and regain beautiful hair density, you must wait several months. The grafts will grow and fall out like natural hair and this is normal. Your hair will start growing naturally as quickly as possible and the grafts will develop in optimal conditions as well. The crucial point here is to have a healthy and balanced diet. Your meals should include food supplements based on vitamins A, B, C, and E, iron, zinc, and copper to regrow hair more quickly.
2. Avoid exposing your head to the sun
The transplanted grafts are delicate and hence need extreme care. To protect your hair from damage and to facilitate optimal healing, make sure to protect your scalp from sun exposure for at least 10 days from the day of surgery. Direct sunlight can harm your newly transplanted hair grafts and hamper the recovery process. Go out under the sun only if necessary and make sure to cover the treated portion with an umbrella or a comfortable hat.
3. Proper dressing and bandage care
After the surgery, the surgeon will dress and bandage your scalp to protect the operated area and the fragile grafts from any undue damage. You should abide strictly by the instructions of your doctor regarding change of dressing and maintaining cleanliness around the treated area. This will also safeguard your scalp from infection and ensure smooth healing.
4. Considerate care for your hair
It is advisable to take good care of your scalp. There should be no rubbing or touching on the recipient area either. Comb or brush your hair carefully so that your grafts remain unaffected. In the initial 10 days, washing your hair should be occasional. Even after you start washing them regularly, be gentle with your hair to avert any instance of graft dislodging from the scalp. Using a mild shampoo recommended by your surgeon will be ideal, as it will not trouble your grafts. Additionally, avoid trying harsh hair products or treatments that include chemicals in high quantities, as they may destroy your transplanted hair.
5. Follow the doctor-prescribed medication
Abiding by the medication prescribed by your surgeon is an inevitable aspect of complete hair care after hair transplant surgery. Make a habit of timely consumption of anti-inflammatory medicines and antibiotics such as Minoxidil or Finasteride. This good habit will help you mitigate swelling, prevent infection, and enhance the survival chances of your transplanted hair grafts. In case of any persistent side-effect that ceases to wither, prompt medical intervention becomes indispensable. Overall, taking the prescribed medication will lead to optimized healing and increase the longevity of your transplanted hair.
6. Regular visits to the doctor
Keep visiting your surgeon at regular intervals to monitor the progress of your hair transplant. Follow-up appointments will also help the doctor to change the medication if required, depending on the existing condition of your hair. If you feel uneasy or discomfort after the surgery, it could be due to some change in your lifestyle or eating habits. Consulting your surgeon will enable you to get away from such unwanted troubles and make way for healthy healing.
Before-surgery Precautions
1. Avoid drinking and smoking
Right from the day your surgeon suggests you go for a hair transplant procedure, you should stop any bad habit that could affect your surgery. Specifically, you should stop drinking alcohol and smoking at least two weeks before the treatment begins. These addictions can narrow down your blood vessels, reducing your blood circulation to the scalp. As a result, the incisions made to perform the treatment will take longer healing time.
2. Disclose your medical history to the surgeon
If you have had any past medical condition or allergy, it is wise to inform your doctor about it. The professional will recommend you stop or defer certain medications accordingly. Usually, the surgeons advise not to consume certain anti-inflammatory drugs or painkillers at least prior to the surgery. These may include Advil, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, herbal products, natural medicines, vitamin B or E tablets, etc. Blood thinners and steroids are also better to avoid, as they can lead to bleeding risks during the surgery.
3. Be careful on and before the day of surgery
Before the surgery, you should take numerous advisable precautions such as:
Bottomline
By adhering to all these defensive measures before and after the surgery, you can prepare yourself for the treatment in a better manner. The expertise of your surgeon will make the treatment even more comfortable. This makes the selection of your hair transplant doctor even more important.
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