AFTER HAIR TRANSPLANTATION

“After the treatment, you need to pay attention to several things, especially in the first few days, which are crucial.”

What should you consider after the hair transplantation?

After the treatment, you need to pay attention to several things for the first month, especially the first few days are crucial. Additionally, you should wash your hair with the special shampoo and lotion provided by us for 10 days after the treatment.

These postoperative instructions provide you with a lot of information about aftercare and what to expect following a hair transplant. It aids in the care of your scalp and the treatment of the transplant site. Please follow these instructions carefully, and consult with us if you are unsure about how to properly care for your scalp after a hair transplant.

Don’t worry; we are here for you. Our team will provide you with detailed guidelines before your arrival and after your departure.

Please read the following guidelines to better understand the patient protocol after your hair transplant.

  • We recommend avoiding intensive exercises for at least ten days after hair transplantation. Light exercises such as walking, yoga, or gentle exercises are fine after the fourth postoperative day.
  • We advise against going to saunas, steam rooms, or staying in places that can be very hot and increase sweating; these activities are as harmful as exercises or sports. You should not go to saunas or steam rooms for 1 month after hair transplantation, as they cause excessive sweating.
  • One of the most important precautions after hair transplantation is to avoid direct sunlight. After hair transplantation, you should protect your scalp from prolonged direct sunlight for 1 month. Excessive direct sun exposure not only damages the surface of the treated scalp but can also affect deeper tissues and cause serious damage.
  • Intercourse can cause a person to sweat. After hair transplantation, sweating should be avoided, and intercourse is also not recommended in the first few days after the treatment.
  • Because smoking prolongs the recovery period, it is in your best interest to quit smoking for a week after the treatment. Nicotine stiffens blood vessels and narrows them.
  • After hair transplantation, patients should avoid excessive sweating for a month to prevent damage to transplanted grafts. If the patient lives in a warm climate, it is recommended to stay indoors as much as possible in the first 2-3 weeks after the procedure.
  • After a hair transplant, you should not swim for two weeks. This period allows the grafts and the donor area time to heal. After two weeks, the grafts are safely implanted and protected under the scalp, and there should be no risk of infection.
  • Patients should avoid drinking alcoholic beverages for at least two weeks after hair transplantation.
  • It is important not to scratch for a month as it can remove scabs and slow down the healing process. Instead of scratching your scalp with your nail, you can gently rub the area.
  • You should avoid wearing a helmet or hat for a month. Wearing a helmet or hat after a hair transplant can damage your newly implanted hair grafts. It also causes sweat.
  • You can return to work 5 days after your treatment. However, people with heavy work may need to wait longer to return to work, 7 to 14 days for very heavy work.
  • You should avoid excessive movements, such as quickly turning your head or bumping your head against a headboard.
  • Proper sleep helps patients heal well and keeps the hair grafts intact. Patients should sleep with their face up, using a neck pillow, for the first five nights. You should avoid anything that could disturb the new grafts in the first few days to ensure a firm grip on your scalp.
  • To sleep comfortably after a hair transplant and prevent infection, it is crucial to have clean sheets and pillowcases. Make sure to use a detergent that is free of allergens so as not to irritate the scalp while it is healing.
  • Only after day 10 of your treatment, you may start gently massaging your hair to get rid of any scabs from the healing process. During the massage, make sure not to scratch the area for a few more weeks.
  • For the first 10 days after the treatment, a special lotion should be used during washing, which you will receive from us.
  • After the treatment, you should use a special shampoo that we provide for 10 days.
  • After a hair transplant, ensure that your newly implanted grafts are not exposed to water under pressure or high temperatures for a month. Therefore, it is important to adjust the water to be lukewarm with low pressure instead of hot and high pressure.
  • You can use a hairdryer on cool air and at a moderate distance from your head one week after your hair transplant.
  • Do not comb or brush your hair for 2 weeks after the treatment. After this period, you can gently start combing your hair in the non-implanted areas, but it is crucial not to scratch, comb, or brush the implanted areas.
  • Do not use towels to dry your hair a month after the treatment. Use a hairdryer on a cool air setting and at a moderate distance from your head.
  • Do not use aggressive hair care products, including gels and conditioner, for 3 months after your transplant. You may start using hair gels and sprays at least two to three months after the treatment.
  • You should start the hair washing process the day after the hair transplant for 10 days and follow the instructions. On day 2 in Istanbul, we wash your hair and demonstrate the process; it is not difficult once you have seen it. If all scabs are removed after 10/12 days, you no longer need to use lotion, and you can resume using your regular shampoo for washing, gently rubbing the shampoo with your fingertips.
  • There may be a burning sensation in the recipient and donor areas after hair transplantation for 2-4 days, which is generally tolerable.
  • After transplantation, numbness may occur for a short period. It will return to normal within three weeks, but sometimes it can take 2 to 6 weeks. Recovery takes some time, and the lack of sensation will decrease and disappear over time with the regeneration of sensory nerves.
  • Itching is a sign of healing, and it is entirely normal to feel it a few days after the treatment. Do not scratch or pick at the transplanted area. Itching can last for a week.
  • A haircut with scissors is allowed after a month, but you should not use a razor for at least four months.
  • During the initial period, bumping the head can result in a lost graft. Therefore, be careful not to bump your head anywhere after your hair transplant.
  • Especially in the donor area, a burning sensation may occur four days after the treatment. In this case, it is advisable to apply the moisturizing lotion to your donor area only three or four times a day and wait for it to be absorbed.
  • At the end of the first 4 months after a hair transplant, hair clippers can be used. A haircut with scissors is allowed after a month, but you should not use clippers for at least four months.
  • Although it is possible to dye the hair after a hair transplant, it is important to wait for a few weeks because newly implanted hair follicles are sensitive. Harsh dyes can hinder their growth during recovery. It is recommended that patients wait at least four to six months or until the scalp is fully healed before dyeing the hair.
  • Swelling of the face after hair transplantation usually occurs between the 2nd and 7th day after the treatment. Post-inflammatory swelling is generally a secondary response to the healing of your scalp. To minimize swelling in the forehead or around the eyes, you can apply an ice pack to the eyebrows every hour for 15 minutes, not on the transplants. Swelling is part of the healing process and usually disappears within 5-7 days.
  • Within the first few months after the treatment, the patient can expect new hair growth. This new growth cycle usually varies from patient to patient, but it will be visible approximately three months after the procedure. The newly transplanted hair will start thin but gradually become denser and thicker over time.
  • The patient can expect further hair growth for up to three to six months after the procedure. Additionally, this is also the stage where the patient will notice that the newly transplanted hair has become significantly thicker. Patients will observe consistency in their hair during this phase.
  • Within about 12 months, you will see the final results of your hair transplant.
  • Hair loss after a hair transplant, medically known as shock loss, is quite common. The shedding of newly transplanted hair is considered a normal consequence of any hair transplant. Shock hair loss is entirely natural and causes regrowth of the transplanted follicles.

THE 10-DAY HAIR WASH PROCESS

The 10-day hair washing process after the treatment

Washing helps to remove scabs and accelerate the healing process. We will provide you with a shampoo and a lotion for the hair washing procedure.

You should start the hair washing process after the hair transplant and follow the instructions once a day for 10 days.

If all scabs are removed after 10/12 days, you no longer need to use lotion, and you can resume using your own shampoo for washing, gently rubbing the shampoo with your fingertips.

Important note: please be aware that you may lose the transplanted hair within the first two months. This is called shock loss and is entirely normal; you don’t need to worry, as it occurs regularly.