What to Expect After a Hair Transplant Surgery
So you finally had the surgery done.
Are you expecting a scalp full of hair that seems like you just deducted 10 or 20 years from your age? If so, I hate to tell you this but the desired result do not happen right after the surgery.
There would still be a lot of swelling and special guidelines and medications are given to help with the healing process.
Here are some of the things that you would be expecting after a hair transplant surgery.
Day after the surgery There would be some blood left in the transplanted area.
Because of this, the client is instructed to thoroughly wash their scalp.
However, you need to do it gently because there will still be some soreness and numbness on the donor area.
Two to Three days after Some swelling and redness on the forehead may appear but the most of the scabbing will be gone in the transplanted area.
Though the numbness on the donor are still continues, the soreness begins to disappear.
Four to Six days after In most cases, the swelling on the transplanted are has subsided.
However, if the swelling is still present, it may settle across the area on the nose, eyes, and the cheeks.
As for the donor area, residual crusting can easily be washed away with running water.
End of first week Swelling and redness are generally gone both in the transplanted and the donor area.
The transplanted area started to grow like a week-old beard.
See your doctor for a follow-up check up.
Tenth day The follicle grafts on the transplanted area should be firmly in place.
If there is any residual crusting in this area, you can gently scrub it off or wash it with running water.
If the staples on the donor area are not removed during your first follow-up check-up, your doctor may ask you to return to have it removed on the tenth day.
End of second week You may now return to your usual hair hygiene (shampooing and brushing) because the grafts are now permanently in place.
Also, expect that the transplanted hair begins to shed off to give way for new hair growth.
As for the donor area, the sutures are now beginning to absorb and numbness are unlikely to happen.
End of third week You will experience constant shedding of the transplanted hair.
Do not worry though because this is normal.
This indicates that new hair is on its way.
End of First Month Since the normal cycle of hair growth includes a resting phase, your new hair will be on this phase during the end of the first month post-surgery.
You would now look like your balding self again but this won't be for long.
Two to Five months after There will be new hair growing from the transplant area.
Initially, the new hair is very fine but this will eventually improve overtime.
Six to Nine months after You'll be happy to know that you can now start grooming your hair because it has now grown longer and thicker.
Though there are slight textural changes, this only happens occasionally.
Tenth month Your doctor will see you on your second follow up check-up.
The progress will be evaluated and you s/he will further assess if a second session is needed.
If so, you may have the second session during this time because the donor area has now been restored.
A year after You can now appreciate the final result of the first session of your hair transplant.
One to two years after Your hair is now longer, thicker, and fuller.
You may want to consider getting a haircut.
The transplanted area will now look normal and any signs of procedure are unnoticeable.
Are you expecting a scalp full of hair that seems like you just deducted 10 or 20 years from your age? If so, I hate to tell you this but the desired result do not happen right after the surgery.
There would still be a lot of swelling and special guidelines and medications are given to help with the healing process.
Here are some of the things that you would be expecting after a hair transplant surgery.
Day after the surgery There would be some blood left in the transplanted area.
Because of this, the client is instructed to thoroughly wash their scalp.
However, you need to do it gently because there will still be some soreness and numbness on the donor area.
Two to Three days after Some swelling and redness on the forehead may appear but the most of the scabbing will be gone in the transplanted area.
Though the numbness on the donor are still continues, the soreness begins to disappear.
Four to Six days after In most cases, the swelling on the transplanted are has subsided.
However, if the swelling is still present, it may settle across the area on the nose, eyes, and the cheeks.
As for the donor area, residual crusting can easily be washed away with running water.
End of first week Swelling and redness are generally gone both in the transplanted and the donor area.
The transplanted area started to grow like a week-old beard.
See your doctor for a follow-up check up.
Tenth day The follicle grafts on the transplanted area should be firmly in place.
If there is any residual crusting in this area, you can gently scrub it off or wash it with running water.
If the staples on the donor area are not removed during your first follow-up check-up, your doctor may ask you to return to have it removed on the tenth day.
End of second week You may now return to your usual hair hygiene (shampooing and brushing) because the grafts are now permanently in place.
Also, expect that the transplanted hair begins to shed off to give way for new hair growth.
As for the donor area, the sutures are now beginning to absorb and numbness are unlikely to happen.
End of third week You will experience constant shedding of the transplanted hair.
Do not worry though because this is normal.
This indicates that new hair is on its way.
End of First Month Since the normal cycle of hair growth includes a resting phase, your new hair will be on this phase during the end of the first month post-surgery.
You would now look like your balding self again but this won't be for long.
Two to Five months after There will be new hair growing from the transplant area.
Initially, the new hair is very fine but this will eventually improve overtime.
Six to Nine months after You'll be happy to know that you can now start grooming your hair because it has now grown longer and thicker.
Though there are slight textural changes, this only happens occasionally.
Tenth month Your doctor will see you on your second follow up check-up.
The progress will be evaluated and you s/he will further assess if a second session is needed.
If so, you may have the second session during this time because the donor area has now been restored.
A year after You can now appreciate the final result of the first session of your hair transplant.
One to two years after Your hair is now longer, thicker, and fuller.
You may want to consider getting a haircut.
The transplanted area will now look normal and any signs of procedure are unnoticeable.