In earlier segments of the journey, we’ve covered quite a bit. From first detection to diet and medicine to preparation and the bits in between, we have you in mind.
If you have finished your procedure, you will need to know what to expect afterward. And the most important thing you can do is follow your doctor’s directions. It is tempting to rush to get back to normal, but the goal is to have the best-looking results possible with the least amount of scarring, so the more you stick to your doctor’s instructions, the more likely you will have the results you want.
Each procedure varies in its Post-Op care, so we will discuss the most common procedures, Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT).
Post-Op Care Dos
DO continue hair-care activities as directed by your doctor.
Generally, you want to avoid wetting the hair for the first three days after the procedure, and then you will want to continue washing but with mild shampoos and conditioners, usually three days or so after your surgery. It is still important to take care of your scalp by keeping it clean!
This process will likely be customized for you and will usually entail using a pitcher or container to wet the head in the non-grafted areas and allowing the water to run over the grafts, avoiding the direct impact of the water on the affected areas. Pay attention to your doctor’s instructions here, as there will likely be specific steps that you need to follow daily for at least the first-week Post-Op.
DO use any hair covering provided or suggested after the surgery as directed.
Your surgeon might provide you with a cap or other covering or suggest one to wear in certain circumstances, particularly if outside or in a location where the affected areas might become contaminated with dust or other particles. This will protect the area from infection and improper healing.
DO sleep with your head at a 45-degree angle.
This will keep the swelling in the area down and help discourage blood from pooling and causing discomfort in the areas of the procedure. This is usually only necessary for the first two or three nights after your procedure, but pay attention to your body and do what works best for you.
DO carefully use ice to help reduce swelling (But not ON the transplanted areas!).
The forehead is the most common site for swelling, so the best way to control it is to use ice on the area (wrapped in a cloth to protect your skin). However, it may be tempting to use ice on the sites where the procedure itself was done, but don’t!
It’s important to let the follicles heal before doing anything to affect their potential, and the rapid, extreme temperature changes that can occur with ice packs could cause damage to the follicles, encourage scarring, or interfere with the process in other ways.
DO avoid dust, dirt, and other particles.
You want to allow your new look to settle and heal, so that means staying away from places where you are likely to have your new treatment contaminated. It’s important to think about how much is in the air that we don’t see, including dirt, dust, pollen, chemicals, and so on, especially in the workplace.
DO plan to take at least 3 days off from work, but a whole week if possible.
It’s difficult in this fast-paced world to take time off work, but this is a procedure that you have been waiting for and want the best results from. This means making sure your body can heal, and that means you need to rest and keep away from potentially damaging situations.
If you can work from home at a light pace, that would be ideal, but if possible, allowing your body to recover and resting in as comfortable an environment as possible will create the best results.
Post-Op Care Don’ts
DON’T expose the affected areas to direct sunlight.
If you must go outside, be sure to use an appropriate head covering that is loose, breathable, and will not compress the grafts. This will last for about three weeks, so even after you start to feel like it is healed, you will want to make sure that you are reminding yourself to be careful of sunlight exposure on the affected areas. The sun causes damage, especially if out for too long, and the scalp and surgically affected areas are more susceptible to damage, which might negatively affect the results of the procedure.
DON’T pick or scratch off scabs.
It’s tempting, and you might think it won’t be a big deal, but hair follicles are tiny as it is, and every time you pick at a scab, you are potentially damaging dozens of follicles that you just went to the trouble of having transplanted. Be sure to follow your doctor’s Post-Op care instructions, which will include some specific techniques to care for the affected areas.
DON’T drink alcohol or take aspirin or other blood-thinning products.
Don’t worry; this isn’t forever – in fact, it’s only for a week – and your doctor might specify exceptions based on your medical needs, but alcohol and aspirin can encourage bleeding and slow down the healing process, which means you will have a longer recovery time and become more likely to negatively affect the procedure’s results.
Make sure you talk to your doctor about when you can resume any medications that were stopped for the procedure, and make sure to check with your general practitioner to keep them in the loop as well.
DON’T go into chlorinated or high-concentration water for 2 weeks.
This timeframe might be different based on your procedure, so check with your doctor, but it will be important to limit your exposure to the damaging effects of high-salination and chlorine-filled waters for two weeks after your procedure. The exposure could cause infection, new damage, or negative results for the outcome of the procedure, so it’s best to just stay away for the two weeks – then come back with your new look, ready to tackle that swim.
DON’T lift weights or do any heavy lifting for 2 weeks.
Have you ever noticed how your whole body is involved in lifting heavy objects? That includes your facial muscles and all the rest of your body, which tenses up and shifts as your body handles the added strain. Lifting like this can damage sutures, or it could even cause the specially-made incisions your doctor made to avoid scarring to expand into larger tear wounds, causing scarring and increasing the healing time for your recovery.
If you have a job that requires this sort of activity, make sure you have planned ahead and asked for light duty for the necessary time, or just take the time off to relax while you heal up and recover.
We’ll continue with more helpful tips next time regarding after-procedure care and styling techniques.
