During this stage of your hair restoration timeline, you’re excited to get out and show people the new you. Last time, we learned about when to begin using haircare products and which ingredients are best. Let’s talk more about the intricacies of styling.
What Kinds Of Hair Styling Products Should I Use Post-Transplant?
This is going to depend on what kind of look you are going for, what kind of procedure you received, and how long it’s been since your transplantation. Here are some general guidelines about common hairstyling products that you can use in conjunction with your Hair Transplant Specialist’s advice.
- Mousse
Once you have the doctor’s all-clear, mousse is a great option for hairstyling after a transplant because it helps add volume and make your hair look fuller.
There are many mousse products on the market that use natural ingredients and that don’t have the harsh chemicals that many other products have, so look for those to enhance your new look.
- Hairspray
This is by far the most commonly used product on the list, but it also has the tendency to be the most harmful to post-transplant hair and scalps.
Hairsprays contain aerosols that propel the product out of the can. Many other normal hairspray ingredients, like alcohol, gum Arabic, and harsh polymers to keep the hair stiff, are part of the problem.
Be sure to look into products that don’t contain ingredients that can damage the scalp after FUE and FUT treatments. Consider other styling products for a while after your procedure because the artificial stiffness these products create allows for more buildup on the scalp around the follicles and has the potential for more brittle, more easily damaged hair.
If you have questions, ask your Hair Transplantation Specialist about the products you currently use. They can give you some recommendations.
- Gels
Like hairsprays, gels are used to make hair stand up and achieve some sort of artificial stiffness for a specific desired look. Gels are slightly more concerning after a hair transplant than other styling products because they tend to be thicker and also tend to leave areas of sticky residue on the scalp after use.
In most cases, Hair Transplantation starts with the follicles, which means that you are either transplanting individual follicles with FUE or sections of the scalp with follicles with FUT. Gel can leave buildup that covers the follicles, forces the hair to remain upright, or clogs the follicles and prevents healthy growth and recovery.
This doesn’t mean you can’t ever use hair gel again, however. The important thing is to remember to honor the investment you have made in your new look and to follow your surgeon’s advice. If you want to continue using gel products, consider waiting a few months after your procedure to let your scalp and hair recover and learn how your new look sits naturally.
What Kinds Of Styling Tools Should I Use Post-Transplant?
There is an endless number of hairstyling tools on the market today, including straighteners, curlers, flat irons, hair dryers, and more. So what is safe to use after a transplant, and what isn’t?
- Hair Dryers
Hair Dryers are pretty safe, right? Everyone uses them, so it can’t be that bad…? However, it can be dangerous for people after a procedure. Make sure to ask your doctor when you can begin using a hair dryer after your visit. Much like you want to avoid sunlight on your scalp for a while after your procedure, you want to avoid excessive heat on your scalp and hair to avoid damaging the follicles or hair itself.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use them though. With hair dryers, it is important to find one that has a room temperature or cool setting, which will allow you to avoid the excessive heat that many of them produce. You also want to make sure you have one with several speed options so you can use a lower setting to avoid causing strain on the hair and follicles during the drying process. Remember – hair is actually more brittle when it is wet, so be careful with it.
- Flat-Irons, Straighteners, and Curlers
This is a tough one. All of these products tend to rely on excessive heat to produce the desired result. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use them… eventually. You want to wait for a while after your procedure to use these products, specifically depending upon your doctor’s advice, but a general rule of thumb is to wait at least three months before using any of these tools on your hair.
Specifically, after receiving LLLT or FUT, you will want to be very wary of putting heat near your scalp because your scalp is going to be healing from the procedure, and an accidental burn or contact with the hot surface could cause permanent damage to your new procedure.
When and if you decide to use these, similar to the hair dryer advice, the first thing you want to do is make sure you find one with a temperature readout on it with multiple temperature settings. You will want to use the coolest setting possible to avoid damaging your hair.
This might make the process take a little longer, but the slow exposure to the heat and lower temperature allow the hair to avoid the damage of a sudden burst of heat and will allow you to enjoy your new look for a longer period of time.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, we all want to look amazing every day, but remember that post-transplant care requires some patience and, likely, a change in habit from previous hair-care behaviors.
As always, ask your doctor about specific tips, products, and tools that you might use or plan to use on your hair and scalp post-transplant. We’ll cover more in the near future, stay tuned.
