If you’re considering hair restoration surgery, it’s important to understand the procedure, the expected recovery, and necessary post-surgery protocols.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a minimally invasive surgery where hair follicles extracted from a donor site under local anesthesia are transplanted to areas on your scalp experiencing genetic hair loss. With the FUT technique, the surgeon will cut a strip of skin from the back or side of your head to extract individual hair follicles, which are then implanted into the fitting locations on the scalp.
So, what is the average healing time after FUT hair transplantation?
Your head should be healed and scab-free within ten days after a FUT procedure. After surgery, the transplanted hair grafts will go through several phases before achieving your desired results.
Here’s a timeline of what you can expect in the months following your FUT hair transplant:
- 1-7 Days After Surgery
Even though FUT hair transplants are a one-day outpatient procedure, your surgeon may need you to come back for a check-up and hair wash a day after surgery. The donor and recipient areas are just starting to heal, so you can expect mild swelling in the forehead area for the first few days. Swelling can begin on day two or three but should completely dissipate by day six.
After surgery, it’s important to refrain from heavy sun exposure or use any hair products not recommended by your physician.
- 10-14 Days After Surgery
Surgical staples will be removed about two weeks after surgery. Any redness that has lingered will be completely gone by now. However, the recipient area may remain slightly pinkish for several weeks.
The transplanted hair shafts will also begin shedding at this point. Don’t worry; the follicle grafts are at this point healthy, and this is a completely normal and expected part of the hair growth cycle.
- 1-2 Months After Surgery
The distinction between the transplanted and other areas of your scalp will have largely disappeared. Hair growth isn’t immediate and can take 3 to 5 months for you to notice new growth.
The good news is you can resume your pre-surgery exercise routine, including going swimming.
- 2-4 Months After Surgery
In this “resting phase,”” you will look pretty much the same way you did before your operation. But this can vary from patient to patient. Some people experience new growth at about three months. You may also notice the formation of acne-like pimples. This is nothing to worry about – it’s just a sign that new hair is trying to push through your scalp. A warm compress may help alleviate their appearance and any discomfort.
That said, the absence of these pimples does not mean your hair isn’t growing. Be patient; you’ll experience new hair growth soon.
- 5-10 Months After Surgery
5 to 6 months after the procedure, you can expect to see considerable new growth. Your initial hairs will have a baby-fine texture that will thicken over time. By about ten months after surgery, your hair will be much longer and thicker. You may continue to see occasional pimples during this time period.
- 1 Year After Surgery
Generally speaking, the newly transplanted hair is fully grown a year after your FUT procedure. The hair that is now growing will continue to do so for the rest of your life. But improvements may continue well over a year after the surgery. There’s no special regiment required to care for the new hair, and you can cut and style your hair any way you wish.
Are You Ready to Start Your New Hair Growth Journey?
When hair transplant surgery is performed under the supervision of a qualified and experienced physician, the results can last a lifetime. Schedule a consultation today to find out more about what you can expect from a FUT hair transplant.
