Though Thanksgiving has past in the U.S., the holiday travel season carries on through most of the months of December and into February as people celebrate both the Western New Year and Chinese New Year, not to mention Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and family obligations.
Much like many of our self-care routines when we travel, hair care tends to become sidelined as we find ourselves trying to pack everything we need while avoiding the ever-present limitations of TSA and making sure we pack our finest clothes (or ugliest Holiday sweater!) to look our best!
Unfortunately, that often means settling for alternative hair care products either at the location where you end up staying, purchasing alternatives to your normal care products in the “travel” section at your local department store, or simply forgoing some of your routine altogether.
Packing Your Travel Bag For Flight
With changes seemingly coming every other day regarding travel requirements, and each airport and airline implementing their own particular guidelines and limitations, it can be difficult to know how to pack for a trip by air.
It’s always best to check the TSA website before you travel to make sure the rules haven’t changed, especially for liquids, as most Hair Care products will be at least partially liquid and fall under this guideline. However, these rules are specifically for luggage being carried onto the plane. That means your personal belongings and anything stored under the seat or up in the overhead compartments need to meet these guidelines, but your checked luggage doesn’t!
So, let’s say you’ve had a Hair Transplantation procedure recently, and you have been following all of Dr. Williams’ instructions for hair care, and you want to continue to do so. What should you do?
Checking a Bag
Obviously, the easiest way to make sure you bring all of your hair-care products is to check a bag that contains all of the products you need.
If you have the ability to check a bag, consider the following tips:
- Pack more than what you think you’ll need.
- Place products that you have in bulk into travel containers. Look for anything that is leak-proof and seals!
- Even in checked bags, make sure to place products in sealed plastic bags to both protect both the product and other items in your luggage.
- Consider packing the large product in your luggage, and fill travel containers (such as those below) and keeping a back-up in your carry-on in case of lost bags.
- If there is room, consider packing your primary hair brush in your carry-on.
After a Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) or Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), you will need to make sure you are taking extra care of your scalp, hair, and follicles to ensure maximum Hair Recovery and long-lasting results.
You don’t want to skimp on hair-care products even for a week at Aunt Sally’s, so make sure you bring everything you need with you so that after the fun is over, your Hair Restoration still looks amazing, so checking a bag with all of the products you might need is the ideal way to take care of your hair over the holiday travel season.
Carry-On Only
What if you’re only going for a weekend or day trip and don’t want to spend the ridiculous prices for checked bags for such a short trip? Fortunately, there are a lot of options for these as well!
- Much like when packing for a checked bag, you will want to find containers that are TSA approved to carry your products in.
- While packing for only a short trip, it is still important to find room for your hair brush to ensure your scalp and hair follicles are treated appropriately!
- Pack a smaller hand towel of the soft material your Hair Restoration specialist recommends to dry your hair without damaging your scalp.
- Try to wash and dry your hair immediately prior to the trip to reduce the number of washes away from home.
Planning For Fun!
So you’re all packed and ready to go, but what about all of the other things that come with holiday travel?
For tips about taking care of your hair over the Holidays, you can take a look at last week’s post for more details, but let’s look at some specifics involving travel.
Think about where you are traveling to!
It’s easy to remember to protect your scalp and hair when you’re in a sunny place like Hawai’i, California, or Florida, but in places where it gets cold and there is snow on the ground there is still sunlight beaming down on you!
Especially shortly after a Hair Transplantation procedure, you must be sure to cover your head while exposed to the sun using a loose-fitting cap as instructed by your surgeon. Transplanted hair follicles especially, from FUT or FUE, need to be protected from UV rays to ensure they stay healthy and strong, and they also need to avoid being smothered with a tight cap, so be sure to follow all instructions about sun exposure even if it’s cold outside!
Watch what you consume
We all know that the Holiday feasts are a big part of why we travel at all. Who doesn’t want some of Grandma’s holiday cinnamon rolls or their cousin’s “special” egg nog?
Enjoy the feast! But also remember to take it easy with your favorite adult beverages if you’ve recently undergone Hair Restoration or Transplantation procedures. Alcohol has a tendency to interrupt blood flow, which is an essential part of the healing and growth process of a Hair Transplantation procedure.
So, enjoy a cup of that egg nog, but maybe don’t drink the whole bowl, so that when you check back in with Dr. Williams after the holidays he can tell you that your Follicular Unit Transplantation is looking Terrific, your Follicular Unit Excision is looking Excellent, or your Low Level Laser Therapy has left your hair looking Luscious.
Want To Know More About Hair Restoration?
The holidays, when you visit and meet with people you may not have seen in a while, and the upcoming new year often lead to self-reflection. While you should always be happy with you, that doesn’t mean you can’t start looking at ways to make yourself happier. If you have struggled with Hair Loss or Baldness, there are options out there waiting for you.
If you have questions about where to start with Hair Restoration, whether it is a viable solution for you, or questions about the different procedures available, contact Dr. Joseph Williams today to find out how you can start your journey to a new look today.
