What Happens After the Hair Transplant Operation?

Having new hair through a Hair Transplant is a marvelous experience. You have got your lost hair back, and within few months, these transplanted hairs will grow and change your looks. However, this excitement is accompanied by fear – fear to accidently damage your newly planted hair. This fear is reasonable. Everyone should be able to get the most out of his or her transplant without damaging any of these valuable hair grafts.

Let us assume that your surgery has just completed, and you want to leave for home. Following are the important points to take care of after the surgery.

Listen to your surgeon

Your surgeon will give you detailed instruction about your hair care after the surgery. These instructions can be written, verbal, or both. Pay full attention to these instructions. Following these instructions will ensure maximum protection and growth of your transplanted hairs.

The effects of anesthesia

The effects of anesthesia and sedation usually remain, in part, after many hours of the surgery. You are never advised to drive right after the surgery. Have someone to drive you home after the surgery. Have your painkillers handy, because you may feel pain when the effects of anesthesia will subside.

Minor bleeding after the surgery

There may be minor bleeding at donor or recipient area after you get home. Do not worry and apply sterilized gauze on these points and apply light pressure. Bleeding should stop, but if it does not, call your surgeon.

Keeping your head clean and crust free

Many people do not touch their heads after a hair transplant due to the fear of damaging newly transplanted hairs. However, key to good post-op care is keeping your head clean, and it involves some touching. Scalp washing is necessary to avoid crusting and scab formation – growth-hampering factors for transplanted hairs. Here are some key points to remember.

· Do not rub the transplanted area

· Shampoo your hair once or twice daily. A sponge filled with water mixed with shampoo should be used on planted area. Roll the sponge over the grafts. If your surgeon has provided surgical scrub brush, use it as it is ideal for washing grafted area.

· You can apply some force while washing the donor area because there are no planted grafts in this area.

· If your grafts remain wet for too long, they may swell. However, this is not dangerous and they should come to their original condition after drying.

· If the crusts appear larger than the planted grafts, try to get these crusts off by rolling a moist cotton swab over the crusts. I said roll – do not wipe it because wiping may force grafts out.

· Make sure that the grafts remain crust free in the days following the surgery.

If you take care of these points, you will certainly get the most out of your hair transplant. Just to remind you again, listen to the post-op instructions of your surgeon for the optimal care of your regained hairs.