Hair Transplant Post OP. Recovery

(Note: This medical advice is given by Our Medical Center and applies only to our patients who have had their hair transplant procedure performed by our Institute and not other clinics. Other facilities have been known to copy our COPYRIGHTED materials and use it as their own).

Hair restoration is a delicate procedure. Your adherence to the following instructions is ESSENTIAL for YOUR RESULTS BE OPTIMAL. DO NOT SKIP any instructions listed here. No item is unimportant. (WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO REFER TO THESE INSTRUCTIONS EVERYDAY AFTER YOUR HAIR TRANSPLANT PROCEDURE)!

1. DO NOT take ASPIRIN, IBUPROFEN OR BLOOD THINNERS for 3 days after your procedure.DO NOT drink any ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES for at least 3 days after your procedure. These types of medications have blood thinning properties and may result in excessive bleeding. For minor aches and pains or headaches use a non-aspirin medication such as acetaminophen (Extra-strength Tylenol) or the medication prescribed to you by our doctor.

2. The following medications may be given to you following your procedure…

Prednisone, 5 mg.: (Anti-inflammatory) - Take 6 pills (all at once) in the morning on the first day after your procedure. Then take 6 more the next morning and then 6 more again the next morning after that. (For a total 6 pills per day for a total of 3 days). You MUST take this medication with food.

If you had a smaller amount of grafts transplanted; then take 5 pills in the morning on the first day after your procedure…then 4 pills the second morning…then 3 pills the third morning…then 2 pills the fourth morning and finally…1 pill the fifth morning. This medication helps to reducing swelling and/or inflammation. (The medical staff will instruct as to how to take your medication based on the size of your procedure).

Vicodin: (Pain medication) - This medication is prescribed for pain. Alcohol must not be consumed while taking this medication. This could result in extreme drowsiness and even coma. DO NOT operate a vehicle or machinery while taking this medication. Take one table every 4-6 hours for pain or as prescribed.

Cephalexin: (Antibiotic) – Beginning on the night of your procedure, take 1 caplet three times per day for 10 days until all medication is gone. This medication is to prevent infection from normal exposure to everyday elements.

3. Refrain from exercise such as running, cycling, weight lifting, tennis, golf, baseball and soccer…etc. Be very careful when getting in and out of cars and airplanes…etc. for at least 7 days after your procedure. Such activity may result in bleeding by increasing your blood pressure or hitting the area. This may cause loss of grafts and intense swelling around the eyes and forehead. All contact sports are to be avoided for 2 weeks after your procedure. However, you can typically return to work a few days after your surgery as long as it does not put your new grafts at risk.

4. Avoid excessive bending over or engaging in heavy lifting of 30 lbs. or more for at least 48 hours after surgery. Keep your head and upper body elevated above your heart level all times…especially when sleeping. This is to avoid bleeding and excessive swelling. Using a rolled up towel or airplane neck pillow works best at keeping you from accidently rubbing out the grafts and/or disturbing your donor area.

5. Larger grafts may appear as small bumps or slits on the skin surface after surgery. You may also see just a small slit with no hair coming out due to the shaving of your “donor strip only” and that graft being smaller in size as well. WE DO NOT SHAVE ANY AREA OF THE HEAD OTHER THAN THE DONOR STRIP. Once the strip is removed; the area is closed right back up and there is NO hair missing at all! You may also see grafts lying flat to the surface of the skin as well. The final thing you may see is a graft sticking up a little bit due to being larger in size. This is all perfectly normal as different size grafts need to be transplanted at varying depths to ensure perfect and non-detectable healing of the grafts.

6. In occasional circumstances, minor bleeding may occur from one or more of the graft implants. This can be alleviated by using a gauze pad (we will give to you to take home) and getting it moist and then using it to apply light pressure to the bleeding area. Gently hold it there for about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not dab the area with your finger or any paper/tissue type products as they may not be clean or sterile. Be careful not to disrupt any surrounding grafts by applying too much pressure!

7. For the first 2-3 days after your procedure, it is extremely important that you apply ice packs to your forehead area (do not disturb any grafts in your hairline area) and the area in the back of your head as well…both above and below your suture line. A bag of frozen peas makes a really good ice pack. Or you can put some ice in a Ziploc bag as well. Please be sure to use a cloth between the ice pack and your scalp to prevent freezer burn of the skin. NEVER USE ICE DIRECTLY ON YOUR GRAFTS!!!

8. One of the minor side-effects of a hair transplant procedure is swelling. If swelling does occur, it usually happens within 24 to 72 hours after surgery. It is painless and will begin on the forehead and over the bridge of the nose. Although extremely rare; minor swelling may also occur around the eyes as well. If this occurs, do not panic. The swelling will subside in about 2-3 days. Continue to use ice packs on the swollen areas and relax. Refrain from any strenuous activity.

9. Sleep with your head and upper body propped up on 2-3 pillows for the first 3-4 days. This will assist in preventing swelling. Sleeping in a recliner with your head and upper body elevated is also effective. Again, using a rolled up towel or airplane neck pillow while in a chair works really well.

10. Do Not Wash your head under the shower spray or disrupt your new grafts for the first 48 hours after surgery. Then starting on the 3^rd day after your procedure, you will wash your entire head by mixing shampoo and warm water in a cup and pouring it over your entire scalp. Rinse your head the same way. DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS OR ANYTHING TO SCRUB YOUR HEAD…ETC. Use this method of washing your hair/scalp daily for 12 days after your surgery. Again, do not start this washing routine until the 3^rd day after your procedure. After 14 days total post-op, you may resume normal shampooing under the shower spray. If you still have scabs after 14 days, use your FINGERTIPS ONLY (NO FINGERNAILS) to very gently and lightly scrub your scalp. Do not ever try to force any scabs off prematurely. Any scabs that are ready to come off should come off on their own. Keep the scabs and graft sites as clean as possible for several weeks after surgery. Do not pick or scratch the scabs. Doing so can cause infection and endanger the survival of the grafts. Remember, the critical period is 14 days after surgery.

11. To dry your scalp before, during and after the 14 day healing period; apply light pressure on the grafts (no rubbing) with a towel or gauze pads. This will be sufficient to dry your scalp and also absorb any blood that may have formed on or around the graft sites.

12. If you use a blow dryer, only use the COOL SETTING for the first 14 days after surgery. Even warm air could cause minor bleeding at the graft sites.

13. The graft sites will form tiny dot scabs after the surgery. The scabs will fall off in 7-14 days. As the scabs fall off you may notice some hairs shedding and coming off with them. (THIS IS PERFECTLY NORMAL…DO NOT WORRY!) After 4 to 6 months after your procedure your new hair will begin to grow. We normally see it start to grow in 3 to 4 months, but it is perfectly normal for the grafts to take up to 4 to 6 to grow as well. Be Patient!

14. Several weeks after surgery (or anytime thereafter) ingrown hairs may appear. This will take on the appearance of a small pimple or bump in either the donor or recipient areas. Apply a warm washcloth to the area for 10 minutes 3 times a day to get the pore or pimple to open. If necessary, you may also pierce the center of the bump with a needle or pin by dipping the needle or pin in rubbing alcohol first to sterilize it. After 3 days, if there is no relief and/or the area becomes red, swollen, tender or inflamed; contact us at 954-541-2187 for further instructions. If we do not answer, just leave a message and we will call you back right away or the next day.

15. Avoid getting your head wet from swimming in the ocean and/or a swimming pool for 14 days after your procedure.

16. Avoid sun exposure for 3 months after your surgery. Your new graft sites have fresh baby skin forming and healing and direct sunlight can cause discoloration and/or a scarring effect to your graft sites. Therefore making it difficult for the new hairs to grow through the skin. Wearing a loose fitting hat or scarf is recommended. After 3 months we recommend exposing your scalp to sunlight in increasing increments of 10 minutes per day. For example: 10 minutes the first day and then 20 the next…etc.

17. You have the option of getting your suture removed 14 days or later after your procedure. You may return to our office (by appointment only) to have us remove your sutures or you may see your local physician or go to a walk-in-clinic in your area. Avoid going to another hair transplant clinic as they may not be familiar with our suturing methods and are not obligated to see another clinics patients and/or provide medical treatment. That is what your doctor and/or other medical offices are for. If your private doctor or other medical office personnel have any questions regarding removing your sutures, please contact our office and we will be happy to provide any information they need.

18. The above post-operative hair transplant recovery instructions are provided and recommended by our Medical Center only. We strongly advise you to follow the instructions here precisely.

19. If you have any problems, questions or concerns following your surgery, call us at 954-541-2187 and we will be happy to assist you. Again, if there is not answer, just leave a message and we will get back to you right away or the next day…depending on the urgency of the situation.

20. One thing to keep in mind is that hair transplants are an investment that grows! The number one most important thing to remember is that it will take at least a few months for you to just start to see any growth happening. Don’t panic or stress out if you do not see growth right away. This is perfectly normal. Undue stress and worry can do bodily harm and affect your healing and overall success of your procedure. Just relax and let nature take its course.

To get a better Idea of how your Donor Area will look like (done correctly) go to our Scar Revision Page.

If you have had a Hair Transplant Surgery of any sort,

you need to read our Important Density Sessions Page!

Once again, be sure to refer to these instructions as needed.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our office. Your comfort and customer satisfaction is our primary concern. This means we are here to help you BEFORE your procedure, DURING your procedure and AFTER your procedure. Once you leave our office, our care and concern for your satisfaction does not end there. So please do not hesitate to contact us with your post-op questions. We are always here for you!