Pre & Post hair transplant instructions

• last update date : 2021-06-03

Pre & Post hair transplant instructions

You might be lucky enough to choose the right medical center which can ensure a successful hair transplant, as they have a professional medical team and adopt the latest techniques in the hair transplant field. However, getting guaranteed results still falls on you by taking into consideration the right instructions before and after hair transplantation.

In this article, we will shed light on the most important pre and post-operative instructions which must be taken into account to get favorable results after the operation.

Instructions before the hair transplant procedure

Although hair transplant is not a surgical procedure that requires general anesthesia, it is still a procedure that is performed inside an operation room and needs a set of necessary pre-operative instructions which must be followed, making sure a successful operation:

1.  The candidate for a hair transplant should make sure to perform a couple of medical examinations by which he can check his current medical condition and discover if he is qualified for a hair transplant or must avoid it. For example, some people who suffer from blood diseases or diabetes, should not perform hair transplants.
2. Smoking has bad effects on the operation results. So, people who get used to smoking a lot should consider that smoking may affect their results after the operation. It is recommended to avoid smoking for 2 weeks. Those people who can not quit for 2 weeks, must avoid it for 24 hours at least before the operation.
3. Alcoholic beverages are also not good for operation. The candidate should avoid drinking alcohol for a week before the operation.
4. The candidate should tell his doctor about all his current medications. Some medicines, such as aspirin and anti-inflammation medications which may cause bleeding during the operation, so the patient should avoid them for two weeks after consulting his doctor. 
5. The patient should avoid spicy food for at least 3 days before the operation.
6. On the operatıon day, the patient is encouraged to consider the following instructions:

• Avoid consuming caffeinated beverages which may affect the operation badly.
• Try to wear loose clothes which can be taken off easily.
• Avoid wearing makeup on the day of the operation.
• Sleep enough before the operation.

Instructions after a hair transplant procedure

Once your hair transplant is done and come back home, you should know that you have to be very careful of your new implanted hair grafts, since they are still fragile. Here are some instructions which you should follow after your operation to ensure good results.

1. You are recommended to sleep with your head elevated for 5 days at least after your operation. Avoid sleeping on your tummy or side or rubbing your implanted hair grafts against a pillow.
2. If you experience swelling, you can use ice packs above your eyebrows, it can help you prevent swelling.
3. Keep wearing your bandage around your donor area for 2 days, to avoid any possible infection.
4. Drink a lot of water after your hair transplant. Hydration is very useful for your results.
5. Don't scratch your scalp, otherwise, you will damage your new hair grafts.
6. Avoid exposing your scalp to direct sunlight for a long time, especially the first days after the operation. After a couple of days, you can go outside under sunlight, but make sure you cover up your head with a hat you received from the hospital.
7. Don’t do any heavy exercise for a week at least after your procedure.
8.  Be careful during wearing or taking off your clothes on the first days after your operation. In this period, your hair grafts are still fragile, so any wrong move might affect them and damage them.
9. Drinking alcohol direclty after your operation is wrong. Alcohol can hamper your blood supply to your scalp affecting your newly implanted hair grafts. Therefore, you are recommended to quit for a week after your operation.
10. Smoking is also a bad habit that can be harmful to your results after your operation if you return directly to smoking. Smoking can reduce blood flow to your new implant grafts, which in turn affect their healthy growth. Therefore, you should wait at least a month after your operation.

Hair washing after hair transplant

After your hair transplant, hair washing is a very important process for ensuring the best results. Therefore, there are some instructions for the right hair washing after hair transplant you should consider:

• Firstly, gently apply lotion on the implanted area of your scalp and leave it for 20 minutes.
• Wash your hair with warm water to remove the lotion from your scalp completely.
• Then, put a little amount of a special shampoo in your hand and spread it over your scalp gently, and wash it with water.
• Finally, dry your scalp well with medical gauze or a soft piece of cloth gently. Then, you can apply a certain kind of cream on your scalp and leave it for the next day.