Proper care of the transplants while washing the head is very essential

Post hair restoration care Care in the first 72 hours after your hair

The First Seventy Two Hours after Your Hair Transplant Surgery

About 8 hours after the implantation procedure the local anesthetic injection will start to wear off. This is when you, as a hair transplant recipient, will experience most discomfort.

Most often the pain is in the donor area rather than the recipient area as the donor area is, in effect, a much bigger wound. In many clinics you will be sent home after the procedure with a few acetaminophen and codeine tablets or their equivalent. This is usually quite enough to keep the pain to a minimum, but you should expect some discomfort. You might also be given some sleeping pills to use for the first couple of days. After 24 hours the pain should more or less disappear. If not, then you need to contact the clinic. Prolonged pain may suggest an infection has entered one or more of the wound sites. The clinic needs to deal with this quickly.

A rather crusty looking scalp is to be expected for the first 24-48 hours. It is of no concern, it happens to everyone undergoing a hair transplant. However, if you continue to bleed some hours after the procedure and certainly after 24 hours, then the clinic will probably apply a compression bandage that you wear for another 24 hours until the bleeding subsides. If this is the case you will be called back to the clinic the next day to have the bandage removed. The objective is to have the bandage on for as little time as possible. The grafts heal quicker if they are exposed to the air. Most clinics give patients an antibiotic solution or cream to gently apply over the donor and recipient areas for the next few days. Further crusting is likely in the next three days, but you should not wash your hair with shampoo until after the third day.

In general, you will be called back to the clinic the day after the procedure. The surgeon will examine the wound site and the grafts to make sure they are all in place, correctly orientated, and that they have not been pushed in too deeply as this can cause problems with healing. The area is usually fairly crusty and bloody. It is usually washed gently with a sterile solution using cotton tipped swabs and gauze pads. The hair may then actually be shampooed very gently in the clinic, combed, and dried. With this done, usually the grafts are pretty well hidden unless you look closely. You will not be given another bandage unless you still have some bleeding. A loose fitting cap or hat may be the answer if you want to stop anyone from seeing the new hair transplants in the first three days or so. Try to find a hat with holes in it to avoid heat build up under the hat. However, a hat or cap is only to be used when absolutely necessary. You grafts will heal much quicker and better if they are open to the air, but avoid getting sunburnt as this will hinder the healing process.

Most patients develop some swelling 1-4 days after the operation. This can last for a week or so. In a few cases the swelling can become very bad such that the individual is unable to open their eyes properly. Sleeping in a sitting position or sleeping at a 45 degree angle can help reduce the swelling. A bag of frozen peas or similar applied to the swelling can also help reduce it. The frozen peas/ice should not be directly applied to the implants, rather apply it to your forehead. In the first 1-2 weeks there is an increased chance of infection. You should minimize this by avoiding dirty environments and polluted air as much as possible. Don’t go swimming in public pools or dirty water for at least two weeks after the implant procedure. Your clinic should give you an antiseptic/antibiotic solution or cream to apply to the donor and recipient areas to help limit the chances of infection.

Most clinics suggest you can start washing your hair gently after three days. Normally it is better (more gentle) to do the washing in a sink rather than under the shower head. It also helps to soak the crusting a little with the water before shampooing to help dissolve the crusts. After gentle washing, allow your hair to air dry. Avoid hair dryers and especially hot hair dryers. If you do any exercise or live in a hot climate where you perspire a lot then you need to wash your hair as soon as possible after sweating. Bacteria grow in moist conditions so sweating increases the chances of developing an infection. Most clinics suggest washing your hair every day so that the crusting can be removed fairly quickly. Consult with your clinic for their particular hair care recommendations.