After an FUE or FUT hair transplant, most patients can return to work within 1-2 weeks, depending on the type of work, healing progress, and other individual factors. While some patients can return sooner, downtime is essential to protect grafts, prevent complications, and ensure optimal long-term results.
This article guides hair transplant patients on safely returning to work, showing how to protect grafts, reduce risks, manage recovery timelines, and maintain workplace privacy. It offers practical advice for scheduling leave, working from home, and concealing signs of surgery to ensure both safe recovery and confidence at work.
Key takeaways
We recommend that all FUE patients take at least a week off work after their hair transplant. This gives your grafts time to heal, minimising the risk of damage or dislodgement, and ensures you feel well enough to return to work.
If you’re concerned about people knowing about your hair transplant, it’s best to take at least 2 weeks off, as there will be some lingering signs of surgery 1 week post-hair transplant.
FUT patients can also return to work after a week. Your stitches may not have dissolved by this point, but your donor area should be healed enough that it’s safe to return to work, especially if you don’t have a physical job.
Those who work in physically demanding jobs may be advised to wait 2 weeks before going back to work after FUT, as it’s important not to put any undue strain on the wound before it’s properly healed.
Some patients may be advised to take longer than the standard 1-2 weeks off work. This may be the case if:
If you can’t take a full week off work for any reason, you may be able to return to work sooner if:
That said, we must emphasise the importance of getting enough downtime after your hair transplant. The initial hair transplant recovery period is one of the most important factors for ensuring great results in the long-term, so it is best to take at least a full week off, even if you feel well after a couple of days. Ideally, most of the scabs should have come away from your scalp by the time you go back to work.
This table shows some popular jobs and when workers in these roles can normally go back to work after a hair transplant.
Note that these are recommendations based on when it’s safe to return to work medically if you’ve had no complications. If you’re concerned about hiding your hair transplant from others, or your healing has been delayed for any reason, you may need to extend these times.
There are a few reasons why it’s important not to get back to work too soon, especially if you work in a high-risk environment. Here’s why you shouldn’t go back to work too early after a hair transplant:
To get the best possible outcome from your hair transplant, you need to avoid damaging your grafts in the early days when they’re most vulnerable. Taking time off is the best way to minimise the risk of graft damage at work.
If you do need to return to work sooner, here are some tips to protect your grafts from accidental damage at work:
Graft damage isn’t the only risk of going back to work after a hair transplant. For some people, it’s also important to hide their hair transplant from colleagues, so going back to work poses other problems, too. (This is another good reason to take a little more time off work, so you can get through the swelling and scabbing phases in private.)
Fortunately, there are some ways to hide your hair transplant at work. Our patient advisor Sophie explains some of the best ways to conceal your hair transplant in this video:
Here’s a round-up of our top tips:
Whether you’re happy to talk openly about your hair transplant or you want to keep it as quiet as possible, you’ll probably need to have a conversation with your employer about your upcoming hair transplant surgery.
Employers aren’t required to give you time off for elective or cosmetic surgery, so you may need to request time off. Additionally, discussing your hair transplant plans openly will help them understand your requests for short-term flexibility or responsibility changes, as well as any restrictions on what you can safely do.
Hair restoration can be a sensitive subject, so it’s not always easy to broach it, especially in a professional context. But the stigma surrounding this procedure is on the decline, thanks to high profile patients like Rob Holding and Ben Stokes opening up about their procedures. Wimpole Clinic hair transplant patient Ben Stokes told us:
“It’s amazing in cricket now how many people have had [a hair transplant]. It’s a conversation thing now. People ask about it: “What’s it like? How many grafts did you need? Does it hurt? I think I’m going to get one.” The stigma around it has just completely disappeared.”
Knowing this can help you feel more confident going into a conversation with your employer.
We recommend planning your procedure with your job in mind. For example, if the summer period tends to be quiet, consider scheduling your hair transplant for this time, so your employer can accommodate your needs during the recovery period.
Flexible working and other requests are more likely to be accepted if you give your employer plenty of time to plan ahead. Here are some of the most common work requests our patients ask for to make hair transplant recovery easier:
It’s less important to discuss your hair restoration plans with your colleagues, but being open about it can help you avoid unwanted questions and reduce the pressure to hide your grafts during recovery.
These conversation openers can help you tell your colleagues (and clients) about your hair transplant:
A few people might ask a couple of follow-up questions, but most colleagues won’t bat an eyelid. And you’ll probably find that it’s easier to go back to work without having to hide any lingering scabs or redness.
Sick notes aren’t normally necessary for a hair transplant, as you’re not entitled to time off or sick pay following a cosmetic procedure. However, if you experience complications (such as post-hair transplant folliculitis or wound reopening) you may be entitled to further time off, at which point a doctor’s note may be necessary.
Your sick note will state whether the doctor considers you to be fit for work. It may also give basic details about your condition.
When you’re going back to work after a hair transplant, you want recovery to be seamless and straightforward. That means taking care of your grafts in the first couple of weeks after your procedure, as this is when they’re most vulnerable.
Good hair transplant aftercare includes:
The Wimpole Clinic is an award-winning hair transplant clinic with a track record of excellent hair transplant results. As well as providing attentive care on the day of your surgery, we’ll help you navigate the recovery period, too. So whether you’re concerned about dislodging your grafts on a long commute or you’re unsure how to hide your hair transplant from colleagues, we’re here to support you.
Book your free consultation at your most convenient Wimpole Clinic location to get a graft estimate and find out more about our supportive aftercare services.
Learn more about returning to work after a hair transplant in these frequently asked questions.
You may be able to start working again after a couple of days if you work from home, but otherwise we advise you to take at least a week off work. You’re still at risk of infection and graft dislodgement after a couple of days, even if you’re feeling OK overall. Commuting, excessive movement, and accidental graft contact can heighten these risks.
Working from home can pose fewer risks in terms of graft dislodgement, but this risk reduces substantially around 14 days after a hair transplant. So if you take around 2 weeks off, there’s no real need to request home working. But if you want to get back to work sooner, requesting to work from home may enable you to get back to work without increasing the risks to your grafts.
Employers don’t have to give you time off for cosmetic surgery recovery in the same way as they do for essential surgeries. However, they must give you annual leave in line with your hours worked, which you can take for hair transplant recovery.
In the UK, most patients take time out of their holiday allowance for their hair transplant recovery. Others may choose to request unpaid leave.
A surgeon can give you a letter explaining the impact of your surgery and the importance of recovery, but this won’t entitle you to time off or sick pay. You’ll need to arrange this separately with your employer. The surgeon’s note can help explain the expected duration and reason for your requested leave.
If you experience complications after your hair transplant, such as infection, you may need more time off. This may be covered by sick leave. Your surgeon or GP may be able to give you a medical note in this instance.
Wimpole Clinic Services:
Hair Transplants, Beard Transplants & Eyebrow Transplants.
Talk to a specialist
Dr. Hisham Band (GMC 7550130) is a distinguished hair transplant surgeon with deep expertise in the most advanced techniques, including FUE, FUT, and DHI.
Beginning his career as a resident in Plastic Surgery, Dr. Band developed a keen aesthetic sensibility and meticulous precision – qualities that are evident in every procedure he performs
With a prolific portfolio of over 1,500 successful procedures, he specialises in complex repairs, crafting results that blend seamlessly with his patients’ natural contours and characteristics. His extensive medical background spans Internal Medicine, Major Trauma, and Plastic Surgery, culminating in a master’s degree in Burns, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery from the prestigious University College London (UCL).
His reputation attracts high-profile individuals and underscores his role in sports medicine, where he serves as a Level 3 English Boxing Association (EBA) doctor, providing top-tier care to elite MMA athletes, including those competing under the UFC banner.
At the core of his practice, Dr. Band prioritises the holistic well-being of his patients, ensuring each procedure enhances both physical and mental health. His patient-centric approach and meticulous craftsmanship continue to set him apart in the field of hair transplant surgery.
