It’s generally safe for hair transplant patients to wear a loose-fitting hat around 10 days after your procedure, as long as you’ve had a smooth recovery with no complications. But some patients are advised to wait longer, and there are further restrictions on other types of headwear, so it’s important to understand when and why you need to wait to wear a hat post-hair transplant.
Whether you want to wear a hat to cover up your hair transplant scabs or you need to wear one for work, how soon you can wear a hat after a hair transplant is a common question. Here, learn when it’s safe to wear different types of hats, why you need to wait, and alternative ways to hide your hair transplant.
Key takeaways
In most cases, it’s advised that you avoid wearing a hat for around 10 days after a hair transplant. This applies to both FUT and FUE hair transplant patients. Hats and other types of headwear can inadvertently damage your grafts, potentially compromising your hair transplant results.
Some sites and commenters suggest it’s safe to start wearing a hat sooner than 10 days. And for some patients, it is possible to start wearing a hat earlier without causing any damage. But you won’t know until they grow in, so it’s better to be cautious and wait the full 10 days before wearing a hat, helmet, headscarf, or any other type of head covering.
Some patients may be advised to wait longer, especially if they’ve experienced trauma to their grafts or other complications that may prolong the hair transplant healing period.
Once your grafts have fully anchored in, some researchers encourage hats and head coverings, as they can help cover up redness from your hair transplant and make you feel more secure in your appearance post-operatively [1]. These signs can indicate that you’re ready to start wearing a hat again:
A key exception to the 10-day rule is bike and motorbike helmets. These are made to fit snugly on your head for your own protection, so we strongly recommend allowing 3-4 weeks before wearing a helmet post-hair transplant.
It mostly comes down to three reasons:
While hats can protect your grafts from the elements, they can also dislodge them, preventing them from taking root in your scalp. For the first 10 days post-surgery, your hair grafts are not yet securely anchored in place, so even a small amount of friction or mechanical trauma — such as rubbing against the fabric of a hat — can pull them out [2].
Additionally, hats increase sweating, which can make your scalp feel itchy [3]. This increases the risk of graft dislodgement through scratching.
Newly transplanted hair grafts (and wounds in the donor area) are also vulnerable to infection if they come into contact with non-sterile garments. Infection can endanger your results and even lead to serious complications if left untreated, so it’s important to minimise this risk as much as possible.
Hats can also restrict blood flow to the scalp if they’re worn too tightly. Unhampered blood flow is important for graft anchoring and hair regrowth.
After the first 10 days, it’s safe to wear most types of hats. However, it’s best to wear a relatively loose-fitting hat for a few weeks to avoid restricted blood flow. These include adjustable baseball caps, bucket hats, and hoods.
Avoid or limit the use of hats that cause excessive sweating (such as woolly hats and beanies), or those with elasticated bands.
Other features that might make a hat more suitable include:
Ideally, we advise waiting around 4 weeks after a hair transplant before wearing a bike or motorbike helmet. Helmets are designed to fit tightly around the head for your own safety, which means they may dislodge any grafts where scabs are still attached. They can also restrict blood flow and make you sweat.
Baseball caps — particularly those that are adjustable with breathable panels — are among the safest hats you can wear after a hair transplant. So you can wear a baseball cap 10 days after a hair transplant, provided you haven’t experienced any issues or complications during the initial healing period.
Like bike helmets, hard hats are worn for safety, so they’re designed to fit snugly on your head. This can put any grafts with scabs still attached at risk of dislodgement, so ideally you should wait until all the scabs have come off before wearing a hard hat. In most cases, this is within 14 days.
Turbans, hijabs, niqabs, and other head coverings can all be worn 10 days after a hair transplant. When you start wearing your head covering again, it’s best to tie it in place fairly loosely for a few days to avoid blood flow restriction.
After 10-14 days, the material of your hat doesn’t matter as much as its fit. But to encourage growth and keep your scalp healthy, consider wearing a hat made from any of the following materials, which are soft and breathable, and therefore less likely to irritate your scalp:
Many jobs require staff to wear a hat, so we recognise that this may be a concern. That said, it is best to take at least a week off work after a hair transplant to ensure you have the time and space to recover fully. If you work in a manual job, we recommend taking at least two weeks off, as the physical activity can put your grafts at greater risk. This should get you safely over the 10-day mark, so you can wear your work headwear as needed when you return.
If you do need to go back to work before 10 days, it’s best to speak to your employer and see if they can arrange responsibilities that don’t involve you wearing headgear for a few days. Many employers will understand and accommodate this.
Here, our patient advisor Sophie offers some top tips for minimising the amount of hair transplant downtime you need:
For the first two weeks, there aren’t many safe ways to cover your scalp. You may be advised to keep your hair transplant bandage on for the first 24 hours or so, but after this, you should keep your scalp uncovered to promote healing and avoid infection [4].
If you’re concerned about people knowing you’ve had a hair transplant, you’re not alone. This is a common worry for many patients. Sophie explains how to hide your hair transplant without wearing a hat in this video:
Ideally, you should avoid going out in very sunny, cold, or rainy weather conditions within the first 7-10 days. This is the best way to protect your grafts.
If you do need to venture out, an umbrella can shield your grafts from the sun and rain. In very cold weather, keep your scalp uncovered and make sure the rest of your body is wrapped up warmly.
It’s normally safe to fly without a hat or head covering after a hair transplant. And if you do knock your grafts in transit, a hat is unlikely to do much to protect you.
Instead, you should take extra care not to hit your head (especially in plane cabins) and wear a neck cushion to keep your head upright. Try not to fall asleep on the plane unless you’re certain you can maintain a safe sleeping position.
When you’re cleared to wear a hat, it’s a good idea to wash it before wearing it. Your scalp is less likely to get infected from this point, but keeping your scalp clean is still important for healthy hair growth. Here’s what you can do to optimise your hat hygiene:
If you’re concerned about any unusual symptoms that may indicate a scalp condition, make sure to check in with your clinic (and, if necessary, your GP).
If you believe that wearing a hat has damaged your hair grafts, contact your surgeon. They will likely ask you to come in for a check-up and determine the extent of the damage (if any). Minor corrective work may be possible.
With our award-winning hair transplant aftercare, you can achieve fantastic hair regrowth within just a few months. We pride ourselves on providing all the support you need to feel completely satisfied with your hair transplant results, including tips on concealing your surgery and advice on getting back to work and other activities post-procedure.
Book a consultation at the UK’s best hair transplant clinic to learn more about the process and find out if you’re a good candidate.
Find out more about hats and head coverings during hair transplant recovery in these frequently asked questions.
Zip-up hoodies are ideal for wearing immediately after a hair transplant, as they don’t need to go over your head. However, you should avoid putting the hood up for at least 10 days.
It’s best to avoid wearing pullover hoodies altogether for at least 10 days.
You can wear a hat 10 days after an FUE hair transplant. While the donor area is arguably less fragile than for those who have had FUT surgery, wearing a hat can still put your transplanted grafts at risk and increase the risk of infection in the donor region.
Yes. If you wear a hat while the wounds haven’t fully healed, your hair transplant can become infected. Bacteria from the fabric can enter the wounds and lead to increased pain, redness, swelling, and oozing. Hair transplant infection can become serious without treatment, so it’s important to seek advice from your clinic if you experience any of these symptoms.
No, you shouldn’t wear a hat over your bandage. This can still heighten the risk of graft damage and restrict blood flow to your scalp.
Wimpole Clinic Services:
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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.
