Opting for a hair transplant is a great route of treatment for certain forms of hair loss, including male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness.
Hair transplants have gained a significant amount of popularity over the past few years, especially with celebrity influence such as David Beckham, Elton John, and Wayne Rooney to name a few. In fact, the ISHRS recently reported an increase of 5% in hair restoration services since 2019 [1].
If you’ve recently had a hair transplant, you’ll know the positive effect that the process can have on your self-confidence is more than worth it. However, there is, of course, a healing process that needs to be adhered to in order to get the best possible experience from your hair transplant.
A common worry after a hair transplant is being able to sleep safely, without interfering with the healing process. If you’re feeling anxious about how to sleep after hair transplantation surgery, keep reading to find out more.
The most important thing to remember about how to sleep after hair transplantation surgery is to sleep on your back. Avoid sleeping on your side or in any position where you will have direct and heavy contact with the pillow.
Use only one bed pillow, and put a travel/neck pillow around your neck as this will help to stop you from turning in your sleep, and keep the scalp at a safe angle from the surface of the pillow.
Extra pillows can also help to elevate your head, which is essential in the first 2 weeks after your hair transplant procedure.
Sleeping in on your back with your head elevated will also reduce the swelling, as your scalp is not actively pressed against a surface, ensuring that the hair grafts are not damaged.
The essential healing process of a hair transplant takes place in the first 2 weeks, as this is when the grafts are not secure [2]. After a hair transplant of any kind, the newly transplanted hair follicles will be easily susceptible to damage if not taken care of, which is why your sleeping position matters.
It is normal for the transplanted hair area to be sore after the surgical process. The first night is usually when excess anesthetic will be released from the scalp onto the changeable pad. Therefore, to prevent scabbing from becoming stuck to your pillow, you’ll need to be very careful.
Though hair transplants are safe, and if the area of the head where the transplant was performed comes into contact with the surface of the pillow, there is a risk of the hair grafts being torn away or uprooted as they are not yet stable. Not only will this be painful, cause scarring, and threaten infection, but it may mean that the hair transplant procedure will need to be performed again.
For the first 10 days, you should wear the changeable pads whilst you sleep as they will protect your scalp and catch any excess fluids. By the 6th day, you should be able to wash your hair gently by hand [4]. Learn more about washing your hair for the time.
After the second week, the hair grafts should be established, and any scabs should be gone. However, you will still need to be cautious about sleeping in the right position, and avoiding harsh contact with the scalp, so as to protect the hair grafts and hair follicles as they anchor.
You should be able to sleep comfortably after around 10 days from when the transplant took place. This amount of time allows the transplanted hair follicles to anchor properly.
Although you can usually resume your normal position for sleeping after this time, you should still be careful to ensure that your scalp doesn’t interact with the pillow’s surface in too rough a manner, as the hair grafts will still be delicate.
You should:
You shouldn’t:
Depending on the type of hair transplant procedure you’ve had, your recovery timeline can vary in length and ease. The National Library of Medicine reported that an FUE transplant has the benefit of less postoperative healing time as well as less scarring. An FUT transplant on the other hand has a longer postoperative healing time, due to the procedure having more invasive techniques [3].
There may also be some side effects, depending on the type of procedure you’ve had, however, your consultant should prepare you for what to expect after your hair transplant.
Even though a hair transplant may not seem invasive, you should still take some time out due to swelling and allow your scalp to recover in the optimum condition, before returning to work. Being out of work for even a short time can, of course, be nerve-wracking however you and your consultant should discuss the best time for you to safely return to work.
You should also avoid anything strenuous such as working out, as this can cause you to sweat which breeds bacteria.
Seeing lost hair on your pillow after a hair transplant can be understandably shocking, however, this could be post-transplant shock hair loss. Recipient-site effluvium is very common and usually occurs after the second week that your transplant has taken place [5].
Though it can seem like your hair transplant is doing the opposite of what it is meant to do, this type of shedding is completely normal. It is not permanent, and once the hair follicle is anchored into the scalp, it will begin to grow again.
Shock loss can occur due to anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium, or both. As telogen effluvium is common during trauma to the scalp, it makes sense that it can occur after the invasive nature of surgery [6]. This type of hair loss can, in rare cases, occur due to a reaction to an anesthetic. However, this again is not permanent, and the hair will begin to grow back once your scalp has recovered.
Research suggests that hair growth drugs such as Minoxidil and Finasteride can decrease the chances of shock loss when taken around the time of the operation [7].
If you’re experiencing anxiety regarding the loss of hair after your surgery, you should consult your surgeon about the best way to deal with the situation.
At Wimpole Clinic, we’ve been performing expert hair restoration services for over 45 years and providing our patients with the very best in aftercare services.
Our experienced, and friendly, hair loss team is more than qualified to assist you with any concerns, questions, or anxieties you may have. If you are uncertain about what to ask, take a look at our list of questions you really want to ask before getting a hair transplant.
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