Washing your hair after a transplant is crucial for recovery and graft protection. It involves three stages: hands-free rinsing (days 3-5), gentle massage (days 6-10), and normal washing (day 11+). Similar methods apply to Afro-textured hair, long hair, beards, and eyebrows, always using clinic-provided shampoo.
Washing your hair after a hair transplant can feel daunting, but it’s really important for ensuring a smooth, swift recovery. When your grafts have healed over, you can introduce gentle hair washing techniques. Here, learn all you need to know about washing your hair, beard, or brows after a hair transplant.
Key takeaways
The first few hair washes after a hair transplant are an important part of recovery. There are 3 hair washing stages you’ll need to go through:
Wimpole Clinic surgeon Dr Correia explains the hair washing process:
“At The Wimpole Clinic, we advise that the grafts are only gently cleansed during the first week, starting on day one with an hourly spray, followed by gentle washing with shampoo and rinsing clean from day three.
“From day seven, gentle massaging of the grafts during shampooing should be performed to break up and remove the scabs that were formed to initially help protect and anchor the grafts. This can take up to three to five days, however, if by seven days of massaging the grafts, there are still some scabs left, I would advise gentle small circles with a fine toothed comb to pry them away.
“A normal shampoo routine can be started from day ten to fourteen post-operatively, using a mild shampoo with minimal chemicals and preferable one natural oil. This regime lowers risk of graft displacement and wound infection.”
Here’s how to approach each stage of hair washing after a hair transplant.
The first time you wash your hair after a hair transplant can be daunting, but it’s an essential step to getting back to your normal routine. Ideally, you should follow the steps set out by your clinic. Here’s how we advise our patients to wash their hair on days 3-5 post-transplant:
Some clinicians say it’s safe to use the shower on your grafts as long as you use a low-powered setting. We recommend the cup method because it’s more controlled; the slower flow of water is less likely to damage or dislodge your grafts.
From day 6, you can start to apply gentle pressure to your scalp when washing your hair. Here’s how to wash your hair days 6-10 after a hair transplant:
You can start to wash your hair normally again around 10-14 days after your hair transplant — whenever all the scabs have come off. Until that point, continue using the gentle massage technique above to loosen and wash away the rest of the hair transplant scabs.
Patients with Afro-textured hair should follow the same procedure as above. Medicated shampoos are very gentle, so should be suitable for all hair types.
If you’ve kept the length in your hair (for example, by choosing unshaven FUE or FUT), it’s best to avoid washing it for the first couple of days to avoid getting your grafts wet.
However, from day 3 onwards, you can wash the lengths of your hair normally while following the instructions above for your donor and recipient areas. If you decide to do this, be really careful to avoid touching the affected areas of your scalp before day 6, and take care not to knock your grafts or use too much pressure before all the scabs have come away.
If you’ve had a beard transplant, you’ll need to wash your beard to remove the scabs. Like with a hair transplant, this should be done in 2 phases: hands-free for the first 3-5 days, then using a gentle massage technique from day 6 onwards. Here’s how to wash your beard after a beard transplant.
Important note: If you’re washing your hair in the shower, make sure not to let the jets touch your face, as they could dislodge your grafts. To be safe, consider using the cup method to wet and rinse your hair.
From day 3 onwards, cleanse your eyebrows once a day to encourage scab removal. Here’s how to wash your eyebrows after an eyebrow transplant.
Important note: If you’re washing your hair in the shower, make sure not to let the jets touch your face, as they could dislodge your grafts.
Washing your hair is essential for helping remove scabs from your scalp safely. Scabs are an important part of the post-hair transplant healing process, as they help protect your grafts from infection and anchor the grafts into the scalp. But research shows that pulling on a graft too soon can result in lost grafts, so it’s important to remove them safely, without damaging your grafts [1].
When applied at safe intervals (i.e. from day 3 post-surgery), shampoo and water can soften the scabs without increasing the risk of infection. Introducing gentle massage from day 6 onwards helps encourage scabs to come away when the grafts have fully anchored in.
Learn more about hair transplant scabs and why scab removal is important from Wimpole Clinic patient advisor Caj:
We recommend that patients wash their hair once a day from day 3 onwards, until all the scabs have come off. After this, you can go back to your normal hair washing routine.
Washing your hair once a day is plenty. While some clinics suggest washing twice a day, this may put your grafts at unnecessary risk of dislodgement in the first couple of weeks. Once a day is enough to get the scab removal benefits, without putting too much pressure on your grafts.
You should use the shampoo supplied by your clinic, which is a medicated antiseptic shampoo designed to minimise the risk of infection while moisturising your scabs and promoting their safe removal. This should be used for at least 14 days post-procedure.
If your clinic hasn’t supplied you with shampoo, get in touch with them to request some, as it’s important for your healing and recovery.
After 14 days (or earlier, if all your scabs have been removed), you can start using your normal shampoo and conditioner again. This includes shampoos containing medicated ingredients like ketoconazole or caffeine.
For the recipient area, the hair washing instructions are the same for both FUE and FUT (as above). You can also treat the FUE donor area the same, as this area should scab over in a similar timeframe to your grafts.
FUT patients may wish to avoid massaging the hair transplant donor area until the stitches have dissolved or been removed (normally around day 10). You can still apply shampoo in a pourable solution until this point to keep the area clean.
Good aftercare is essential for getting good hair transplant results. That’s why it’s so important to choose a clinic that will support you through the process.
With clinics across the UK, we’re well-placed to help you with hair washing post-procedure, as well as offering support and guidance on all aspects of hair transplant recovery.
“Now that I’m in recovery, I’m feeling good and already pleased with how things are healing. The aftercare and follow-ups have also been excellent. If you’re thinking about getting a hair transplant, I can genuinely recommend Wimpole. Everyone there goes above and beyond to make sure you feel supported and looked after.”
Book a free consultation to learn more about the procedure, recovery process, and how we support you to restore your hair at the UK’s best hair transplant clinic.
Learn more about washing your hair after a hair transplant in these frequently asked questions.
Some clinics may have slightly different recommendations on how and when to wash your hair. Each clinic has their own policy, which is based on medical guidelines and their surgical experience. They may also tailor their recommendations to you as an individual.
Some clinics may be more cautious than others in terms of when you can start washing or touching your grafts. In cases of conflicting information, we generally recommend that you follow the advice of your surgeon.
It depends on the volume of hair and the stage of your recovery. Around 2-4 weeks after a procedure, many patients experience hair transplant shedding, or shock hair loss. This can last for a few weeks, and can result in an increase of hairs in the drain after a shower. But it’s nothing to worry about — it’s actually the graft hairs shedding to make way for new growth.
However, at any other point, check in with your clinic if you’re concerned that there are more hairs than usual in the drain after showering.
No studies have explored the effects of hard water on hair during hair transplant recovery, but it’s very unlikely that hard water would affect the outcome of your hair transplant. While some studies have found that hard water may have a negative effect on your hair strength, others show no impact [2-3]. So more research is needed to establish what effect water hardness has on hair transplant recovery, if any.
It’s best to avoid using a hairdryer until at least 14 days after your hair transplant, when all the scabs have come off. At this point, use your hairdryer on a cool setting while the scalp is still sensitive.
Your stylist or barber can safely wash your hair when you get your first haircut after a hair transplant, normally any time from 3 weeks post-procedure.
Wimpole Clinic Services:
Hair Transplants, Beard Transplants & Eyebrow Transplants.
Talk to a specialist
With experience in all steps of the transplant process, including graft extraction, incisions, and graft placement, as well as proficiency with all incision methods – including sapphire blades – Dr. Correia (GMC 7426938) possesses an in-depth skill set at the disposal of his clients’ wishes.
His clientele has included celebrities, professional athletes, and social media influencers, all seeking discreet, high-quality care tailored to their public-facing lives.
Having undergone extensive training under the guidance of pioneering hair transplant surgeon Mr. Michael May at the esteemed Wimpole Clinic, he has developed a wealth of expertise in the field of hair restoration. His experience and mentorship under Mr. Michael May have equipped him with cutting-edge techniques and a profound understanding of the intricate art and science of hair transplantation. This comprehensive training has positioned him as a skilled and innovative practitioner in the realm of cosmetic surgery, ready to deliver exceptional results to his clients.
Having graduated from University College London with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, along with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience, he continued with a 10-year career in the NHS in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, focusing on surgical specialties, including Emergency, Colorectal, Breast, and Transplant Surgery.
Dr. Correia enjoys combining his interest in the science of hair transplantation with his upbringing in an artistic family to create natural aesthetic designs that complement his clients’ unique features. He also understands how important the decision to undertake a hair transplant can be for his clients and prioritises collaboration throughout the process for optimal outcomes.
