Hair Transplant Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll be given paracetamol (for pain management) and prednisolone (for reducing swelling). Don’t take any medicines containing ibuprofen for up to 4 days after your surgery.

You’ll also need to spray your transplanted area with saline solution. This keeps the area infection-free and promotes healing. Spray at least 3 times a day. The more you spray, the faster you’ll heal.

Your clinic will provide you with an inco sheet to place on your pillow. This protects your pillow from any oozing or bleeding from your donor area while you sleep. 

Your hair transplant is very fragile for the first few days and weeks after your surgery. So you’ll need to make some lifestyle changes throughout your initial recovery period, especially if you’re an active person. This includes avoiding:

• Alcohol — 4 days after surgery
• Sex — 6 days after surgery
• Exercise — 2 weeks after surgery
• Swimming — 4 weeks after surgery
• Sun exposure — 2 months after surgery.

You should also wear button-down or wide-necked tops for the first week or so to avoid dislodging your grafts when you dress and undress.

You can wash your hair from 3 days after your procedure. But you’ll need to be extremely careful and use specialist techniques for the first 2 weeks post-procedure. Learn how to wash your hair after a hair transplant. 

If you have an FUT procedure, your stitches won’t need to be removed by a surgeon. We use dissolvable stitches that will eventually fall out on their own. However, you can have them taken out 10-14 days after your procedure if you prefer.

If you have an FUE procedure, you won’t have any stitches. Instead, your surgeon will wrap your head in a gauze dressing to protect your wounds. You can change this by dampening the gauze (avoiding the transplanted area) and peeling it off.

For the first 4-5 nights you should sleep with your head in an elevated position. Use a rolled up towel or extra pillows to prop your head up while you sleep.

We recommend taking at least a week off work to recover from hair transplant surgery. FUE surgery usually heals faster than FUT, so you may need longer to recover if you have undergone FUT surgery. Scabbing will also be visible for a couple of weeks after surgery, so you may want to take time off for cosmetic reasons. Learn more about dealing with hair transplant scabbing.

In most cases you can go home the same day as your surgery. You can usually get back to work and your regular exercise routine a week or so after your transplant, but it’s best to check with your surgeon if you’re in any doubt. See more about your hair transplant recovery timeline.

Most people see the final results from their hair transplant around 12 months after surgery. However, not everyone has the same recovery timeframe, so it can take up to 18 months. Learn more about the stages of hair growth after FUE surgery.

It takes around 2 weeks for the swelling and scabbing on your scalp to settle down, and after around 4 weeks the hair transplant should no longer be noticeable. At around 3-6 months you should start to see sustained hair growth in the transplanted areas. View the hair transplant growth chart to learn more.

Shedding hair is a normal part of the hair transplant recovery process. A few weeks after implantation, your new follicles may go into shock, causing your new hair to start falling out. Don’t worry — after a few weeks or months, you should start to see new hair growth in those areas.

You should wait at least 4 weeks after surgery to colour your hair. Your scalp and follicles may be extra sensitive to dyes and heat treatments before this point, so being too eager to dye or treat your hair can damage your transplant. You should always perform a patch test after a hair transplant, even if you have used hair dye before.

Most people can get their hair cut without restrictions around 3 weeks after transplant surgery. Find out more about getting a haircut after a hair transplant.

While both methods of hair transplantation carry a risk of scarring, FUE is much less likely to cause significant scarring than FUT. A strip of skin is removed from the back of the head in FUT surgery. This wound is then sutured up by your surgeon, leaving a visible scar that eventually fades. This scar may be visible with short hairstyles.

FUE leaves a series of small dot-shaped scars. However, these scars stem from tiny cuts that heal on their own, eventually fading and becoming unnoticeable.

It’s common for people with pattern baldness to see continued hair loss even after a hair transplant if they don’t take steps to prevent it. Your consultant should discuss hair loss treatment options like Minoxidil and Finasteride with you.

If these medications don’t stop your hair loss, we recommend you book another appointment with your consultant. They can examine your continuing hair loss and recommend further treatment.

You should avoid working out or swimming for at least a month after your hair transplant.

You should wait at least 7 days before drinking alcohol.

You should avoid putting your hair transplant in direct sunlight for at least 14 days after your procedure. We don’t recommend using suncream to cover your hair transplant during this time as it can cause infection. You might also dislodge your hair grafts when applying suncream.

Instead, if you have to go out in the sun, wear a loose-fitting cap or hat to protect your hair transplant.

You should wait at least 10 days before wearing a hat or helmet after your hair transplant. If your transplant is still healing, it may be a good idea to wait a few extra days to avoid dislodging your hair grafts.