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Care and rehabilitation after hair transplantation

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 20.10.2021
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Hair transplantation, like any radical procedure for transplantation, requires not only professional execution, but also compliance with certain requirements during the recovery period. Rehabilitation after hair transplantation  is a rather lengthy process, despite the fact that healing with non-surgical techniques lasts only 3-5 days, while others can be delayed for weeks. But this does not stop there, for several months after the procedure with the hair, there will be various changes, and it is necessary that the patients know how to react to them.

In the first days after hair transplantation, patients are advised to strictly adhere to the doctor's recommendation, because the hair in the transplant zone is still very weak and any load or negative impact can reduce their survival. And the appearance of patients after the operation will depend entirely on the fulfillment of the prescriptions of the doctor.

A quarter of patients after surgery after 2-3 days may have swelling of the face and frontal zone, which last for 1-5 days. To prevent edematous syndrome on the eyelids and under the eyes, a cold compress should be applied, which should be kept for 10 minutes several times a day at intervals of 60 minutes. As a prevention and treatment of severe swelling and bruising, a doctor can prescribe a drug called Cortisone, which will remove inflammation and swelling.

Itching on the head, which can last from 5 to 10 days, is recommended to be taken with antipruritic (antihistamine) drugs. Easy massage of the head with the help of pads of hands can be carried out not earlier than 1.5-2 weeks after the operation. He can somewhat alleviate the painful symptom.

Particular caution should be exercised during the first 3 days after the operation, when the process of engrafting the transplanted hair is going on. During this period, you should avoid large physical and mental stress, stressful situations, feelings, refrain from driving and performing heavy work. Heads need to be protected from mechanical damage and the effects of negative factors (dust, wind, sunlight, etc.), for which use a special hat (it is given in the clinic where the operation was performed) or another headpiece (hat, bandana, etc.). Wearing the headdress will need at least 1-2 weeks, trying to avoid dusty places.

Transplanted hair is very sensitive to deterioration in nutrition and respiration of the scalp. Significantly reduces the supply of oxygen to the roots of hair, smoking, so doctors advise to refrain from smoking not only before, but after the operation for at least 4 days. Ideally, it's better to give up cigarettes altogether. But if there are great difficulties with this, you need to minimize the number of cigarettes smoked per day, while during smoking you will have to try not to inhale deeply into the lungs of cigarette smoke.

Caution should be observed even during sleep. But this does not mean that you need to give up a normal night's rest. Just need to follow some recommendations of doctors who will help prevent swelling and damage to the transplanted hair in bed. Doctors insist that during the first week patients sleep on their backs, placing under their head 2 or even 3 pillows (or a special head restraint preventing contact of the implanted graft with the surface of the pillow). A semi-vertical position will help to fight with edematous syndrome and not allow damage to the transplanted hairs on the back of the bed.

During the first week after the procedure, you can observe the loss of their hair around the transplanted. Experiencing this is not worth it, it will not greatly affect the density of the hair, which will grow after 3 months. Special care should be taken only if the wound is bleeding, which can indicate damage in the area of the transplanted hair. Usually such damages with careful handling of hair do not have unpleasant consequences.

If donor hair was taken from the chin zone, then these areas of the face also require certain care. Shave the first time you can only a week, despite the redness, which can last from 2 weeks to a month. In spring and summer time, the donor zone will have to be protected from sunlight by means of sunscreens with a high level of UV protection. Special healing wounds prescribed by a doctor and a light chin massage with lotion and a soft brush (massage procedures in this zone are allowed one week after the operation) will help to speed up the healing of transplant extraction sites.

Since the operation of hair transplantation is far from bloodless, and after it the wounds can bleed a little, patients are interested in the question, when will it be possible to wash the "consequences" of the procedure for the first time? It is clear that on the first day, when a person has sustained such a long procedure, he will need rest and restoration of strength. But already on the morning of the next day he can go to the clinic for the first hygienic procedure.

It will be better if the first washing of the head is done by specialists using a special lotion and shampoo. First, a lotion (for example, " Bepanten ") will be applied to the head in the region of the transplanted hair and the donor zone . After 20-40 minutes it will be washed off with warm water, then shampooed with water and shampooed in hands. During the wash of the head, the patient is told how and in what order it is necessary to conduct its steps, teach careful treatment of the hair during the next two weeks, when the head carefully discards the formed crusts of blood and sycamores.

Skin with transplanted hair can not be injured, so during washing, you must ensure that the water is not hot and does not hit with a strong jet. In no case can not rip off the crusts and scratch your head with your fingernails. Wash your hair and scalp with finger pads, gently and gently, moving only in the area of transplanted hair from top to bottom or vice versa, but not from side to side. From the drying of hair dryer for a while will have to give up, so as not to injure sensitive skin and hair with hot air once again.

After 2 weeks, when the hair will take root, the wound will be tightened and all the crusts will go away, you can refuse the lotion, continuing to wash your hair with the shampoo offered by the doctor for 12 months.

After 3-4 weeks, the process of shock loss of donor hair will begin. Recall that in this case it is not necessary to be frightened. It will be necessary to suffer about 2 months. On a place of the dropped out hair there and then grow new, which begin to grow actively and form the desired head of hear. By the end of the fourth month, a third of the transplanted hair grows, after half a year you can see an active growth of half of the transplants. In a year the patient can see the final results of hair transplantation.

As for taking medicines, the anti-inflammatory hormonal drugs used to treat baldness, the patient can take immediately after the procedure, and hair growth stimulators only after a month. Wound healing creams are recommended starting from the 6th day after hair transplantation, and shampoos can be used in addition to those prescribed by a doctor, not earlier than 2 weeks later. Immediately after the operation, doctors advise to start taking biotin, which prevents hair loss, stimulates their growth, strengthens the hair bulb and hair itself.

With regard to effective in the alopecia of physical procedures, you can resort to them 2 months after hair transplantation. So, mesotherapy sessions are not only allowed, but also shown with an interval of 2 months during the first year. Massage instruments for the head are allowed 1.5 months after transplantation.

Appear in the sun with their heads uncovered and swim in open water bodies doctors are allowed not earlier than a month, and even a half. Physical exertion associated with increased sweating is undesirable during 2 weeks. Goes to the pool, sauna or sauna only one month after transplantation. Active sports, especially those where a person can get a blow to the head, are allowed only 1.5-2 months after hair transplantation.

There are no restrictions on movement in a person during the rehabilitation period, but from active return to the old life it is worthwhile to refrain for at least a week. This will help to avoid psychological trauma, all the same the appearance of the patient in the early days can attract the attention of others with edema on the face, redness and crusts in the hair.

The haircut of the donor zone on the head is permitted one month after hair transplantation. Repeated transplantation is allowed after 6-8 months, and hair transplantation to those areas where it has not been performed, is possible for 3-4 months.

Now as for the transplantation of artificial hair. You need to be especially careful with them. You can wash them with warm water and special shampoos, without using a hair dryer to dry your head. From the coloring of hair with chemicals with an aggressive composition will have to be abandoned, the possibility of using other caring and coloring agents will need to consult a doctor.

During the washing of the head, massage of the skin using a soft brush is recommended, which will help to prevent its irritation.

Artificial hair is prone to tangle, so take care of them is somewhat more difficult than for natural ones. To facilitate combing and giving hair shine apply special balms. Scrupulously it is necessary to approach and to a choice of a comb, which should be as soft as possible with rounded ends on denticles.

It is clear that after the procedure there are always a lot of questions about how to care for transplanted hair, what can be done with them, and what can not. Do not hesitate to ask all questions to the doctor and his assistants. Even the question of the possibilities of conducting sexual activity in this situation will not sound absurd. By the way, there are no restrictions in this respect, but one should take into account that passion can intensify sweating, which is undesirable in the first weeks after the procedure.

Proper hair care after the hair transplant procedure will help to keep the hair healthy and prevent their loss. After all, the goal of such a scrupulous procedure is a beautiful head of hair, and not a rare "scaffold" on the head, left after the loss of hair that did not settle down.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

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