Hair Restoration is quite a delicate and extensive cosmetic procedure that helps restore the lost hair from the balding sites on the head. Not just during the recovery, there are special precautions that the patients need to take care of before the treatment as well.
Generally, if you consult a qualified and experienced cosmetic surgeon, they will guide you throughout the process, right from the beginning of the hair transplant procedure to the end of it. Given that it is one of the best cosmetic procedures for permanent hair restoration, more and more people are preferring it over other treatment options.
Here, we are going to look into all the important pre and post hair transplant precautions and instructions that the patient needs to take care of.
Pre Operative Instructions
Before you decide to undergo the hair transplant procedure, you need to consult a cosmetic surgeon to assess whether you are an ideal candidate for the treatment or not. It is no doubt that the restoration process is effective and helps improve the appearance of the patients who have suffered from premature hair fall and balding. However, this does not apply to everyone.
You are an ideal candidate for the procedure if:
- You have been witnessing signs of premature or male pattern baldness and you are above the age of 25
- You have sustained injuries that have resulted in permanent damage to the hair follicles and thereby baldness
- You have experienced an allergic reaction to cosmetic products that have caused the hair to fall out
- You want to restore the problems associated with hair thinning
Now that you have the characteristics of an ideal candidate for the treatment, it is important that you know about the different pre-treatment instructions to augment the end results of the procedure.
Instructions – 10-14 days before the surgery
- Two weeks before the procedure, the patient needs to stop taking medications that generally cause blood thinning or end up increasing the blood circulation excessively.
- The surgeon even suggests avoiding taking a few types of Vitamin supplements, including Vitamin E that enhances the risks of bleeding.
- Avoid taking random over-the-counter medications that could compromise your state of health before the procedure.
- In case you experience signs of fever, cough, or body aches, it is important that you consult your surgeon immediately for further instructions.
- Start consuming 1000mg of Vitamin C every day according to the doctor’s prescription
- Avoid trimming your hair, especially the back of your scalp before the surgery.
- Avoid unnecessary topical hair treatments or products that increase the blood flow to the scalp.
Related Blog: Hair Transplant: Procedure, Recovery & Cost
Treatment
Surgeries
Experience
Quality
Instructions – 7 days before the surgery
- Avoid consuming alcohol a week before the surgery as it enhances the chances and risks of a hematoma.
- Avoid smoking or using nicotine products a week, preferably 2 weeks, before the treatment.
- Avoid using Hair coloring products.
- Stop indulging in weight training or other rigorous forms of exercise a week before the treatment.
- Avoid using hair bleaching products a week before the surgery.
Instructions – On the day of the surgery
On the day of the procedure, the patient should keep the following instructions in mind:
- The patient needs to take a thorough shower and wash their hair with their regular shampoo on the day of the surgery.
- If the patient has hair extensions or wigs, remove them before the treatment.
- Avoid applying hair gels or hair spray before the procedure.
- On the day of the surgery, the patient should keep their hair covered while coming to the hospital or the doctor’s clinic.
- Covering the head with a scarf is often effective to protect the scalp and hair from sunlight and pollution.
- Moreover, it is important for the patient to prepare themselves mentally for the process and discuss everything with their consulting cosmetologist before the procedure begins.
Related Blog: FUE Hair Transplant: Everything You Need to Know
Post-Operative Instructions
With the successful completion of the hair transplant surgery, the patient needs to be extra cautious with their recovery procedure. The patient is generally discharged the same day as the procedure unless there are any added complications. So, the post-op recovery instructions are for when you are at your home.
Instructions – Day 1 after the surgery
- The first day after the surgery is generally the hardest and requires you to be extra cautious and careful from the beginning.
- The surgeon covers the donor site with a wrap-off to prevent risks of infection and for faster healing.
- To reduce the pain, numbness, or inflammation, you can press the area gently with some ice compress or a bag of frozen peas, whatever is handy.
- Avoid compressing on the grafts and be careful that you don’t use the ice compress for more than 10-15 minutes every hour.
- Avoid picking at the incision or the grafts till the skin around the area heals.
- If you have a dressing around the incision, leave it the way it is unless your surgeon has advised you with something else.
- Generally, the patient’s first follow-up is on 3rd day after the surgery, so leave the bandage or the headwrap till then.
- The patient needs to complete a prescribed course of antibiotics and pain-relieving medications after the surgery.
Instructions – Day 7 after the surgery
- The grafted hair will start falling out around the 7-14 days mark after the surgery. It is completely normal.
- The scabs around the grafts start healing and falling off the scalp during this time. Let them come off on their own instead of tearing them off the skin or picking at them.
- You can get back to your normal routine of work and driving but avoid doing any strenuous activity or heavy-lifting even after a week of the surgery.
- Avoid consuming alcohol for 1-2 weeks after the surgery as it increases the risks of bleeding and further swelling.
- You can follow the surgeon’s instructions when it comes to cleaning the scalp, especially the site of the incision.
Related Blog: Things To Consider While Choosing A Hair Transplant Surgeon
Instructions – 3 weeks to a month after the surgery
- While the patient will get back to their normal routine by now, there are chances that they might have to avoid a few things including direct sun exposure or even snow, if it is present during that season.
- The patient might experience the regrowth of the hair from the transplanted follicles around 3-6 months after the surgery, so you need to be extra patient with the same.
- Multiple sessions of hair transplant are scheduled if one session wasn’t enough for the patient’s receding hairline or bald patches on the scalp.
Take Away
If you plan your hair transplant surgery in Delhi, it is necessary that you find the best hair transplant surgeon for the procedure. For better aesthetic results and reduced complications, get an appointment at the best hair transplant clinic. At Aesculpir, you are assured of the best treatment options under the guidance of experienced professionals with optimal pre and post-operative care.