After a hair transplant

What to Expect the Week Following your Procedure

One of the most common questions we hear about the hair transplant procedure is, “How long is the recovery?” Understandably patients want to know when they can go back to work after their surgery. Interestingly, this answer relies partly on you – the patient.

At Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery we suggest a fairly strict post-care routine that not only helps to reduce downtime – but potentially improves your final result.

Showering

After your procedure, we will give you a tutorial on how to properly shower and wash your hair. Essentially you will be very gently rinsing your hair with specialized shampoo. Regular hair washing may continue at roughly the 7-day mark.

Wearing Hats

Roughly 10 days after your hair transplant you will again be able to wear a hat. It is best practice to wear a loose-fitting hat that will not apply too much pressure to the newly relocated hair.

Swimming

Pools, public sauna’s, and jacuzzi’s host a high amount of bacteria. Until the donor site and transplanted hairs have completely healed it is best to avoid these areas. This takes approximately 30-days. Avoiding the heat of sauna’s or hot tubs is also advised during this period of time.

Exercise

Greatly elevating your heart rate often causes excess sweating. This can negatively effect the growth of your transplanted grafts. For this reason, we recommend 2-weeks or 14 days away from the gym and intense exercise.

Extracurricular Activities

For many of the same reasons we ask you to avoid exercise, slowing down your love life for roughly 7-days will help to protect the hair capillaries.

Hair Product

Thick gels and fiber can block the pores affecting your follicles access to oxygen and moisture. Avoid hair product for 12 days after your transplant.

Smoking

We highly recommend patients refrain from smoking for 48 hours post-procedure. Cigarettes affect the bodies ability to recover, therefore it is best to reduce or completely cease smoking for 10 days post-procedure.

Exposure to Sun

Avoid direct, continued, exposure to the sun over long periods of time for the next 4 – 6 months.

WHen can I do what?

Here is the timeline post-procedure.

Day 1

Return to the clinic for a bandage change and graft assessment. 

Day 2-7

Our team will monitor your recovery. We supply you with a 24/7 emergency care phone line.

1 Month

First follow up assessment call with our team.

6 Months

Second follow up hair growth appointment at the clinic.

1 Year

Third follow at the clinic with Dr. Sharma.

Anticipated Recovery Time After Surgery

At Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery, we are here to help you see just how easy it can be to overcome issues with thinning or balding hair. It is common for patients to have questions about the treatment process and anticipated recovery time after the surgery.

Read more on our Post Hair Transplant Recovery page here.

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After Your Hair Transplant

Here at the Sharma Clinic, we encourage each patient to do thorough and detailed research about the procedure before starting their Hair Restoration journey. There are multiple things to consider before and after the procedure and we love being a source of knowledge for anyone looking to learn a little more about the process.

Inquiries like, “Can I wear a hat after my hair transplant” & “What will I look like after my hair transplant?” are great questions and we enjoy being able to share our experiences, photos and videos with you to give our patients the answers they seek.

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Will Hair Transplant Scars be Noticeable?

Any incision, no matter how small, comes with scarring of some kind.

Hair Transplant Technology has Come a Long Way Due to Modern Advances in the Medical Industry. The techniques used today are effective in minimizing hair transplant scars, but minor scarring is still part of the procedure. Choosing a skilled surgeon is essential if you want to minimize scarring. Additionally, the appearance of the scars will vary depending on the type of surgical technique used for the treatment.

View our webpage on Hair Transplant Scars to read more about the appearance of the donor area following your hair transplant surgery. 

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Talk to a Hair Transplant Expert in Edmonton, Alberta

If you are considering options for hair restoration, our experienced team is just a phone call away. We provide hair transplants for Edmonton residents, as well as those choosing our Edmonton clinic as their hair transplant surgery destination.

Dr Sharma performing procedure