A hair transplant is the greatest and most permanent answer to your hair problems. A hair transplant might give you the appearance of having more hair in general, restoring your lost texture, thickness, and overall appearance of your hair.
However, in addition to the required pre-hair-transplant care, you will need to take additional precautions after a hair transplant. Let's keep reading to learn about the necessary steps before and after a hair transplant.
Who Needs Hair Transplantation
Patients between the ages of 21 and 60 are the leading candidates for hair transplant surgery. Several criteria, such as the patient's scalp condition, general health, age, hair texture, density, etc., are all key indicators that you may need a hair transplant.
However, your doctor will choose one of the two methods: Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (fuss) or Follicular Unit Extraction, known as fue hair transplant.
Generally, hair transplant surgery is recommended for people who are experiencing any of the following:
- Individual males who have been identified as having male-pattern baldness
- For women dealing with hair loss and thinning hair.
- A person whose hair fell off because of a burn or damage to the scalp
- Hair transplants can tackle various hair problems.
- Someone whose hair loss is concentrated on the head but still has full, healthy hair growth on the sides.
Additionally, one should only choose hair transplant surgery when they have a consistent donor source and enough donor hair for the transplant and the coming years.
Pre-Hair Transplant Surgery Care
Proper pre-transplant care is essential for successful hair restoration. It will help the transplant go off without a hitch and keep you comfortable throughout the process. From ten days before the procedure, vitamins, notably B and E, blood thinners, and herbal medications, such as Advil, aspirin, anti-inflammatory medicines, or opioids, should be avoided.
You should also avoid steroid medication and topical cortisone before surgery, as it can trigger bleeding. The use of tobacco products and the consumption of alcoholic beverages are also banned before the surgery.
The day before your hair transplant operation, ensure a good night's rest. Keep your hair free of any hairspray, gel, or other style products. Additionally, on the day of the operation, you must take any drugs the doctor gives before coming to the clinic. You should wear old clothing during treatments because you may need to lop it off afterward. After the transplant, you will need an easily removable button-up shirt.
On the day of your hair transplant, clean the scalp using a gentle shampoo. Eat a low-calorie breakfast and stay away from coffee. Remember not to use any hairpiece, hair accessory, or hair product. You must avoid the gym, the track, the jogging track, and any other vigorous activity.
Before beginning the hair transplant procedure, the doctor will apply anesthesia to the thinning or decreasing areas. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a procedure in which the doctor removes individual hair roots from the patient's scalp and implants them where hair loss has occurred. It normally takes several sessions of 2 to 4 hours altogether to complete this transplant.
While performing a Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), the doctor will take only a few inches of skin patch from the donor location, divide it into small portions, and remove hair follicles from those sections. After 4 to 6 hours, the follicles will have been transplanted into the tiny openings in the recipient area.
Post-Hair Transplant Surgery Care
After hair transplant surgery, it is essential to continue the appropriate postoperative care just as it is after any other surgical procedure. You may feel soreness in your scalp for the first few days after a hair transplant.
Along with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers are a common prescription from the doctor. It's also crucial to take the prescribed drugs and keep the recipient area intact after a hair transplant.
You must wear dressings for at least 24 hours following surgery to preserve the incision line and operating region clean.
Hair transplant aftercare involves washing the donor region and using antiseptics two days following surgery. On this day, you will need to thoroughly clean the donor and receiver sites by pouring water over them multiple times. However, you should never rub your hair dry with a towel.
You must begin twice-daily antimicrobial shampoo and conditioner washes on the recipient area beginning on day 2. This is essential to preventing infection after a hair transplant, as it helps remove the flakes and crust from the scalp.
For successful recovery, you must stop using tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and painkillers. You must avoid exercise and other intense activities for at least two weeks after surgery. It is important to take oral drugs as directed.
After a hair transplant, you also need to sleep on a few pillows for at least 7-10 days during the recovery period, keeping your head elevated. It helps with decreasing any swelling from the surgery.
In addition, for the first two weeks after the hair transplant, you should use nothing but the shampoo, and conditioner, along with the lotion that your doctor has recommended. It's also important to stay out of the sun and heat for at least three weeks after a hair transplant. Swimming should be during this time as well.
Final Words
Hair transplantation has progressed significantly in recent years thanks to new methods and equipment development. Several new hair transplant techniques have been developed in addition to the Follicular Unit Extraction as well as Follicular Unit Transplantation procedures.
However, you must adhere to a strict aftercare regimen to get the best possible outcomes after a hair transplant.
