Planning to have a hair transplant but wondering how long it will take to recover? Well, the answer lies in the treatment and your overall health.
For instance, if you have had Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), you may take longer to recover than if you have had Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). In FUE, the healing begins immediately.
In FUE, the hair is collected from the donor area without removing any skin. Hence, this hair transplant recovery is much faster. In fact, you can go back to work almost immediately after the hair transplant.
That’s about the hair transplant recovery. But, when will you have a head full of hair? It may take up to 6 months or more to show the results completely depending on your health and course of treatment.
While you’re in the process of hair transplant recovery, make sure to maintain hygiene around the area to prevent the formation of infections.
To have a more comprehensive idea about what hair transplant recovery looks like, let’s follow a timeline:
End of Week 1
You can expect to see something like a crew cut on your head. Any discomfort that you may be feeling will be significantly reduced by the end of Week 1.
After two-three weeks
Hold your breath here because two-three weeks post-surgery, your newly transplanted hair is likely to fall off. BUT, it’s nothing to worry about and quite normal. This is part of the natural phase of hair growth. Despite the hair loss, the follicle remains healthy and returns to the growth phase again in some time.
After two-three months
Two-three months after the surgery, you may look like how you looked before the surgery. But, don’t lose hope, hang on! This is perfectly normal too. Just keep attending to the follow-ups and following the instructions given by the doctor.
The fourth month
Now you will see what you had been waiting for. Around four months post-surgery you will be able to see new hair from the transplanted follicles. The new hair will appear delicate and thin at this point.
In eight to nine months
In eight or nine months, you will have hair thick enough to fashion your way.
A year later
A year post-surgery, your follicles will start to grow healthy hair on their own. The hair transplant recovery will be complete at this point.
More things to note:
- Right after the procedure, the patient will have a small hole in the donor area caused by graft removal. This will take not more than a week to heal. There may also be a slight inflammation in the area for some.
- The hair in the recipient area starts to grow immediately.
Haircare for Hair transplant recovery:
- Don’t scrub the area in the first week. Just gently pour water and keep the area clean.
- 7th day onwards, the patient can wash their hair normally.
When are you fit to go back to work?
- FUE is a minimally invasive technique, so you can expect to return to work as soon as a day or two.
- Make sure to not lift any weights during this period.
- However, you may choose the period you want to stay at home for your hair transplant recovery.
You should be able to see and enjoy the fruits of your hair transplant if you follow the procedure and take good care of your hair after the surgery. The redness on the scalp may persist for 7 to 10 days, but trust us, they will go.
If you are worried, about it being intrusive in your daily life, then shed your worries. You can carry on living your life just as usual post-surgery.
