Recovery Period Questions, The Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research

RECOVERY PERIOD

Frontal view of scalp
one week after surgery

What will recovery be like after my hair restoration procedure? How obvious will it be to others?

The recovery time is minimal for hair transplantation. Usually patients return to work within two to four days following surgery. Although crusting in the grafted areas will usually last seven to ten days. Post-op care and instructions should be followed to minimize the amount of crusting on the grafts. Any existing hair can be combed over the grafted area to make it less noticeable. Strenuous physical activity or exercise should be avoided for one week after surgery. The hairs in the new grafts may go through a shedding period two to three weeks after the procedure, and new hair begins to grow back in two to four months. In seven days the staples are removed from the donor site where the tissue was harvested. Some residual pinkness may remain in the grafted areas for a couple of weeks.

Will a hair replacement procedure limit my activities?

Dr. Griffin requests that patients limit strenuous activities for one week following surgery.

Full scalp view of
one week after surgery

How long after my procedure do I have to wait before I get a haircut?

It is recommended that the patient wait until the staples in the donor area are removed before getting a haircut, which is seven days post-op.

When can I wash my hair after the procedure? When can I blow dry?

The morning after the procedure, the patient will return to our office to have the hair shampooed and blown dry. At that time we will discuss the methods of modified shampooing and blow-drying to be done for the next 4-6 days. After one week, the patient can shampoo and blow dry normally without restriction.

When can I color/ perm my hair?

Patients must wait one full month after their procedure to color, perm, or chemically treat the hair in any way. Dr. Griffin recommends that patients who color or perm their hair schedule a treatment for the week prior to the procedure. Even the day before surgery is fine.

Will I be able to cut and style my hair any way I want?

Yes. Dr. Griffin’s artistic placement of the new grafts will allow the patient to wear any hairstyle they choose. You may even alter the hairstyle without any difficulty. With multiple delicate follicular grafts, the newly grafted hair grows as naturally as your existing hair, so any style is possible. Your final aesthetic goals are always considered in the planning process.

When will my new hair start to grow?

The transferred grafts go into a natural resting phase when they are transplanted into the new scalp area. The latest technique, with smaller follicular unit grafts and exact custom-sized recipient openings, allows the blood supply to re-established quickly to the new grafts. The first new grafts will start growing within two to four months following the procedure. Because hair grows in cycles, the new grafts do not all start growing at once. By the eighth month following the surgery, an estimated 90% of the grafts are growing.

How long should I wait between Hair Restoration procedures?

Dr. Griffin recommends that patients wait a minimum of one full year between hair transplant sessions, to allow the maximum growth from the previous session.