If you have recently had a hair transplant you will want to make sure that you do everything you can to help the recovery process. This hair transplant blog shares some great tips.

Sleep in the Upright Position

Sleeping with your head raised is one of the best post-hair transplant tips. Use two pillows or more, or whenever possible, sleep in a recliner chair in the elevated position. That will help to reduce swelling since blood will have the opportunity to flow away from your scalp. 

The first week following a follicular unit transplantation (FUT) type of hair transplant surgery can be argued to be the most critical time frame throughout the healing process since post-surgery wounds will be fresh still and the hair follicles that have been newly placed are still quite vulnerable. This might sound very uncomfortable, but the patient should avoid putting down their head or bending over. Patients should sleep in the upright position. Pillows can be used to prop yourself up or, if possible, sleep in a recliner. That will help to prevent excessive bleeding, swelling, and irritation. 

Do Not Immediately Disrupt or Wash the Grafts 

Patients should wait at least 48 hours before they wash their hair unless their physician has advised them otherwise. After this, they can begin to slowly wash their hair using warm water and shampoo, and rinse with lukewarm water. That method should be used during the initial 14 days following the procedure in order to prevent excessive scabbing from occurring. After this, with guidance from their doctor, a patient can resume using their regular washing routine but with caution. After hair transplantation, grooming should be done carefully and cautiously advise Wimpole Clinic. 

Apply Light Pressure to Your Grafts 

If you experience slight swelling or bleeding after you wash your hair, you can apply very light pressure to your affected area by using gauze or a moist clean cloth for 5-10 minutes. Do not dab the area since that can increase the risk that scabbing and infection will occur. In the beginning, some scabbing is a very natural aspect of the overall healing process. However, you should avoid picking at your scabs to allow them to heal efficiently and seamlessly. When light pressure is applied to your graft implants after taking a shower, any blood will be absorbed that might appear. That will reduce the chance of any unnecessary swelling. 

Take Any Prescribed Medications Exactly as They Are Directed

Following the procedure, some scarring might occur. That is why it is essential to take post hair transplant medications as they are prescribed. That also will help to reduce irritation. One tip that is given by doctors is to avoid touching your scalp until after the healing process has been completed, as hard as they might be to do.  

Follow All Post Hair Transplant Advice From Your Doctor

Your doctor who conducts your hair transplant produce will provide you with a post-care procedures list for you to follow. Read it over several times. Make a note of any questions you might have about grooming following hair transplantation before undergoing the procedure. Since the last thing you will be thinking about is questions regarding aftercare, make sure you ask them before your procedure. 

Keep Your Hair Long to Hide Any Potentially Visible Follicles

About one or two weeks after you have your hair transplant procedure, they will take out the stitches. At this point, your scab should have healed. A small percentage of patients might suffer from what is referred to as the “shadow effect.” This is when your follicles become visible. In order to hide the fact that you had surgery, a top post-hair transplant tip is keeping your hair long enough so you can cover it up by the direction it falls in. Following the procedure, certain patients might experience some thinning. It is very rare that this occurs. Your doctor might prescribe medication to help prevent any loss from occurring. After three or four months, you will start seeing some visible growth. After six to nine months, the final results will be shown.

Avoid Doing Any Strenuous Activity

You should avoid doing any kind of strenuous or physical activity that can make your heart rise over the resting position during the first week following your hair transplant surgery. That may include anything from heavy lifting to yoga, playing tennis, bike riding, or running. You also need to be careful when you are getting into and out of cars so you do not graze or hit the top of your head. During the first couple of days, your hair follicles can easily become dislodged or move.

To Promote Healing Make The Right Dietary Changes

An important part of your post-hair recovery process involves making the right changes to your diet. For example, if you like spicy food, you will need to give it up during your healing process. When it comes to alcohol, the same thing is true, because it works like a blood thinner, and therefore increases your susceptibility to bleeding. 

Be Patient

Just being patient is the most important thing that you can do during your hair transplant recovery process. It will take three to six months at least for your hair to start to grow. Before that, the grafts are just healing. Fortunately, within nine months in most cases, the grafts will finish producing hair. From this point on, your hair should grow normally with very little evidence that you ever had a hair transplant procedure. Even on close inspection, people will not be able to tell unless they have prior knowledge of your procedure.