You have finally decided to get a solution to your hair loss problem – carefully consulted and discussed with a trusted hair restoration specialist, learned that a hair transplant surgery is good for you and understood how the surgery will be done. Given that, you must know what to expect after your hair transplant surgery so you can be prepared.
There are a number of important things to expect post hair transplant surgery, but these 8 are the most important ones:
The procedure has risks involved
Every surgery has risks involved. You may be prone to infection, bleeding or prolonged healing. Also, the possibility of having a bad result is always there. However, all these risks are controllable. That’s why your body must be prepared and your have to make sure that you’ve chosen the right hair transplant surgeon that you can trust to provide you with a positive result.
Pain is inevitable
You will still feel pain after the transplant surgery – the pain level will just vary depending on your pain threshold. This is a surgical process after all, and your scalp needs to heal after becoming a donor area and a recipient area at the same time. Pain can be minimized by taking pain medications prescribed by your surgeon. You may also try elevating your head with pillows while sleeping to lessen your scalp’s swelling and improve the healing process.
Hair will shed after surgery
Having a hair transplant doesn’t automatically make you grow full hair overnight. Expect that there may be transplanted hair falling off two to five weeks after surgery. Don’t panic as shedding off transplanted hair is a normal part of the healing process as a reaction to the trauma your scalp underwent. Your hair follicles enter a dormant phase and the redness and swelling of the scalp is usually over by this period. This shedding off process paves way for new and stronger follicles to grow into your scalp.
Every patient’s healing time varies
A hair transplant surgery healing time follows a certain timeline. However, each patient’s healing time differs from another; one may heal faster than the others or stubbles of hair growth might begin earlier and faster for one patient and later and slower than the others. That’s why you have to work closely with your chosen surgeon to monitor progress correctly.
The final result of the transplant will not be seen until a year or more
Patience is a virtue and as mentioned, a hair transplant will not make your hair grow full overnight. The final result of the transplant will be visible after 12 to 18 months. Your hair might have grown more than an inch, even permitting you to have your first haircut since the transplant. As long as it was excellently done by your surgeon, you can guarantee great results and better coverage once you’ve fully recovered.
Don’t forget the donor area
The donor area will be sore but will begin to disappear after three days to a week. Sutures will begin to absorb after two weeks and knots at the ends of the absorbable sutures shed off after two weeks. Residual numbness will be gone after two to four months.
The results are permanent.
Hair transplant surgery delivers permanent results. That is why those who have permanent hair loss prefer this solution because it’s more cost-efficient in the long run and gives natural-looking results.
You might need to come back for another session
Between 8 to 12 months, you will be assessed by your surgeon if it’s necessary for you to undergo another session. A second session doesn’t mean that the first transplant didn’t work and that it’s a waste of time and money. A second session might be needed to achieve a full restoration, or if you have a more progressive type of hair loss that the first session cannot completely cover.
When hair restoration is successful, you can bring back the confidence you lost during hair loss. Your hair will be natural-looking and better than before. At NuHart Hair Clinic, we can offer you the best treatment for your hair loss. Book for a consultation now to get the best results.