Getting a hair transplant is a great solution for any man who is struggling with male pattern baldness. It’s a short procedure that gets you one step closer to achieving the full head of hair of your dreams – it’s also been steadily increasing in popularity since 2016 [1].
However, the process doesn’t end after your surgeon has put down their tools. There is a whole recovery process that you must think about post-hair transplant surgery.
It’s important that, after your hair transplant, you should follow all of the necessary precautions and hair transplant recovery advice your doctor gives you. This includes taking some downtime after your hair transplant procedure. This stage is just as important as the actual hair transplant procedure itself. It can ensure that you get the results that you want.
One thing that a lot of men wonder about when they have a hair transplant is how they can cover up the scars and the healing hair grafts by wearing a hat. If you want to know whether wearing a hat is an option for you, keep on reading.
There are two different types of hair transplants: follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE). While the hair transplant procedures are similar in some ways, there are many differences between FUE and FUT.
During a FUT hair transplant operation, a section of your skin – known as a hair graft – will be removed from the back of your scalp where hair is still growing healthily. This graft will then be divided into hundreds of sections. These will then be re-implanted into areas of your scalp where you’re experiencing hair loss.
An FUE procedure is similar, but this procedure involves taking individual healthy hair follicles from areas of the scalp where hair is growing normally and reimplanting them one by one to areas where hair isn’t growing.
After the treatment is complete, you may notice some soreness and scabbing in the transplanted areas, as well as some hair transplant swelling.
Not only can wearing a hat hide the transplant scars that you’ll be left with after your treatment, but they are also a crucial part of the aftercare process.
Wearing the right type of hat can protect the implanted hairs from things like the sun, wind, rain, or dirt. These can potentially irritate the wounds and prevent the new hair grafts from healing properly.
For the first few days after your treatment, it’s best to give your scalp time to heal before covering it with a hat. You can usually wear a hat around 10 days after your hair transplant operation.
10 days is a good time period to wait as this gives the transplanted hair follicles a chance to take root in any balding areas without anything disturbing them.
In the first few weeks after your hair transplant, it’s best to wear a hat that is loose and breathable. You don’t want to wear anything that’s too tight to your head. This can stick to the transplanted grafts and interrupt the healing process.
You should also avoid wearing a hat at all times and only wear a hat when you really need to. When you’re at home, it’s best to go hat-free as much as possible. Reserve your hat-wearing time for when you’re going outside.
After 10-14 days, the implanted hairs should have settled. At this time, you are free to wear a loose-fitting hat to cover up the healing scalp. Again, it’s best to avoid anything that is too tight. Wide-brimmed and loose-fitting hats like fishing hats or bucket hats are great to cover up your healing scalp while also offering protection against direct sunlight.
If fishing hats aren’t your style, feel free to wear a loose-fitting hoodie. Just make sure that the hoodie zips up from the front and does not go over your head. Avoid wearing clothing that must over go over your head as it could get caught or snag on your implanted grafts. Instead, opt for button-up shirts and/or sweatshirts that zip up from the front.
Hair transplants are usually relatively painless, low-risk procedures, but it’s still always good to know what to expect.
If you want to ensure great results, it’s important to take aftercare seriously and follow your surgeon’s post-surgery instructions carefully. You’ll be made aware of all the specific aftercare instructions you need to follow by your doctor before and after your treatment so you know exactly what to do.
You will probably be advised to elevate your head when sleeping and be careful when washing your hair after a hair transplant. It’s also essential to learn how to dry and style your hair after a hair transplant. You may also be informed of certain medications to take after a hair transplant that can minimise the chance of experiencing an infected hair transplant.
Although it’s pretty rare, there is still a chance that you will experience some complications after a hair transplant [2]. You’ll be able to tell if your complications are serious if you don’t notice any improvements after two weeks post-op. But if you suspect anything is wrong before this, speak to your consultant or doctor as soon as possible.
If you think that a hair transplant could be the solution to your hair loss worries, we would love to talk to you in more detail about the hair restoration process.
We offer a completely free, no-obligation discovery call with all potential customers. You can speak to one of our experts and ask any questions that may be on your mind. If you are unsure about what to ask, take a look at our list of questions you really want to ask about hair transplant surgery.
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