Whenever you subject yourself to a very delicate surgical procedure, part of the preparation you have to take is understanding what the procedure demands from you. Going for a procedure such as a hair transplant is not something you can just take for granted. There is so much at stake and as a patient, you need to be committed to keeping yourself at optimum health before the procedure, during the procedure, and even after hair transplant surgery.
Caring for Yourself After the Surgery
It is the doctor’s responsibility to educate you about the proper maintenance and care you need to observe, after the surgery. All of these are included in the consultation procedure and will be repeated to you before you are allowed to go hom. As a patient, you have to take all the instructions seriously because this will affect the success of the entire procedure.
- If you are given medications, make sure to take them religiously and comply with the proper dosage given in the prescription.
- You have to remember that underneath the bandages, you have wounds that will be healing for quite some time. Make sure to keep your hands away from the surgical site so as to avoid infection.
- Do avoid heavy physical activity that can open the wound and harm you. Physical exertion can lead to bleeding, which, in turn, can lead to more serious problems.
- Always see your doctor for any scheduled follow-up appointments so that he or she can check on your progress, as well as the healing of the wounds.
Promoting Healing and Caring for Your Surgical Wounds
Inasmuch as you would like to flaunt your new hair, days after the surgery, this is something that won’t happen until at least a few months. It will take some time for new hair to grow after hair transplant surgery. The surgical site needs to be preserved, so flaunting it would be the wrong thing to do. In fact, it is advised that you cover your head with a hat or a bandana so that you can keep it away from sunlight, and allow it to grow and heal normally. The procedure you just received has made your scalp extremely sensitive and it is your responsibility to shield the pores and skin of your scalp to promote proper healing.
Improving blood circulation is also going to help promote healing. To improve blood circulation, you can try elevating your head while you sleep, and you can do this even by just sleeping on more than one pillow. You just underwent a surgical operation and your body is trying to cope with the physical stress it received so do remember to rest.
Counting the Days After the Surgery
To be more specific and to give you a more detailed idea on what to expect during the healing process after hair transplant surgery, here is a run through of a typical post-operative profile:
- 1 day after: Expect to find some blood on the scalp. Wash it gently when you bathe.
- 1 week after: Swelling and redness will be gone by this time and you can expect to find a “week-old beard” growing at the transplant site.
- 1 month after: The new hair will be at its resting phase and you will look like your balding self, once again.
- 5 months after: More hair will grow at the transplant site and it will continue to grow in the following months.
- 1 year after: You will now enjoy the final result of the surgery. This marks the end of the first session of your surgery.