The hair transplant recovery processes vary depending on the method of surgery. One of the reasons we recommend and only perform FUE hair transplants is because the more outdated method of transplant can cause more complications and the recovery from the hair transplant is much longer. This is because, for FUT hair transplant, a strip of skin will have to be extracted from a donor area, which is a more intrusive process. Moreover, the donor hair is most often found at the back and sides of the head, which then can make sleeping during the hair transplant recovery process tricky, as patients find it uncomfortable to lay on these sensitive areas.
Unlike FUE, the incisions required will be much larger when it comes to extracting the hairs. This means that in order to heal, the FUT hair transplant surgery recovery will take at least five weeks. However, it can take much longer for the scar to fully heal. Some patients may also notice puckered or keloid scarring during this process which can be a risk. In contrast, the FUE hair transplant recovery process is straightforward and relatively pain free.
At the Harley Street Hair Clinic, we do not provide FUT hair transplants, however, we always recommend the best hair restoration procedure for your hair loss and specific circumstance. If your hair loss is severe and our surgeons determine that the donor area cannot support the target area required, we may recommend Advanced Tricho Pigmentation instead.
What Is The Hair Transplant Recovery Time?
Hair transplant recovery time varies depending on the individual patient and their circumstances. Hair transplant surgery recovery time can be expected to take around 2 weeks, however, most people recover in just 7 days. The same time frame applies for returning to work post-op and your normal day to day routine. During the hair transplant recovery time, it is recommended that you refrain from strenuous activity, avoiding sweating, raising your blood pressure, alcohol and tobacco wherever possible. More advice and information is available on the hair transplant aftercare and considerations pages.
Patients will need to wait for the full 12 month regrowth term before they can properly evaluate their full results.
What To Expect From Hair Transplant Recovery Procedure
One of the reasons these surgeries are growing in popularity is because the FUE hair transplant recovery and healing process is extremely manageable. During the immediate stages of hair transplant recovery, you can expect the area to be tender and extremely delicate. All the advice we give helps to ensure that the area is protected and not disturbed during this time. You can find out more about the side effects on our website, but there will be some bruising and scabbing as the incision sites heal. This is nothing to worry about. They are very unlikely to inhibit the regrowth and should not be picked off. Staff at the clinic will be able to advise on how to wash these away if they persevere for a long time and become unsightly.
The majority of hair transplants are to reconstruct the hairline, particularly for male pattern baldness. In turn, a lot of those who have experienced female pattern baldness or hormonal loss may wish their parting or the hair around their temples to be denser. The immediate stages of hair transplant recovery for these popular areas might not be visually appealing. This is because of the small scabs or some fresh blood left over and some swelling. During the initial stages of the hair transplant recovery process, you may feel tightness and slight aching on the scalp. This is temporary and discomfort is minimal, it can be managed with paracetamol after the prescribed course of antibiotics has ended.
After the full-term hair transplant recovery time, you will be invited back to the clinic for another post-operative consultation. This is when the doctors will be able to evaluate the regrowth in the area and determine how successful the transplant was. You may also be able to book or be given a timeframe to return if further treatment is needed in order to achieve your desired look.
Hair transplants are a permanent solution to hair loss. You may experience some shedding during the FUE hair transplant recovery process, but this is a completely normal hair transplant stage. You should continue to follow the aftercare regime.
To find out more about what to expect from the recovery process or to see our hair transplant results, speak to a specialist during a no obligation consultation.
