Can You Go On Holiday After Your Hair Transplant?

You can go on short-haul holiday 3 days after your hair transplant and a long-haul holiday after 7 days have passed. This is when the swelling in your scalp will have reduced and the risk to your hair transplant and your health is minimised. However, there are still important things to consider whilst you are holidaying. The main considerations that you need to think about when going on holiday after your hair transplant are:

• Flying after your hair transplant
• Exposing your hair transplant to direct sunlight
• Going in the swimming pool or the sea

With this in mind, we will help guide you through the question of whether you can go on holiday after your hair transplant?

What is a hair transplant?

A hair transplant involves relocating hairs from the back and sides of the scalp or the body to an area of thinning or balding. There are two main techniques used to achieve this- FUE or FUT hair transplant surgery. Following surgery, there are important hair transplant aftercare instructions related to recovery, including whether you can go on holiday after having a hair transplant.

If you are looking to go abroad for your hair transplant, there are some important things you need to know that could put your hair transplant and your health at risk if you go too early.

Flying after your hair transplant

If you are planning to take a flight after your hair transplant, you need to be aware that this could put you and your hair transplant at risk. If you fly too early and are suffering from swelling in your scalp following surgery, the cabin pressure can make the swelling worse. This can result in the swelling starting to affect your forehead and eyes making it difficult for you to open your eyes. To reduce the risk of this happening, we recommend not flying after your hair transplant within the first 3 days at least.

Exposing your hair transplant to direct sunlight

When you go on holiday you might be keen to relax and sunbathe on a beach or next to a swimming pool. Whilst you are healing following your hair transplant, it is important not to expose your newly implanted grafts to direct sunlight- especially whilst the area is red.

If you expose your newly implanted follicles to strong UV rays you can potentially damage them. Therefore, it is recommended that you wear a cap when going outside in the first 2 weeks following your hair transplant. After 2 weeks have passed you will only need to consider wearing a hat or a cap if your transplant still appears quite red.

This means, that if you want to go on holiday after your hair transplant and enjoy the sun, it might be best if you plan your holiday 2 weeks after your operation.

Going in the swimming pool or the sea

You might be a keen swimmer and enjoy going into the sea or swimming pool on holiday. If you have just had your hair transplant, this is highly inadvisable! Swimming pools and sea water can be dirty and the risk of causing infection to your hair transplant can be high.

We recommend that you do not swim for at least 2 weeks following your operation. If you hair transplant is still red after 2 weeks then we recommend waiting longer (up to 4 weeks) following your surgery before swimming.

So if you want to go on holiday and swim after your hair transplant, we recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before going abroad.

Book your consultation with our Surgeons

If you are looking to book your hair transplant around a holiday then feel free to contact our Surgeons to discuss your treatment options.

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