FUE Hair Transplant Recovery: What You Need To Know

What is the recovery like after an FUE hair transplant?

This is a question asked by all of our patients at The Treatment Rooms London! As it is such an important topic, we decided to write a blog explaining what you need to know about the recovery after your hair transplant procedure.

We will cover five main points:

1. What will I look like after the FUE hair transplant?
2. How long will I need to rest for and when can I go back to work after an FUE hair transplant?
3. When can I start to wash and style my hair like I normally do following an FUE hair transplant?
4. How long will it take for my FUE hair transplant to grow?
5. What happens if I start to lose more hair after an FUE hair transplant?

What will I look like after the FUE hair transplant?

During your FUE hair transplant you will have your hair cut to a grade zero on the back and sides with lots of small “red dots” where hairs have been extracted (donor site). You will see implanted hairs sitting freely at the top of the scalp (recipient site), these will embed into their new position. Any bandages you have are usually removed the very next day after operation. So essentially you are left with a very short hair cut, with “red dots” on the back and scabby hairs on top.

Our patients often worry how long they will look like this. Of course it varies from person to person. If you’re someone with thick hair that grows quickly, the donor site can be covered in as quick as three days. For most people it is well healed and covered in five days.

The implanted hairs in the recipient site can be more obvious. At The Treatment Rooms London we can perform our FUE hair transplants without having to shave the top of your head. So your existing hairs can be used to cover the implanted hairs immediately. We also take care to clean and hydrate the transplanted hairs to reduce any scab formation. Scabs that do form should disappear by seven days after the hair transplant. You can help by gently soaking the scabs with the salt water spray provided for you. It is very important not to pick the scabs, as this may pull the new hair roots out with it, let the scabs fall out naturally!

Most people have no visible signs of surgery by seven days apart from your newly implanted hairs.

It takes 14 days for the implanted hair grafts to fully embed within your scalp after a hair transplant. For that reason we advise all our patients to take care for the first two weeks.

How long will I need to rest for after FUE hair transplant surgery and when can I go back to work?

At The Treatment Rooms London we advise at least four days rest even though most people are technically fit to go back to work the very next day. It is important to remember your new hairs are very delicate and need more attention in the first few days as they start to embed into the scalp. Our busiest patients often have their procedure on a Friday; allowing them to rest fully on the weekend; then work from home on Monday and Tuesday; finally returning to the office on Wednesday. You may prefer to take a few more days off as your transplant will disguise better with time. Some people may need to take off up to two weeks if their work involves strenuous activity.

When can I start to wash and style my hair like I normally do following FUE hair transplant surgery?

It takes 14 days for the implanted hair grafts to fully embed within your scalp after a hair transplant. For that reason we advise all our patients to take care for the first two weeks. By day five you are able to wash your hair. By day ten you should be able to style your hair whichever way you prefer and apply hair products you normally use. After 14 days following your hair transplant, you are free to do whatever you like to your hair including going to the gym and having a hair cut as your new grafts are now “rooted in”.

How long will it take for my FUE hair transplant to grow?

At The Treatment Rooms London we have seen our patients grow their transplant as quick as 5 months. This is very quick and rare! We advise that full results are seen at 12-18 months post-transplant.

Patience following a hair transplant is key as you will need to wait for the hairs to initially shed and then regrow over 1 year. After the first 8 months approximately 80% of your implanted grafts should have started to grow. By 12 months 100% of your grafts should have grown. However, over the next 6 months these hairs will become thicker giving your hair a fuller appearance.

What happens if I start to lose more hair after FUE hair transplant surgery?

At The Treatment Rooms London we make sure we create a master plan for your hair loss. Although transplanted hairs are lifelong you may continue to lose surrounding hair throughout your lifetime so it is important to plan for it. This may include a combination of medications and hair transplantation, but by doing so we help you tackle hair loss now and for the future, reducing the chances of you undergoing another hair transplant.

If you want to learn more about our hair transplant aftercare and recovery programme, please get in contact with one of our surgeons. Alternatively, you can visit our contact page to book a free initial consultation.

1. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/hair-transplant/
2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hair-loss/
3. https://patient.info/mens-health/male-pattern-baldness
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2956961/