Steps To Washing Your Hair After A Hair Transplant

Washing your hair after your surgery is an important stage in the FUE aftercare and recovery process. You should be able to wash your hair on the 4th day following your surgery. In this blog we will explain how to wash your hair after your hair transplant.

Why You Should Wash Your Hair After A Hair Transplant

After your hair transplant, you will be left with scabs and small flecks of skin in your recipient area. In your donor area you will be left with small scabs where hairs have been taken out. These will need to be washed away carefully in order for you to start look normal again!

In the first 4 days after surgery you will be required to keep your newly implanted hair moist. This can be achieved with a salt water solution being sprayed every 30 minutes. This helps to ensure the newly implanted grafts don’t dry out; giving them every chance of embedding into the skin and growing in the months to come.

You won’t be able to wash the whole of your head until 4 days have passed following surgery. By this time, your hair will feel slightly uncomfortable. You will also want to get rid of any flecks of skin or small scabs that have formed following surgery. By washing your hair you will be able to get rid of these obvious signs of surgery and go back to work. You will also feel a lot more refreshed and clean following your wash.

When Should You Wash Your Hair After Your Hair Transplant?

At The Treatment Rooms London, we recommend washing your recipient area hair on the 4th day following your surgery.

You may wash your donor area on the morning following surgery.

How Do You Wash Your Hair After Your Hair Transplant?

Washing Your Donor Area

In the afternoon following your hair transplant you can take off the bandage and wash the back of your head. Here are the steps required for washing your donor area:

1. Prior to starting see if you someone can help you, if not ensure you have a mirror to hand in the bathroom.
2. Ideally you want a shower head which you can hold in your hand and adjust the pressure, if not running the tap and using a clean cup will also work.
3. Run the water ensuring that it is lukewarm, if you are using a shower ensure the pressure is set to medium/low.
4. Using assistance or a mirror, apply water over your donor area bandage. Be careful NOT to knock or touch your recipient area.
5. Spend 5-10 minutes allowing the lukewarm water to soak into the bandage and over time this will begin to loosen.
6. This will allow you to take off the bandage easily and dispose of it in your general waste bin.
7. Once your donor area is exposed you can wash it. Use the palm flats of your hand (never your nails) to gently massage in baby shampoo into the donor area. It is normal for this to feel slightly tender on the first wash.
8. Wash the shampoo foam off with lukewarm water.
9. Air dry your donor area.
10. You do not need to apply a new bandage to the back of your head.
11. Continue to wash the donor area each day using the same technique until you are two weeks post procedure.

Washing Your Recipient Area

On the 4th day following your hair transplant, you will be able to wash your recipient area. Here are the steps required for washing your recipient area:

1. Ideally you want a shower head which you can hold in your hand and adjust the pressure, if not running the tap and using a clean cup will also work.
2. Run the water ensuring that it is lukewarm, if you are using a shower ensure the pressure is set to medium/low.
3. Using assistance or a mirror, apply water over your recipient area. Spend 3-4 minutes allowing the lukewarm water to soak into scabs around the transplanted hairs.
4. Use the palm flats of your hand (never your nails) to gently massage in baby shampoo into the recipient area.
5. Wash the shampoo foam off with lukewarm water.
6. Always let the water do the work for you. Never try and actively remove scabs with your fingers as this may remove transplanted hairs with it. In time the scabs will come away with each wash.
7. Continue to wash the donor area as instructed in the section above.
8. Air dry your recipient and donor areas
9. Continue to wash the recipient area each day using the same technique until you are two weeks post procedure.

You may find you are still left with some flecks of skin and scabs following your first wash. This is normal- don’t worry. You can wash your hair twice a day using the steps above. In 3-4 days most signs of surgery, including flecks of skin and scabs should be gone.

Are you looking to have a hair transplant?

If you are looking to have a hair transplant and you are still wondering about when you can go back to work feel free to see us in clinic. Our Surgeons would be happy to go through your treatment options and explain when would be the best time for you to go back to work. Make an enquiry today!