The recovery stage of any hair transplant is crucial in the success of the transplant overall, especially for more delicate procedures like FUE hair transplants.
After the surgery, you are given tips and guidance on how to look after the grafts when at home, but it is up to you to follow directions and make sure you are performing the correct aftercare. The recovery stage can seem like the scariest part and requires a lot of patience, however the actual ‘recovery’ is a very short time frame.
The many stages of ‘recovery’
Unlike some other more intensive cosmetic surgeries, you’ll be free to head home soon after your procedure ends. We advise our patients to stay away from operating heavy machinery or driving, but you can resume normal life as soon as you feel well enough.
It’s important to note that there are many different stages of ‘recovery’ and everybody is different when it comes to recovery times. You can expect the small scabs from the donor area to have healed within 7-10 days, however to completely recover and start to see results, may take a good few months.
How long should you book off work?
When it comes to how long you should plan to book off work, you should give yourself 1 or 2 days leeway. To get you back on your feet and doing your normal activities, won’t take anymore than maybe 2-3 days, however some people can feel a little self-conscious after the procedure, so many book off up to a week in order to get used to their new shaved hairstyle.
When can you get back to normal activities?
Once out of surgery and back home, it is then up to you and how quickly your own body recovers, that will determine when you can resume normal activity.
How long until you see the full results of your hair transplant?
The part of the recovery that can be the most time consuming is waiting to see cosmetic results. The new hair will start to grow back in around 4-6 months, however to truly see a dramatic difference, it could take up to 8 months.
In this time it is imperative that you take care of both the donor area and the newly grafted hair. This will ensure a greater chance that your donor hair will survive and give you the overall results you want from your transplant.
The recovery period is the make or break period of your hair transplant. Once the donor hair has been transplanted onto the affected area, it is then up to you to make sure the proper care is given. As the surgery isn’t overly evasive, recovery with regards to how ‘normal’ you feel can be fairly quick, but to make sure you see the full results of your transplant as soon as possible, it’s important to take care of the delicate grafts.