In this episode, Dr. Danyo talks about what you should and should not expect after a hair restoration. He answers the most common questions about post-op care, getting back into your regular routine and more.
Giving Patients With Prior Negative Experiences, Tough Cases Hope
Dr. Danyo has seen quite a few individuals lately with severe hair loss on a Norwood Scale of 6 or 7.
One of the most striking was a young guy in his 20s with near total hair loss and below average donor sites on the head. He had been told the best he might get is a small amount of hair moved to the top and a combover to disguise the baldness.
Which, of course, is never what you want to hear.
After consulting to Dr. Danyo, however, he learned that because he had vigorous growth on good donor sites like the beard and chest that could be used for a successful transplant – the doctor calls these as a “bank account” you can draw on – his prospects for a full head of hair were pretty good.
The doctor did a transplant of over 4000 grafts, including head, beard and chest hair, blending them for consistent coverage and texture.
The patient was so excited about the results afterward, and he even walked out with a great-looking beard since the hair was harvested carefully.
Questions About After the Hair Transplant Procedure
So, knowing there’s hope, let’s say you’d like to get a hair transplant with Dr. Danyo.
A lot of people have seen and heard things about hair restoration that aren’t necessarily true – or at least not when you get a modern procedure with an expert like Dr. Danyo.
You likely have a few questions about the recovery process, like when you can do certain things and what you will look like after the procedure.
Dr. Danyo runs through some of the most common questions people have:
How Long Will I Need to Wear Bandages?
You may see images on the internet that show people wearing bandages after a transplant.
Dr. Danyo doesn’t use bandages – he thinks they make healing slower and swelling worse. They also look terrible and make people feel weird after their procedure.
Luckily, and especially when they get Shave-less FUE, Dr. Danyo’s patients walk out of the office looking much like they did when they walked in.
Because of the elegance of this high-tech procedure, his patients also experience less pain, less swelling, no grafts popping out — just a new start with a fuller head of hair on the way.
When Can I Wear a Hat?
You can usually wear a baseball or structured hat immediately after your procedure with Dr. Danyo. Just be sure to put the brim below where the grafts were placed.
No knit hats or do-rags, though – cloth or clingy hats can pull or dislodge the grafts after a transplant.
When Can I Shower?
Dr. Danyo tells his patients to shower the night of the procedure. People get pretty stressed about this advice, but it is recommended because good hygiene is essential to fast healing and less scabbing.
Pen implantation means the grafts Dr. Danyo places are very secure when you leave and they are very resistant to being damaged with washing.
Dr. Danyo recommends baby shampoo, a special technique for thorough and gentle cleaning, and blow-drying afterward to keep the grafts dry.
The doctor advises patients to wash twice a day for the first 4 days for optimal comfort and healing.
When Can I Exercise?
It’s a good idea to get out of the house and maybe do some walking soon after the procedure, but exercise should be avoided for the first 4 days.
After that, light exercise that doesn’t involve a lot of straining is best during the early healing process.
You want to avoid blood pressure spikes until around day 7, when you are clear to exercise as usual.
However, a lot of people like to wait until day 10, when all the scabs have fallen off.
Although scabbing will be minimal if you follow proper washing and care, there still will be some as part of your healing.
What Next?
The next phase occurs in 2 to 3 months, when new hair starts growing in the grafted follicle.
There will be a shedding of old hair growth that might surprise some, but it is a good sign that the transplanted hair follicle is functioning normally.
At about 3 to 4 months, the real fun starts and you generally see a lot of growth.
However, it can take 12 to 15 months to see the final hair density you have achieved from your hair transplant.
What If I Have Questions After My Transplant?
The team at North Atlanta Hair Restoration is just a click away on the Klara app, so you can always get expert guidance and answers to all your questions.
Thinking About Getting a Hair Restoration?
Dr. Danyo would love to hear from you.
You can book online, or call us at (678) 845-7521 to schedule a virtual or in-person consultation. The team can also answer your questions when you call.
