What Does a Hair Transplant Two Weeks Post Op Look & Feel Like?
A lot is said about how great the new and improved hair transplant surgery methods are, and what kind of results you can expect from them. A lot of clinics out there will naturally focus on the end result of their procedures because it’s those results that really sell. Most before & after pictures you will see on the internet will not show you what a hair transplant two weeks post op will look like. Instead, they will focus on the results after the scalp is completely healed and the transplanted hair has already started to grow.
Another thing that most clinics will not include in their sales pitch is what to expect directly after your hair transplant and what the aftercare instructions will be. For instance, it’s unlikely that the word “scabs” will come up when one of these clinics is pitching you their services. But guess what? Scabs are a very real situation that you will have to deal with after both an FUE and a FUT hair transplant procedure.
What it really boils down to is after a hair transplant two weeks post op, you will just be finishing, or close to finishing your post-surgery aftercare routine. Here at Best Hair LA, we feel it is important that you know what you are getting into before you lie down on that operating table for either an FUE or FUT hair transplant surgery.
Possible Pre-Op Instructions for FUE & FUT
There are a lot of different factors that influence how successful your hair transplant will be. Properly following the pre-operation instructions that are given to you by your doctor is the first step in doing your part to make sure your hair transplant is successful. Each clinic will have different instructions, and sometimes those instructions will be tailored to your specific situation, but here are some possible examples of pre-op instructions that you may be given.
- Continue to take all your prescribed daily medications. However, if you are taking a medication that thins the blood, make sure you talk to your doctor about temporarily stopping the medication.
- Wear comfortable and loose clothing on the day of your operation. Do not wear any kind of T-shirt, because when you go to take off the T-shirt, you run the risk of it touching your scalp, which could potentially pull out some hair grafts.
- Bring some kind of loosely fitting hat to cover the newly implanted hair grafts to wear after surgery. Do not bring any kind of knitted hat or any kind of material that will stick to the grafts while you wear it. Loosely fitting baseball caps work great for this.
- Arrange transportation back home after the surgery. You may not be able to drive yourself.
- Do not take any Aspirin or Ibuprofen for two weeks before the surgery. This also includes any over-the-counter medications that will thin the blood. There are a lot of medications that contain aspirin as a non-primary ingredient, so for the two weeks prior to your surgery, it’s important that you check the label of everything you take.
- Avoid taking certain vitamins for a week before your procedure that thin the blood. Vitamins like vitamin B-complex or E vitamin are the some to avoid.
- Please abstain from heavy drinking of alcohol and heavy exercising for at least 4 days before the procedure.
- Please do everything in your power to stop smoking cigarettes for one month prior to the hair transplant. If you need help with quitting smoking, talk to your doctor. Heavy smoking can potentially cause an adverse effect on the transplanted hair follies.
- Do not cut or trim your hair before the procedure. The doctor is going to need uncut donor hair in order to do the surgery. This will be done by the doctor or the doctor’s assistants at the time of the surgery.
Now that you have a good idea of what kind of steps you will need to take before your FUE or FUT hair transplant procedure. We will take a look at what is going to take place right after your surgery, and some of the post-op instructions that your doctor may give you. Again, every hair transplant is different, and every hair transplant doctor has their own pre and post-op instructions. These are just a general idea of what you might expect when it comes to post-op instructions.
Possible Post-op Instructions After Surgery
- Still continue to avoid all medications and vitamins that might thin your blood for one week after surgery. This includes B-complex or E vitamins, aspirin, and ibuprofen.
- Your doctor will likely prescribe some antibiotics as well as some anti-swelling medication to avoid infections and to keep down the swelling while your scalp heals.
- Each patient will feel a different amount of post-procedure discomfort and pain. Your doctor may prescribe some pain medication based on your needs.
- Be aware that bleeding at the donor area of the scalp after surgery is completely normal. There’s nothing to worry about. Sometimes the doctor will wrap the area in a headband-type bandage.
- Be aware that swelling around the forehead and eyes is normal after the first week of surgery. In order to address the swelling, your doctor may advise you to sleep at a 45-degree angle for 3 nights. Additionally, apply ice to your forehead every 3 hours during awake time.
- When washing your hair only use baby shampoo because it does not contain alcohol. Do not put your scalp under the direct pressure of the showerhead while you are healing. Instead, apply baby shampoo to your hands. Then lather with water and gently apply to the grafted area of your scalp. Then rinse the grafted area by pouring a cup of clean water into it.
- Avoid direct sunlight for around 3 weeks after surgery. You can use the same loose-fitting baseball cap you used right after surgery if you must go outside.
- Continue to avoid any heavy exercise for 2 weeks after surgery.
- Continue to avoid alcohol for one week after the operation.
What to Expect One Week After Surgery
We have had a lot of patients that expect an almost magical turnaround time after their hair transplant surgery. Unfortunately, hair transplants are just like any other minor surgery. There is a healing process that must be endured before the results of the procedure begin to show up.
After one week has passed from the hair transplant your scalp will still be in the beginning phases of the healing process. The newly transplanted hair follicles will be delicate, and you will start to see some scabs forming. These scabs alarm a lot of patients not informed of what to expect at this stage of the process. Scabs are a part of the body’s normal healing process and are a good sign that your system is actively protecting you from possible infections. Do NOT scratch or pick at the scabs, (you will want to, it’s going to itch!), because if you do you will pick out the hair grafts.
Rounding Out the First Week After Your Transplant
Right towards the end of the first week, the swelling from the surgery will have started to go down. You may even see some of the hair from your scalp falling out, don’t stress out about this as it is a normal process that happens after a transplant. The implanted hair grafts are still getting used to their new homes and have not started to grow yet.
At this point, you will not be able to clearly see any of the long-term results from the hair transplant. It is still too early to see the new hair follicles performing as they are still implanting into your healing scalp. The hair that you do see in the implanted area will likely fall out before the implanted hair follicles begin to grow new, stronger hair.
Hair Transplant Two Weeks Post Op Expectations
After two weeks things should be starting to heal. There may be a small amount of pain and discomfort around the donor area. However, that should decline as the nerves heal. There should no longer be any swelling from the surgery after two weeks. On the other hand, the skin may be a bit red. After your hair transplant two weeks post op, scabs that formed after the surgery should naturally fall off on their own.
After two weeks you may still be experiencing some hair shedding. Try not to be alarmed. This is still a normal phase of a hair transplant. Your hair is just going through a natural dormant phase, and some hair will fall out. However, the implanted hair grafts are in a state of rest and it is a necessary part of the process. If you do start to panic because you think you are losing the hair that you just had transplanted, rest assured that the actual hair follicles that were implanted remain. New hair will grow from those follicles.
Can I Begin Resuming Normal Activities After My Hair Transplant Two Weeks Post Op?
At the two-week mark, you can start resuming normal activities like exercising and showering. You can take on any work that may be stress-inducing. You can also start sleeping normally if the discomfort is manageable and the irritation from sheets and pillowcase allow it. Some patients prefer to sleep on their back with their heads raised. Doing so may reduce any discomfort that sleeping causes. Shortly after the two weeks mark most patients will resume their regular sleeping habits.
Right around the hair transplant two weeks post op period, some doctors and clinics advise patients to use hair restoration drugs like Rogaine or Propecia. Here at Best Hair Transplant LA, we offer a Low-level Laser Therapy (LLLT) product called the Capillus Laser Cap. LLLT is a great hair loss solution for both men and women. Low-level lasers set at a frequency that stimulates hair follicles into a regrowth process. Right around two weeks after surgery, using a combination of the Capillus Laser Cap, along with a drug like Rogaine, helps newly transplanted hair follicles to take root and begin to grow healthy, strong, and full.
Get You Hair Transplants Surgery at Best Hair LA
Here at Best Hair LA, FUE and FUT hair transplants are what we do. We have the most affordable rates in the Los Angeles hair transplant industry. When you choose Best Hair Los Angeles, our hair transplants specialists sit you down and go over each step of the process in detail. That way, nothing comes as a surprise. While the results from a hair transplant two weeks post op are nothing to jump up and down over, the ultimate result from your surgery will be fantastic.
We make hair transplants our business. Try to find a more affordable FUE or FUT hair transplant procedure in LA. Then, call our FUT & FUE clinic and set up your complimentary consultation with one of our hair experts.
Best Hair Transplant is the best place to schedule your hair transplant in Los Angeles. We’ve helped both men and women regrow their lost hair. To ensure your ease of mind, you can view our customer recommendations HERE. Furthermore, you can also see our Google reviews and Yelp reviews. Our affordable FUT & FUE clinic in LA can’t wait to help you start restoring your lost hair.
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Best Hair Transplant
1970 S. Prospect Ave., Suite 2
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(213) 403-0455
