How to Prepare for a Hair Transplant
A hair transplant can be uncharted territory if it’s your first time. Like any other surgery, you’ll be given instructions at the start of it.
The surgeon in charge will provide you with a few dos and don’ts to adhere to before the beginning of your treatment. For instance, they will advise you to stop smoking approximately 24 hours before your procedure or consume alcohol within three days prior to your surgery.
We’ll be diving into everything you need to know to prepare for a hair transplant in this quick guide.
Things to Do and Avoid before Surgery
We’ve already mentioned not to smoke 24 hours before your surgery, and this is mainly because smoking affects your healing and recovery. So, you may want to hold off on this until your hair transplant is over.
Another necessary prohibition is you shouldn’t have alcohol within three days before your procedure. Drinking alcohol increases any potential complications during the surgery and doesn’t encourage your hair to be healthy.
Drinking alcohol prior may also cause other risks like increased bleeding, permanent damage to transplanted hair grafts, and weakness in the immune system. It may also affect the effectivity of the anesthesia.
Another thing to avoid before the procedure is a haircut. Avoiding so will let the donor area grow in order to have room for the transplant; this hair should cover stitches following the treatment.
You’d also want to massage your scalp a month or two weeks before your surgery. Do this for at least 10 to 30 minutes a day to soften the skin and get your blood flowing in that area.
In terms of medication, it’s advisable to stop taking antidepressants, aspirin, beta-blockers, blood-thinning drugs, anti-inflammatory medicines, multivitamins, and supplements weeks before your surgery. Otherwise, the risk of bleeding is high, making it difficult for your newly transplanted hair grafts.
What to Expect After the Treatment
You can expect your recovery process to be quick, but you may experience swelling and other side effects for a few days. You should also be able to take a few days off from work if needed, especially if you feel discomfort.
Don’t put on headwear such as hats, caps, or beanies unless your doctor says otherwise. Most importantly, you shouldn’t shower or rinse your hair for at least three days and don’t comb or brush your new hair for three weeks.
Doing these will prevent disruption of the hair growth process.
If you workout, ask the advice of your personal trainer if you should continue doing so after the treatment, but most likely, you will be asked to take a few days off from any strenuous activities.
Risks and Side Effects to Prepare For
- Pain or swelling
- Numbness
- Tingling on the surgery site
- Infection
- Bleeding from the surgery site
- Transplanted hair that doesn’t appear like hair
- Baldness or thinning continues
How the Procedure Works
Most aging individuals tend to have thinning hair or baldness for several reasons. This could be medical conditions like thyroid disorders and anemia, or it could also be because of genetics.
For this reason, people choose to get hair transplants to somehow reverse this and gain their confidence back. Hair transplants work by replacing old follicles with new follicles that can still grow hair.
The follicles will then be nourished by blood vessels after the transplant, and your hair will begin growing in the previously bald area.
If you feel that a hair transplant is the right course of action to make, feel free to include it as part of your self-care treats on your next payday.
While some aesthetic clinics may not accept insurance cover for hair transplants, you should still bring your insurance documents along just in case.
If you’re looking for other cosmetic treatments, feel free to visit this page.
More resources on cosmetic services:
Clinics for the Best Coolsculpting in Dubai
Surgeons for the Best Tummy Tuck in Dubai