Can a cap be worn immediately after procedure to hide the scalp while returning to work? Also how long does hair need to be?

Dear samt1989,
Thank you for submitting this question. During a hair transplant procedure the donor may be touched by the hat, but the grafts are typically above where the rim of a hat will sit. As such, I allow my patients to wear a hat beginning on the 2nd day after surgery, and I actually show them in person how to put the baseball cap on. It’s important to have a cap that will hold its shape. If you hold the brim of a baseball cap horizontally and it maintains its form, that’s the hat you want. If you have a golf hat or some other floppy hat, one that sags to the floor when you hold the brim in front of you horizontally, that one will sit on the grafts and so is less ideal. If it’s a hat that you wear, you’ll want to loosen it up a bit as your head will be a bit swollen. Wearing a hat obviously helps to cover up the grafts and the redness/scabbing and allows patients to re-enter society much more quickly than without the use of a hat. Scarves for women can also be used, but I typically advise patients wait at least 5 days before putting on a scarf.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Kind Regards,
Ken Anderson, MD, FISHRS

Hats can be worn post procedure, however this is often dependent upon the type of hat and the location of the grafts. I typically recommend no hats for 3-5 days post procedure. After which, a hat which holds its shape and does not contact graft recipient sites is acceptable. In the early peri-operative period, care must be taken to avoid disrupting the immature grafts. A baseball cap/trucker cap is often a reasonable option but special care must be taken when putting on and removing the cap.Regimen will vary from doctor to doctor and procedure to procedure. As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

It really depends on where your grafts were placed as well as the type of hat you're wearing. Some doctors are a little more liberal about this than others, so be sure to ask your own doctor what his or her guidelines are. Ultimately, your surgeon knows the most about your specific procedure, and following his or her advice is the best way to get the results you want.

Looking through the literature and other answers, you will find some allow a hat and some don't.  I am opposed to allowing my patients to wear a hat after the surgery for multiple reasons.  The most important reason is that even if the hat is loose and not directly touching the surgical area, an object or another person could easily bump the hat (especially if it has a brim), and quickly dislocate all the follicles you spent so much money having placed.  Also, some patients have forgotten they are even wearing the hat and accidentally move it without thinking.  At the 2 week post op mark, you can wear a loose hat.  I don't recommend a hat prior to this point.  Thanks for the great question. 

I allow my patient to wear a loose fitting hat after the procedure.  Returning to work takes about 5-7 days due to the swelling, but many of my patients just work from home.
Thank you for your question!
Dr. Schreiber, Baltimore plastic surgeon

If you would like to wear a hat after Neograft we recommend a loose, non-fitted, clean cap. We recommend wearing whatever you can find that will have the least amount of contact with the donor and graft sites. Typically prior to Neograft, we recommend a clean crew cut. We ask patients to cut their hair as short as they're comfortable with prior to the procedure, and if any additional trimming needs to be done during the procedure we take care of that for them. Good luck!

Thank you for your question. It is important that you follow the recovery instructions provided by your surgeon. You can wear a cap but you need to take care to not use force when showering, and be careful not to disrupt the grafts in any way with hands or objects while they're still in the healing process. Always consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon.
Best wishes,

Yes, you can wear a cap from day one. There is no requirement for 'length' of hair. Just don't rub or scrape the recipient sites (transplanted sites. You will notice some oozing form the donor sites, but that should improve and disappear within just a few days.Best.

A loose-fitting baseball-style hat is fine to wear after transplant as long as it is fairly loose and not rubbing on the recipient sites. You should also be careful taking the hat on and off the head in order to protect the grafts. We actually give our patients hats to help protect the grafts and allow patients to feel more comfortable out in public during the initial healing phase.
All the best,

Common sense must prevail.  Meaning, yes, a hat can be worn after HT within a week but one must be cautious.  The hat should not rest against the recipient site since doing so can disrupt the hair follicles.  I generally ask all patients to bring in their hat so I can test it myself on their head.