Can I wear a wig after FUT surgery?

Question

Hi I'm an African american female with scarring alopecia. I have a hair transplant surgery in a few days and was wondering if it is ok to wear a custom wig about 5 days after surgery to return back to work? the wig appears to be very breathable and it is not covering my full scalp and does not require a cap under the wig itself. My doctor thinks it should be ok, as since it was custom made, and I really don't have another styling options. I plan on removing once my 10 hour workday ends. Thoughts???

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

It is best to follow your doctor's advice after a hair transplant surgery.  Some doctors may say it is ok to wear a wig, your doctor may not.

Baubac Hayatdavoudi, MD · Answer

There are other ways to conceal your procedure.  However wearing a wig will cause scalp irritation and surely affect your overall transplant yield.  The better you can take care of your procedure for 28 days post procedure, the more wonderful your yield!Hang in there...

Matt Tahsini, MD · Answer

Thank you for posting your question. It is probably best to wait 10 to 14 days post procedure, while your grafts are taking in its new environment. Less pressure, the better.

Jennifer Krejci, MD · Answer

When you say "custom wig" I assume you mean it was made from a mold of you scalp and therefore fits snug because it molds to the shape of your head without combs, clips, glue, etc. This should be fine as long as you place it on and off carefully and it doesn't rub over and pull the grafts out. What I have seen in African American women with both scarring and non-scarring alopecia is additional hair loss created through "traction alopecia" from the clips or combs holding the wig on or from braids or other hair pieces designed to camouflage the original hair loss. The end result is worse hair loss then when you started.  I'm sure you don't want to damage any of your hair so just be careful of both your new grafts and your native hair in the healing phase. Hopefully your doctor is knowledgeable in ethnic hair and scarring alopecia.  The post-op follow up of a hair transplant will be different for you as well depending on your potential for recurrence of disease activity.

Alba Reyes, MD · Answer

It is not recommendable to use it in the first 10 days post op. After that no glued on/taped wigs should be used , only clips on the sides and you need to use them with care.

William Woessner, MD · Answer

This routine of Wig wearing (on and off) should not be harmful provided you are careful the first 10 days after surgery. More importantly, have your hair surgeon discuss with you the risks of whatever caused your scarring alopecia because there could be a return of this alopecia if it has not been addressed.

Jonathan Ballon, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

Yes, many women begin/resume wearing a breathable wig 5 days after surgery with no problems. My concern is that you are having a hair transplant for scarring alopecia, since one must proceed with great caution when that is the reason for hair loss. The decision to recommend a hair transplant for scarring alopecia should only be made by someone with considerable experience and excellent judgment; usually, it also involves consultation with a dermatologist who has performed a scalp biopsy. The most common type of scarring alopecia in African American women is "CCCA," or central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (see "African American hair loss" under link below), and it notoriously does not respond well to hair transplantation. It is quite possible that your surgeon has many years of experience and sound judgment, has taken all this into consideration, and has decided that a hair transplant in your case should have a high probability of success. Just make sure you go into this with your eyes open.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

I have had many patients use a wig after a hair transplant. The key to doing so is to make sure that it does not rub against the grafts or they coudl be damaged.

Can I wear a wig after FUT surgery?

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