Five days after a hair transplant: did I screw everything up?

Hello,
Washing your hair after a hair transplantation is an important step for restoration.  We usually have our patients start spraying hair with lactated ringers with liposomal ATP as well as other growth factors twice a day to help your hair process start ASAP.  Actual hair washing usually takes place several days after the procedure.  There are several advantages to this approach:
Healing improvedDecreased inflammation and rednessImproved blood supply and uptakeBest,
Anil Shah

If your doctor told you to shampoo and use fingers, it's ok. Follow your doctors instructions.  Scabs are suppose to fall off after a few days.  If you are concerned, you should follow up with your doctor.

It is normal for hair to shed after a hair transplant. However the root doesn't come out and the hair should start growing in three months.I let my patients remove their scabs after three weeks.

You haven't done anything wrong.  It is expected to have the scabs fall out with the hair.  As long as there is no bleeding the follicles are safely implanted.  Don't be overly aggressive with trying to get the scabs off.  Just allow them to fall out over time.

An FUE is treated just like
a regular hair transplant with regard to the recipient area, but the donor area
has open wounds which require daily washing with soap and water. Within 3 days
of surgery, you can resume full activities, heavy exercises if you wish. The
recipient area requires daily washes as well to keep the recipient area free of
crusts. I generally recommend the use of a sponge and supply my patient with a
surgical sponge to fill with soapy water and press on the recipient area daily.
By repeating this daily, all crusts can be washed off without any fear of
losing grafts. IF any crust are present, use a Q tip and dip it into soapy
water, and roll it on the crusts and that will lift them off without dislodging
them, but never rub them, just roll the Q tip on the recipient crust. I like to
see no evidence of any crusting in the recipient area and the crusts from the
donor area gone in 7-10 days with daily washing,.

the scabs start to fall off with the hair shaft after a few days. The follcles will remain. the hair goes through its own intrinsic growth cycle. The transplanted hair usually starts to grow in after three months and will continue to grow for up to 18 months after the procedure.

I would stop touching the grafts asap. To wash the scabs just make a soapy solution with baby shampoo and pour it over the scabs without massaging them let the shower run water on the grafts at a very low pressure. I like patients using rogain foam once a day. That can help loosen the scabs and help the grafts grow.