Is it actually harmful to not rinse or wash recipient area say for as long as 5 to 7 days post transplant? (Photo)

Thank you for your question.  You should approach your doctor with this question, but we tell patients to wash their hair the day after the procedure to remove scabs and dried blood. Doing this will allow for quicker healing, less inflammation (redness), and a reduced chance of infection. Washing will also shorten the time post-op where the procedure might be detectable. Patients are urged to start gently washing the recipient area the day after the surgery. When showering, patients can clean the transplanted area with a sulfate free shampoo, gentle on grafts. The grafts are made to fit snugly into the recipient sites and will not be dislodged in the shower, as long as the patient washes gently.

I recommend patients wash twice a day after FUE procedures for 2 weeks.  I wouldnt recommend not washing for 7 days post op however its best to discuss with your surgeon.

The after care of an ARTAS hair transplant is the same as any other hair transplant. It is important to keep area clean and free from crusting. Crusting can compromise the growth of the hair transplant.This
crust results from babying the recipient area too much after a hair transplant.
We recommend shampooing at least once per day and even twice per day if there
is oozing. This is done in a gentle manner lathering the donor area and
applying the suds gently to the transplanted area. Always use a gentle up and
down motion but no rubbing or side motion as this can dislodge the grafts. . Please check with your Doctor. Hope this helps.