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

Dear jhkansas,Post-operative regimens are important to follow as they can most definitely affect graft survival. Your surgeon should have provided you with a lengthy post-operative care package of information and day-by-day instructions, irrigation solutions, wound ointment, gauze, etc. I would follow the directions as provided by your surgeon. At my office I have our patients start to irrigate their grafts on the evening of surgery with a solution consisting of lactated ringer’s solution with liposomal ATP added to it. Bioenhanced hair restoration has arrived. This solution helps to feed the grafts in the days following surgery as the follicles receive their new blood supply from the scalp. The patients irrigate their grafts frequently following the surgery, and this helps to wash away serum and scabs so that your grafts can heal without the burden of a scab over top impairing healing. Bottom line is that it’s helpful to rinse your grafts often following your procedure with solutions that help the new hairs take root in their new location. I hope this information is helpful to you.

At the time of your procedure the surgeon should have given you detailed instructions on how to care for your new grafts.  I would get in touch with them if you have any questions.  In my practice we instruct the patient to spray their grafts with a nutrient solution the evening of their procedure. This continues for up to a week after the surgery.  On the day after the procedure they begin to gently wash and rinse the area by pouring a soapy solution over the grafts.  This helps to remove any scabs that form.  Thus the grafts are kept moist for a large part of the time while they heal.  After two weeks the patient can care for their scalp as they wish, washing it and using products as they desire.

Washing your hair after a hair transplantation is an important to survival.  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 improved
Decreased inflammation and redness
Improved blood supply and uptake 

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.

It is best you see your doctor for an exam if you are having issues after surgery instead of seeking help on the Internet.  Post operative care or washing instructions should be followed based on what your doctor recommends.

I instruct my patients to start washing the receipt area on day 2 after the procedure. Do not allow the force of the shower to strike the grafts and do not touch the grafts with your fingertips or fingernails.

Mix the baby shampoo provided and warm water in a small cup or basin and pour it over your scalp gently and then rinse it out by pouring water over the scalp. Repeat this until your scalp is clean, and do this twice a day.

Do not soak your head in water. If the grafts are soaked too long, they may swell and rise above the skin surface and appear as little white bumps immediately after showering. This is a problem more likely encountered the first few days after the procedure. It is not harmful to grafts, but indicates that you are soaking too much. As soon as you allow your scalp to dry, they will disappear.

Let your hair air dry. Do not touch the grafts for 8 days.

On the 8th day you may shampoo normally, and massage the surface of the grafts with your fingertips.  You may gently remove any remaining crusts. You may apply conditioner to sit on the scalp for 5 minutes, and gently massage in order to loosen any remaining scabs.

Do not use tar shampoo (a dark-colored, medicated shampoo used for psoriasis) on the transplanted area for 10 days following your procedure, as this may interfere with the growth of the grafts.
It is important when shampooing, or rinsing the transplanted area, that you are gentle for the first 10 days following surgery. DO NOT RUB, PICK, OR SCRATCH, as this may dislodge grafts.

Yes, not washing the area after your transplant can increase your risk of infection. In most cases, you will need to start rinsing and gently washing the area the day after the surgery using the shampoo suggested by your surgeon. You will continue to carefully rinse and wash the area for the remaining two weeks post-op to ensure optimal recovery. It's important to follow any and all instructions given by your surgeon, which should have included post-operative showering instructions. If you have questions about your recovery, make sure to contact your surgeon.

You practice should go over your post care instructions and also discuss them with you to ensure success of the procedure.  I recommend to my patients to use a healing spray we make for them for the first 48 hours, then gently wash with a pour over method starting at 48 hours until 7 days out when normal washing can resume.  The importance of washing is to help with the healing, reduce scabbing, and cleanse away dirt and bacteria.  Best of luck to you! Dr. Rome

Not washing after a transplant can predispose you to infection. Once the area gets above 5000 colonies per follicular unit superficial staph infections can occur. all postoperative regiments regardless of which surgeon or practice should include shampooing within the first 24 to 48 hours. If they do not, you should revisit your surgeon the day after to have them cleanse the scalp free from any scabs. At the end of the first week if you still have scabs on your scalp you should shampoo and repeat seven or eight times until all the scabs come off of the scalp. 

Dr Mark A Bishara MD, FISHRS
Paragon Hair Clinics, DFW, Texas