Washing hair after FUE transplant

Question

I will keep this short I had my FUE transplant on the 16th of jan I went in the day after for the follow up by the doctor today I washed my hair for the first time, applied lotion for 35-40 mins than applied shampoo mixed with water in a bottle. To ease the drying I gently patted my hair with a towel is this the right process as I've read mixed opinions. I'm just worried I don't knock the grafts out! Thank you

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Hello,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 improvedDecreased inflammation and rednessImproved blood supply and uptakeBest,
Anil Shah

Ozge Ergun, MD · Answer

Dear Iz877Thanks for the question. Do not wash your hair during the first 2 days after your transplant. Instructions for washing your hair and transplanted hairs on Day 3 through Day 14: 1- You may wash your hair on 3 days after surgery The goal of the washing is to clean the clots and crusts in the hair transplant areas of the scalp. I wish you all the best.

Manu Gujrati, MD · Answer

You did the right thing, and every patient should receive detailed instructions from their surgeon on how to perform the correct washing. I recommend to all my patients to do their first cleaning about 18 hours after completing the procedure. We suggest using a special sponge we provide to lather up a very mild shampoo and just squeeze that lather on top of the grafts. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse gently with water from a cup. We recommend doing this process twice a day for the first 5 days. Starting on the 6th day after your procedure, you can get in the shower and use your fingers to start scrubbing the scalp normally once a day with shampoo. Hope this helps!

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

Washing your scalp after an FUE hair transplant should not affect your grafts. As long as you are not irritating your skin, avoiding harsh water pressure and applying a mild shampoo approved by your doctor, your implanted grafts should be just fine. Following surgery, it usually takes about 7-10 days for the surgical wounds to close. Be sure to continue following your doctor's hair transplant after care instructions. Also, here is an article about timeframes and what to expect after surgery.

Matthew Richardson, MD · Answer

Always be sure to follow your doctor's instructions for any post-procedural care. My patients are instructed to begin gently washing the hair after 48 hours. We have very specific directions on how to do this and what products to use during the process.
All the best

Michael Vories, MD · Answer

This is what I give all my patients in regards to washing hair post surgery:
			
				TWO DAYS AFTER SURGERY

This is your wash day. Before showering, pour about one fifth of the H&S shampoo (given in your post-op kit) into a
cup or mug. Turn the shower on, but do not put your head under the shower. Put the cup under the shower,
mixing the shampoo and water 50/50. Then pour this mixture over the grafts. Using the orange side of the
surgical sponge (also in the post-op kit), lightly dab the sponge up and down on the grafts. Once the shampoo
begins to lather, wash the shampoo out of the cup, and fill the cup up with water. Then rinse the grafts with the
water from the cup. Wash the remaining scalp and body as normal. Once out of the shower, do not rub a towel
over the grafts, just let them air dry.

THE FIRST WEEK AFTER SURGERY

Repeat the above showering method each day for one week after surgery. After one week, you can begin to
shower as normal.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

Did you express your concern to the doctor after your hair wash?In general the graft are secure after 1 to 2 weeks to have these type of hair wash.

Epameinondas Bonaros, MD · Answer

In our practice, we advise our patients to wash their heads the third day after the procedure. Start by making your head wet with a cup or bowl of room temperature water or with a gentle stream of water from the shower. If you use the shower, block the stream with your hand so that the water pressure is not too intense.Use baby shampoo and do not pour it directly onto your hair. Instead, apply a small amount to the palm of your hand and rub your hands together. Do not rub your scalp. Softly use your fingertips in a tapping motion instead.Avoid catching the grafts with your fingernails. You may want to have a cup in the shower to help rinse the grafts.Allow your hair to dry naturally. Alternatively, you can pat it dry very gently with a clean towel taking care to keep the grafts secure. Do not pick or scratch the scabs. Keep washing your head twice daily for the next seven days. The scabs fall off in 7 to 10 days. You can then go back to your usual routine.

Paul L. Leong, MD, FACS · Answer

I advise my patients to gently wash their hair with a mild shampoo 48 hours after their procedure. I also recommend they use a cup or pitcher to wet and rinse their hair instead of standing under the shower head since the water pressure might be too harsh. Let the hair air dry- do NOT use a hair dryer. Best of luck to you!

Gary Motykie, MD · Answer

After an FUE transplant, you will need to wash the treated area gently every day to keep any wounds free of crusts. You might be able to use a spray on the treated areas instead of washing to keep the area clean. You should be able to wash the rest of the hair on your scalp as usual. The treated areas should be healed within 10 to 14 days.

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