How long after FUE can I run, swim, lift weights, or do martial arts (MMA)?

Dear Aquanda,Thank you for writing in with this question. I’ve been performing FUE since 2003, and have learned quite a bit about how the body responds to an FUE procedure over the last 13 years. Since FUE does not involve the use of scalpels, and does not have any linear wounds that can be affected by exercise, returning to exercise is much quicker than after a linear strip procedure. I use the ARTAS® robotic hair transplant system, which uses a 0.9mm circular punch. Even smaller ones at 0.8mm in diameter are coming later this year. In any case, these holes are very tiny, and tend to heal up within 7-10 days. In terms of the grafts that were placed, we performed a study in 2004 about how long the grafts would be vulnerable to being damaged with pressure or traction. We used hemostats (eg: small needle-nose-pliers type medical instrument) and pulled out grafts in the days following a hair restoration procedure. After 5 days the grafts were healed in solidly. So for exercise, I would give it 7 days, and for MMA type contact I would wait 10 days. You will be fine within these parameters. I’m a bit surprised that your chosen provider or center did not provide this information in written form. All of our patients receive a comprehensive pre-operative instruction packet with answers to many questions including this one. Best of luck with your procedure. I hope this information is helpful to you.Kind Regards,Ken Anderson, MD

Thanks for the question. After 4-6 weeks your surgery area will healed and yes you can run, swim and also do other activities. I wish you all the best.

It is best to ask your doctor about what you can or cannot do after surgery since every doctor has slightly different post op instructions.  In general you can resume excercise in 1 to 2 weeks.

It really depends on which doctor you're asking- but what I recommend to my patients that you wait 1 week for moderate exercise, 2 weeks for strenuous exercise, and 3 weeks for swimming (4 if it's in chlorinated water). You should ask your doctor these questions, as they know more about your case and will have tailored advice for your specific circumstances.

Thank you for posting your question. Every clinic has their own sets of guidelines on how to proceed with workouts post procedure. At our clinic we are a bit conservative, and ask to refrain for atleast 2 to 3 weeks from heavy workouts to prevent the chances of sweating and then formation of pimples on the recipient site. It might be a good idea to take it easy for a little bit post procedure. Hope this helps.

In my practice I advice my patients avoiding sport activities and swimming for two weeks.On the other hand I also advice them to avoid extreme sports for a month.Eventhough MMA is not an extreme sports ,one month break might be better.

General guidelines:FUE with PRP...resume in 14 days, start slowly, no preworkout supplements for 3 months. Protein is okay.FUE without PRP  ...resume in 21 days.FUSS with PRP 6 weeksFUSS without PRP 8 weeks to ensure proper wound healing.  No straining of any kind.

You will need to speak with your hair transplant surgeon for their exact recommendations but I recommend waiting one week before resuming exercise.  At this point the donor and grafts are well-healed in the vast majority of cases.

It depends on how one heals, however in general we recommend one week for light exercise, two weeks for heavy exercise and three weeks for water sports. 

You can do almost anything except underwater swimming for 3 weeks or no direct trauma to the recipient area as with marshal arts in the same time frame. 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.Run a marathon if you can in 4 days without difficulty for the surgery.