Can I smoke cigarettes after a FUE hair transplant?

Dear terminator1983,
The short answer is yes, smoking can very much inhibit the growth of the new grafts, **especially** in the 2 weeks following a hair transplant procedure using any method whatsoever. Hair restoration surgery is basically a large exercise in wound healing. Thousands of wounds are created and we’re trying to have them all heal perfectly and nourish the newly transplanted follicles. Smoking or nicotine use of any sort causes a constriction of the blood vessels responsible for feeding the new grafts. I have had 3 “failures” in my 15 year career of performing exclusively hair restoration surgery, and all three were heavy smokers who did not stop in the period around their surgery. One man even left the facility to go to the parking lot to have a cigarette during his procedure! His results were predictably poor.  I advise my patients to discontinue all tobacco/nicotine use for 21 days prior to and following the procedure, for a total of 6 weeks of abstaining. I hope this information is helpful to you.
Kind Regards,
Ken Anderson, MD, FISHRS

Dear terminator1983Thanks for the question. Smoking reduces the blood circulation and this can effect the hair grow of the "new" hair. We know that stopping smoking is not easy for the patients and this is why we recommend to consume not more than 5 cigarettes per day if the patient can not stop. I wish you all the best.

yes smoking effects you transplanted hair negatively. It will slow down your healing process and specially nikotine effects your blood circulation

If you want to stop smoking, contact your doctor for possible treatment options.  It is not a good idea to continue smoking after surgery.

Smoking affects the amount of proper blood flow to the transplanted grafts. Therefore, we highly recommend to our patients that they avoid smoking or limit smoking prior to the surgery and particularly one week after the procedure. Thus, it is of great importance to avoid smoking in order to ensure adequate oxygen and nutrient for the transplanted grafts in order to obtain the most successful outcome.