NeoGraft healing process timeline: What should I expect right after the surgery?

The NeoGraft device is a tool that a person (typically a technician) uses to perform a type of hair restoration called follicular unit extraction (FUE).  With the FUE technique, instead of a linear strip being taken from the donor area, individual follicles are extracted from the donor area. The follicles are then implanted into the areas of need. This will cause swelling in both the donor and recipient area.  If you are having any work done in the frontal hair line, frontal temporal recessions, frontal forelock, or the bridge area of the scalp you will have some swelling in your face, most noticeably around your eyes, which peaks on days 3 though 5 after the procedure. There can occasionally be some minor bruising around the eyes as well. The tiny scabs from the FUE extraction sites and the insertion sites in the recipient area will tend to remain for about 6-9 days following the procedure. The hair in the donor area should grow long enough to cover the extraction sites in the donor area as long as the hair is not very fine (eg: thin hair shaft diameter), in which case this could take 2 weeks or more.For the first 3 days typically there is not much discomfort at all. At our Center, I have our patients irrigate their grafts with a solution in a spray bottle every hour while they are awake. This solution is engineered to nourish the new grafts and wash away scabs. In this manner, for the first 3 days, there is not much pain, but a lot of active wound care on the part of the patient.  The donor area where the follicles were removed from is addressed with a specialized ointment for the first week or so, or until the scabbing stops, whichever comes first.

Overall, the recovery from a NeoGraft hair transplant is fairly straightforward.  
There will be some mild discomfort of both the donor area on the back of the head and the recipient areas for a few days after transplant.  Most patients will require pain medication for only 2-3 days.  Some swelling of the scalp, forehead, and area around the eyes is to be expected, and this is usually the worst around post-operative day #3.  There may be some associated bruising as well, but this is usually not an issue.  
My patients are given very specific instructions regarding shampoos and sprays to use on the scalp for the first two weeks after surgery.  A loose-fitting cap can be worn starting on the 3rd day after surgery, and this helps many patients get out and about without feeling self-conscious about their scalp.  Usually by 4-5 days after a hair transplant, patients feel comfortable going out in public.  I do ask that patients avoid strenuous activity, heavy lifting, straining, exercise, etc for 10-14 days after surgery in order to avoid losing any grafts.
Most patients do quite well and are back to all normal activities without any further restrictions within 2 weeks after surgery.
All the best,

Downtime and healing are relatively minimal. The donor site and transplant site have some pinpoint scabs that typically flakes off within a few days. Using post-care products expedites the process.  Some patients comment on sensitivity for a few days, and depending on the recipient site, you can experience some mild swelling around the eyes.  In most cases, by 5-6 days you can hardly tell a procedure was performed in the area.

the beauty of the FUE procedure such as Neograft or ARTAS is not only minimal pain during the procedure but also minimal recovery. Most if not all patients experience little or no pain. Swelling is also minimal . The scabs usually fall off a week after the procedure and people usually return to work at this point. Transplanted hair typically sheds and starts growing again in 3-4 months. Full growth may take up to 1 year.If you are considering the procedure make sure it is done by an experienced center - please evaluate before after photos these are your best guide

Here are the top five things you should expect right after the Neograft surgery.The healing process for FUE hair transplant is relatively fast. You should expect to have swelling and discomfort for the first few days but the pain will gradually subside over the following weeks. The pain is not extreme, but the donor and transplant sites will be sore. There will likely be scabbing at both sites, which should flake off in within 1-2 weeks. The extent of discomfort will partially depend on the amount of hair to be extracted and then transplanted. The more hair that is transplanted, the more discomfort you will likely feel. However, this discomfort is very mild.Because the NeoGraft FUE system is so efficient, there is minimal downtime. Most patients only need one day after the procedure to rest before returning to their normal activities. Immediately after the procedure, it is recommended that the patient has someone to drive him or her home from the office. There will be some discomfort but not great pain. The first 1-3 days will focus on protecting the graft sites to reduce chances of disruption. The grafts will be slightly raised in the first 1-2 weeks after implantation. Approximately 3 days after the procedure, the graft sites may begin to scab. For this reason, it is important to care for the hair and implantation sites gently, especially during showering. The grafts will also need protection from wind and sun exposure, so as not to disrupt them during healing.

Thank you for your question.  Recovery from a NeoGraft Hair Transplant procedure only takes a couple of days.  As a follicular unit extraction, or FUE, method, the NeoGraft system affords ideal candidates great cosmetic results with no sutures, staples, unsightly linear scars.  Because the entire procedure is performed in my practice under a local anesthetic, patients are typically very comfortable throughout and after their procedure with none of the downtime that the traditional strip method hair transplant used to require.  With that said, patients can experience some swelling from the local anesthesia, that may persist for roughly one week.  I believe that recovery is largely variable from patient to patient and depends upon how large the session is, where you are having the grafts placed, and surgical expertise and precision.  Most of my patients return to work in about a week but are going about their normal daily activities, with the exception of exercise and heavy lifting, the very next day.  Despite the fact that most surgeons who utilize the NeoGraft technology recommend that patients make sure to 'baby' the scalp for the first two weeks, surgeons still have their own specific recovery protocols and patients should make sure to discuss these with their doctor.  I hope you find this helpful.