Most patients need two to three days of recovery time before you can return to work.
Your provider will give you detailed after-care instructions, but here’s what you can expect, generally speaking:
- Recovery isn't usually painful, but it’s possible you may feel sore or numb in the transplanted areas, or have headaches in the first few days afterward. If you feel feverish or notice bleeding, call your doctor right away.
- You can resume light activity, such as walking, after three days (though if you notice bleeding, scale back).
- After less than a week, your transplanted hair will be secure in your scalp and the donor area will have healed.
- Avoid strenuous activity, like running, weightlifting, or yard work, for 10 days. Increased activity and stress can dislodge the hair follicles.
- Your newly grafted hair will stay in place for several weeks before it sheds, a normal part of the hair transplant process.
- New hair growth from the follicle starts after three to four months.Â
- Full results can take 9-14 months’ time to develop, notes Dr. Berkowitz.
The usual healthy-healing rules apply: Maintain a healthy diet, get lots of sleep, avoid stress, don’t smoke, and keep in touch with your doctor.Â
If you’re genetically predisposed to male-pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia), your surgeon may recommend that you take hair-loss drugs, such as finasteride (recommended for men only) and use Rogaine after your procedure. “Low level laser therapy, exosomes, and platelet rich plasma (PRP) can also be used to help with hair growth,” Dr. Berkowitz explains.Â
