The Week Before a Hair Operation: A Practical Checklist From Blood Tests to Button-Up Shirts

Seven days out, the calendar reminder pops up and the mental list starts: the blood draw at the lab, the vitamins in the kitchen drawer, the question of whether to get a haircut, the sudden realization that every shirt in the closet has to go over the head. The surgery itself has been decided for months. It is the small logistics of the final week that keep people awake.

That is exactly what a good hair operation checklist is for. Not to add anxiety, but to move each small decision out of your head and onto paper, in the right order, so the day arrives with nothing left to improvise.

This guide walks through that week the way a preoperative nurse would: what the tests look for, why surgeons ask about aspirin and fish oil, what smoking does to a graft, how to handle your hair, and why the humble button-up shirt earns its place in the title. Wherever your surgical team’s written instructions differ from what follows, follow theirs.

What actually happens during a hair operation?

A hair transplant moves hair follicles from an area of the scalp where growth is stable, usually the back and sides, to an area that has thinned. The technical term for each unit moved is a graft: a tiny plug of skin containing one to four hairs and their roots. The donor region is genetically resistant to the hormone-driven miniaturization that causes pattern hair loss, so the transplanted follicles keep behaving the way they did in their original neighborhood.

Two harvesting methods dominate. Follicular unit transplantation, often shortened to FUT or strip surgery, removes a narrow strip of scalp that is then divided into grafts under magnification; the wound is closed with stitches or staples. Follicular unit extraction, or FUE, punches out individual follicular units one at a time with a small circular blade, leaving scattered dot scars instead of a line. Both methods finish the same way: the surgeon makes small incisions in the recipient area and places grafts into them, one by one.

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, meaning the scalp is numbed with injections while you stay awake. According to the NHS, a session typically takes most of a day, and people go home afterward rather than staying overnight. Mild sedation is sometimes offered for comfort, which is one reason the preoperative instructions about fasting and a ride home exist.

Understanding this mechanics matters for the week before, because almost every instruction traces back to one of three goals: keep bleeding low so grafts can be placed cleanly, keep infection risk low, and keep the freshly placed grafts undisturbed while they establish a blood supply.

Who is usually a candidate, and who is usually asked to wait?

Surgeons think about candidacy in two layers. The first is the scalp itself: is there enough stable donor hair to cover the thinning area convincingly, and is the pattern of loss predictable? Mayo Clinic notes that hair transplantation treats the most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, and that results depend heavily on the density and quality of the donor supply. People in the early twenties with rapidly progressing loss are often asked to wait, not because surgery would fail today but because the pattern has not finished declaring itself, and grafts placed along a hairline that later recedes behind them can look unnatural.

The second layer is general health. Conditions that impair healing or raise bleeding risk get a closer look: poorly controlled diabetes, bleeding disorders, active scalp infections or inflammatory skin disease such as psoriasis or lichen planopilaris in the surgical field, and a history of keloid scarring. None of these are automatic exclusions; they are reasons for a conversation, extra tests, or a delay until the condition is better controlled.

Some causes of hair loss are not suited to transplant at all. Hair shed from alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition, can regrow on its own and can also attack transplanted follicles. Diffuse thinning that also affects the donor zone leaves nothing reliable to move. Loss triggered by thyroid disease, iron deficiency, or a recent illness usually needs the underlying cause addressed first, which is why a dermatologist’s assessment often precedes any surgical booking.

Timing questions also fall here. Pregnancy, a recent major illness, or a course of isotretinoin for acne are common reasons a team suggests postponing. The decision about whether and when sits with the treating team, ideally after they have examined the scalp and reviewed your medical history rather than photographs alone.

Blood tests before a hair operation: what the week-before workup covers

Most people are surprised that a cosmetic scalp procedure comes with a lab requisition. The reasoning is simple: the surgeon will be making hundreds or thousands of small incisions in a very vascular area over several hours, and wants no surprises.

A typical preoperative panel includes a complete blood count, which measures red cells, white cells, and platelets. Low platelets or anemia change how a surgeon plans the day. Coagulation studies check how quickly blood clots; an unexpected result can point to an undiagnosed bleeding tendency or an unreported medicine. A blood glucose or HbA1c reading screens for diabetes, which slows wound healing and raises infection risk. Many teams also request screening for blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, partly to protect staff who handle tissue and partly because these results shape the surgical protocol.

Timing matters. Labs drawn too early may be considered out of date; drawn too late, an abnormal result cannot be acted on. Booking the draw at the start of the week gives room to repeat a test or adjust plans without canceling the operation. Bring the results, or confirm they have been sent, rather than assuming the systems talk to each other.

Be honest on the medical questionnaire that accompanies the tests. Questions about fainting, reactions to local anesthetic at the dentist, cold sores, heart conditions, and previous scalp surgery are there for a reason. A history of oral herpes, for instance, matters because the stress of surgery can trigger an outbreak near the treated area, and a surgeon who knows may plan differently.

If something abnormal turns up, the right response is a phone call to the surgical team, not a Google search. Postponing by a few weeks to sort out a low iron level or an unexpected glucose result is a routine and sensible outcome, not a failure of the process.

Medicines and supplements: what your surgeon needs to know

The single most useful thing you can do this week is write down everything you swallow, inhale, inject, or rub in, and hand the list to your team. That includes prescription drugs, over-the-counter pain relievers, herbal products, protein powders, and the multivitamin you have taken for so long you forgot it counts.

The concern is mostly bleeding. Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the stickiness of platelets, the cell fragments that form the first plug over a cut. Prescription anticoagulants such as warfarin or the newer direct oral anticoagulants act further down the clotting cascade. Several supplements have a similar, if weaker, effect: fish oil, vitamin E in high amounts, ginkgo, garlic extracts, and ginseng are the usual suspects. A scalp that oozes persistently makes it harder for the surgeon to see the incision sites and for grafts to sit where they are placed.

What you must not do is stop a prescribed medicine on your own. A blood thinner prescribed after a stent, a stroke, or a clot is protecting you from something far more serious than a slower surgical day, and the decision to pause it, bridge it, or proceed regardless belongs to the prescribing physician in conversation with the surgeon. The same goes for blood pressure medicines, which most teams want you to keep taking, and for antidepressants, where abrupt withdrawal has its own problems.

Two hair-specific medicines deserve a mention. Minoxidil, a topical treatment that widens blood vessels in the scalp, is often paused briefly around surgery because of that same vessel-dilating effect; finasteride, an oral medicine that lowers the hormone driving pattern loss, is usually continued. Ask which applies to you and write the answer down.

Expect the team to give you a written medicine plan with specific dates. If you do not receive one, ask for it. Verbal instructions given during a busy consultation are easy to misremember.

Smoking, alcohol, and caffeine in the seven days before

Of all the preoperative habits, smoking gets the strongest language from surgical teams, and for good reason. Nicotine constricts small blood vessels, and carbon monoxide from smoke displaces oxygen in the blood. A transplanted graft survives its first days on oxygen diffusing from the surrounding tissue until new capillaries grow into it; anything that narrows those vessels or lowers oxygen delivery works directly against the goal of the operation.

MedlinePlus advises that stopping smoking before any surgery lowers the risk of wound complications and that benefit begins within days of quitting, though longer is better. Nicotine replacement products and vaping deliver nicotine too, so the vessel-constricting problem remains even without the smoke. Most surgeons ask for complete abstinence for at least the week before and the first weeks after; some ask for longer. Treat the operation as a fixed date that makes a quit attempt easier to commit to, and ask your primary care clinician for support if you need it.

Alcohol earns its place on the list for a different reason. It thins the blood modestly, dehydrates, and can interact with sedatives or the local anesthetic. Teams commonly ask for no alcohol in the final few days before surgery; check your own instructions for the exact window.

Caffeine is more nuanced. A morning coffee is rarely forbidden, but large amounts on the day raise heart rate and blood pressure and can make you jittery during long hours of holding still. Anyone who gets withdrawal headaches from skipping coffee should mention this, since a pounding head is unpleasant to manage while lying face-down having grafts placed.

A useful frame: the week before is not about being virtuous. It is about arriving with the calmest, best-oxygenated, least-bleeding scalp you can offer the surgeon to work with.

What should you do with your hair before surgery?

This is one of the most-searched questions, and the answer is mostly to leave it alone.

Do not get a haircut. Surgeons planning an FUE harvest usually shave the donor area themselves on the day, to the exact length their punch tool works best with. For FUT, longer hair around the strip site helps hide the healing line afterward. Turning up freshly cropped removes options the surgeon may have wanted, and the team will do any trimming required. If you normally wear your hair very short and are unsure, ask at the final consultation rather than guessing.

Skip hair dye, bleach, perms, and chemical straightening in the final week or two. These treatments irritate the scalp and can leave residue that complicates the sterile field; some dyes also make it harder to see graft orientation under magnification. If you rely on color, plan the last application well ahead and ask when it can resume afterward.

Hair systems, extensions, and adhesive-based concealers need to come off, and the adhesive residue cleaned, before the morning of surgery. Cosmetic fibers and scalp sprays should stop a few days before so no product is trapped in the incision sites.

Washing is the one thing you should do. Most teams ask you to shampoo normally the night before or the morning of, using your usual mild product, and to arrive with clean, completely dry hair and no styling agents. A clean scalp lowers the bacterial load at the surgical site.

One more small item: if you shave your head or use scalp micropigmentation, mention it. Neither is a barrier, but both change how the surgeon plans the hairline and donor zone.

The hair operation checklist, day by day

A checklist earns its keep when the items are spread across the days rather than piled onto the night before. This one is a starting template; move things around to match your team’s written plan.

Timing	Task	Why it matters
Day 7	Book or attend blood tests; confirm results will reach the surgeon	Leaves time to repeat or act on abnormal values
Day 7	Send the team your full medicine and supplement list	Blood-thinning effects need a plan agreed with your prescriber
Day 7	Stop smoking and nicotine products if not already done	Vessel constriction reduces oxygen to new grafts
Days 6–5	Arrange your ride home and someone to check on you that evening	Sedation and a bandaged scalp make driving unsafe
Days 6–5	Buy button-up shirts, a travel pillow, soft towels, gentle shampoo if requested	Nothing should be pulled over the head for the first days
Days 4–3	Stop alcohol; pause supplements as instructed; last hair dye long past	Reduces bleeding and scalp irritation
Day 2	Prepare sleeping setup with head elevated; stock easy meals	Reduces swelling and trips out during early recovery
Day 1	Wash hair as instructed; charge phone; print instructions; early night	Clean scalp, calm morning
Day 0	Eat as instructed, take permitted medicines, wear the button-up shirt, bring ID and paperwork	Long day ahead; comfort and compliance

Two habits make the table work. First, tick items off physically rather than mentally; a paper list on the refrigerator door is remarkably effective. Second, read your team’s instruction sheet against this table and note every difference. Where the two disagree, your team is right, because they know the specifics of your medical history, your anesthesia plan, and their own protocol.

The night before and the morning of

The evening before surgery is best kept boring. Eat a normal dinner unless told otherwise, avoid alcohol, and wash your hair according to the instructions you were given. Lay out the next day’s clothes, your identification, the printed instruction sheet, and any paperwork the team asked you to sign. Set two alarms. Anxiety-driven insomnia is common; a light book and an early bedtime beat scrolling through recovery photos online.

Fasting instructions vary with the anesthesia plan. Local anesthesia alone usually permits a light breakfast, and many teams positively encourage one because the day is long and low blood sugar makes fainting during injections more likely. If sedation is planned, you may be asked to stop food and drink several hours beforehand. This is one of the few instructions where following your own team’s written timing rather than any general guidance is essential.

Take the medicines you have been told to take with a small sip of water, and leave behind the ones you were told to pause. If you are uncertain about any single tablet, bring the bottle and ask rather than guessing in either direction.

Dress for a day of sitting and lying still: the button-up shirt, soft trousers, slip-on shoes. Skip jewelry, contact lenses if you can manage without them, and anything that needs to be pulled over your head. Leave hair products, hats, and hoods at home.

Arrive a little early. The first hour typically involves consent forms, photographs, hairline design drawn on the scalp with a marker, and final questions. That drawing stage is the last real opportunity to discuss the plan before the anesthetic goes in, so speak up if the line looks different from what you expected. A calm, unhurried morning sets the tone for everything that follows.

What to pack and wear: the case for the button-up shirt

The title promised an explanation, so here it is. For the first several days after a hair operation, the recipient area is dotted with grafts held in place by little more than a dried film of fibrin and the friction of the incision walls. Anything that drags across them, a collar, a sweater, a towel, can pull one out. A shirt that buttons or zips down the front goes on and off without ever passing over the head. That is the whole argument, and it is a good one.

Beyond the shirt, a short packing list covers most needs for surgery day:

• Photo identification, insurance or referral paperwork, and the printed instruction sheet
• Your medicine list and any inhaler or essential medicine you carry daily
• Reading glasses, a phone with a charged battery, and headphones for the long placement phase
• A loose zip-front jacket or hoodie worn open, since procedure rooms run cool
• A small snack and water bottle for breaks, if permitted
• A neck-support travel pillow for the ride home, to keep the head from lolling against the headrest

Leave out perfume, aftershave, and heavy makeup; some teams also ask you to skip deodorant on the morning. Hats, caps, and beanies are not for the ride home unless the team provides a specific loose covering, because most headwear presses on exactly the area that must stay untouched.

Comfort items for the days afterward can be bought this week too: soft cotton towels for gentle blotting, extra pillows or a wedge to sleep propped up, and easy meals that do not require standing over a hot stove in the first evening. None of this is medical, strictly speaking. All of it reduces the number of decisions you make while tired, sore, and slightly sedated.

Setting up home for the first week of recovery

The week before is also the week to set the stage for the week after, while you have full energy and both hands free.

Sleep is the first priority. Elevating the head on several pillows or a wedge for the first several nights limits fluid pooling in the forehead, the swelling that can drift toward the eyes on the second and third days. A neck pillow can help keep you from rolling onto the grafts. Some people find a recliner easier than a bed for the first two or three nights. Fresh pillowcases, ideally ones you do not mind staining with a little seepage, should be within reach.

Plan food and errands. Shopping done, meals in the freezer, prescriptions collected. Bending over to load a dishwasher or lifting groceries raises pressure in the scalp vessels and is generally discouraged early on, so the fewer reasons to do it, the better.

Arrange time off. The NHS notes that many people take up to two weeks away from work after a hair transplant, though the actual range depends on the technique, the visibility of the treated area, and how comfortable you are with colleagues seeing scabs and swelling. Remote workers often return to a screen within days; someone in a client-facing role may want longer. Decide this before the surgery, not during it.

Vigorous exercise, swimming, saunas, and sunbathing are typically off the schedule for weeks; NHS guidance suggests avoiding strenuous exercise for around a month. Cancel the gym class now so you are not tempted later.

Finally, tell one person the plan. Someone who knows you had surgery, has the team’s phone number, and can drive you back if something goes wrong is worth more than any gadget on the list.

What the following days and weeks usually look like

Knowing the shape of recovery in advance makes each stage less alarming when it arrives. The ranges below come from NHS guidance and Cleveland Clinic patient information; your own experience will sit somewhere within them, and your team’s follow-up schedule takes priority.

The first two to five days are the tender phase. The scalp is tight, the donor area aches more than the recipient area, and small crusts form around each graft. Bandages, if used, usually come off within this window. Swelling of the forehead peaks around day two to three and then drains. Gentle hair washing typically begins a few days in, using the exact technique demonstrated by the team, which is closer to pouring and patting than to scrubbing.

Around ten to fourteen days, non-dissolvable stitches from an FUT strip are removed, crusts have mostly shed, and grafts are generally considered anchored well enough that ordinary contact no longer threatens them. Cleveland Clinic describes this period as the point at which the transplanted follicles are securely in place.

Then comes the part nobody enjoys. Within two to eight weeks, most transplanted hairs fall out. This is called shock loss, and it is expected: the follicle survives beneath the skin while the hair shaft it arrived with is shed. New growth emerges over the following months, fine at first and then thickening. The NHS notes that final results are generally not seen until twelve to eighteen months after surgery, which is why judging an outcome at month four is premature.

Follow-up appointments typically cluster in the first two weeks and then space out. Photograph the scalp yourself at consistent intervals in the same light; memory is a poor judge of gradual change.

How painful is a hair transplant, honestly?

Ask a room of people who have had one and the answers cluster around the same two moments: the anesthetic injections at the start, and the donor area for a few days afterward. Almost nobody describes the graft placement itself as painful.

Here is the mechanism. Local anesthetic blocks the sodium channels that nerves use to send pain signals, so once it is working the scalp goes fully numb. Getting it there requires a series of small injections across the donor and recipient areas, and the scalp is well supplied with nerves. Many teams use a vibration device, cooling, or a very slow injection technique to blunt this, and some offer light sedation. The NHS describes the operation as not painful because of the anesthetic, with soreness afterward managed with ordinary pain relief.

Once numb, the sensations are pressure, tugging, and the awareness of hands working, plus the tedium of lying still for hours. Top-ups of anesthetic are given as it wears off, and you should always say so if sensation returns.

Afterward, the FUT strip site tends to be more uncomfortable than an FUE donor field, since a linear wound under tension aches more than scattered dots. The recipient area is typically more itchy and tight than painful. Discomfort usually eases substantially within the first few days.

Two practical points for the week before. First, discuss your pain-relief plan in advance, especially because common over-the-counter anti-inflammatories thin the blood and may not be the team’s first choice; they will tell you what they prefer. Second, tell the team if you have a history of fainting with needles or dental anesthesia. Knowing in advance changes how they position you and how quickly they proceed.

What people often get wrong before a hair operation

Some misunderstandings recur so often that surgical coordinators can predict them. Clearing them up is part of any honest checklist.

“I’ll stop my blood thinner myself to be safe.” Stopping a prescribed anticoagulant without medical advice can be far more dangerous than a slightly bloodier procedure. The plan belongs to your prescriber and surgeon together.

“A haircut will make things easier for the surgeon.” It usually does the opposite by removing the surgeon’s choice of length and hiding options. Let the team shave what needs shaving.

“Vaping is fine because there’s no smoke.” Nicotine is the vessel-constricting agent, and vaping delivers plenty of it.

“More grafts is always better.” Donor hair is finite. Harvesting aggressively for a dense result today can leave visible thinning at the back and nothing in reserve for future loss. A good plan considers the lifetime of the scalp, not a single session.

“The hair that grows in the first month is the result.” Most transplanted hair sheds within weeks and regrows over many months; the NHS puts full results at twelve to eighteen months.

“Once the grafts take, the rest of my hair is safe.” Transplanted follicles keep their donor-area resistance, but native hair around them continues to follow its genetic course. This is why medical therapy is often discussed alongside surgery, and why the decision about it belongs with a clinician who has examined you.

“I can judge the whole plan from photos online.” Before-and-after images show a moment, not a trajectory, and rarely the donor area. A physical examination of density and scalp laxity tells a surgeon far more than any gallery.

None of these mistakes are foolish. They come from wanting the operation to go well. The corrective is simply to route each instinct through the team before acting on it.

Questions to ask your care team this week

The final consultation before surgery is the moment to close every open loop. Arrive with these written down, and write the answers next to them; a week later you will not remember which were answered verbally.

• Which of my medicines and supplements should I continue, and which do you want paused, from which date, with my prescriber’s agreement?
• What exactly should I eat and drink on the morning, and by what time should I stop?
• Will I have sedation? If so, how long must someone stay with me afterward?
• How many grafts are planned, from which donor areas, and what does that leave in reserve for the future?
• Which method, strip or FUE, and why is it the right choice for my scalp specifically?
• What is your protocol for washing, sleeping, and dressing in the first two weeks, and can I have it in writing?
• Who do I call at night or on a weekend if something worries me, and at what number?
• When are the follow-up appointments, and what will you be checking at each?
• What pain relief do you prefer I use, given that some common options affect bleeding?
• What signs would make you want to see me urgently?
• How will you handle it if a blood test comes back abnormal?
• Should I pause or continue topical or oral hair-loss medicines, and when can they restart?

A few of these will get short, confident answers. Others may prompt the team to check something they had not yet considered for your case. Both outcomes are useful. What you are looking for is not a particular answer but a team that welcomes the questions, gives specific written instructions, and is clearly making decisions about your scalp rather than a generic one.

When to call your doctor

Most of the first week after a hair operation is uncomfortable but uneventful: tightness, mild aching, itching, small crusts, and some forehead swelling around days two and three. The signs below are different. They mean pick up the phone to your surgical team, or seek urgent care if you cannot reach them.

• Bleeding that does not stop after ten to fifteen minutes of gentle, steady pressure with clean gauze, or bleeding that soaks through dressings repeatedly
• Increasing redness spreading outward from the donor or recipient area, warmth, or a thick yellow or green discharge with an unpleasant smell
• A fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell in the days after surgery
• Pain that escalates rather than easing after the first two or three days, or pain not controlled by the relief your team recommended
• Swelling that closes the eyes, is one-sided, or continues to worsen after day four
• Numbness or tingling that spreads or does not begin to improve, or any new weakness in the face
• Signs of an allergic reaction to a medicine or dressing: widespread rash, facial or lip swelling, or difficulty breathing, which is an emergency
• Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or calf pain and swelling, particularly if you have been immobile or have traveled a long distance
• A cluster of grafts falling out with their bulbs attached in the first few days, especially after a knock to the head

Keep the team’s emergency number where you can find it, and do not filter symptoms through a search engine first. Surgical teams would far rather take an unnecessary call than miss an early infection. If anything on this list appears alongside confusion, fainting, or a rapidly spreading rash, treat it as an emergency and call your local emergency number.

Frequently asked questions

How painful is hair surgery?

The most uncomfortable part for most people is the local anesthetic injections at the start; once the scalp is numb, graft harvesting and placement are felt as pressure and tugging rather than pain. Afterward, the donor area typically aches for a few days, more so after strip surgery than FUE. The NHS describes the operation itself as not painful because of the anesthetic, with soreness managed by ordinary pain relief chosen by your team.

Can you dislodge grafts after 10 days?

By around ten to fourteen days, grafts are generally considered securely anchored, and everyday contact such as gentle washing or a soft pillow is unlikely to dislodge them, according to Cleveland Clinic patient guidance. Vigorous scratching, picking at crusts, or a direct blow to the head is still best avoided in this window. Your team’s own timeline for resuming normal activity takes precedence over any general figure.

What does a 3,000 graft hair transplant involve?

A graft is a small unit of scalp containing one to four hairs, so three thousand grafts may move several thousand individual hairs and usually fills a full day of surgery. Whether that number suits you depends on the size of the thinning area, your donor density, and what must be left in reserve for future loss. This article does not give cost figures; ask your surgical team how the planned count was chosen.

What should you do with your hair before surgery?

Leave it alone. Do not get a haircut, since the surgeon will shave the donor area to the length their instruments need and longer surrounding hair helps hide healing. Avoid dye, bleach, perms, and chemical straightening in the final week or two, remove hair systems and adhesive concealers, and stop fiber sprays. Wash normally with mild shampoo the night before or morning of, and arrive with clean, dry, product-free hair.

What are typical hair transplant pre op instructions?

Written instructions usually cover completing blood tests, disclosing every medicine and supplement, stopping smoking and alcohol, avoiding haircuts and dye, arranging a ride home, what to eat on the morning, and what to wear. Teams differ on exact timings, particularly for fasting and pausing supplements, so the sheet you receive from your own surgeon should override any general list, including this one.

Should I stop taking my regular medicines before a hair transplant?

Not without your prescriber’s agreement. Anti-inflammatory painkillers and some supplements are commonly paused because they increase bleeding, but prescribed anticoagulants, blood pressure medicines, and antidepressants have their own risks if stopped abruptly. Give your surgical team a complete list this week and ask for a written medicine plan with dates; where a blood thinner is involved, the plan should be agreed jointly with the doctor who prescribed it.

How long before a hair operation should I stop smoking?

As early as you can, and certainly for the full week before. MedlinePlus notes that quitting before surgery lowers wound complications and that benefit begins within days, with more time giving more benefit. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, which is the specific problem for new grafts, so vaping and nicotine replacement are not workarounds. Most teams also ask for continued abstinence for several weeks after surgery.

How should I sleep after a hair transplant?

With your head elevated on several pillows or a wedge for the first several nights, which limits forehead swelling, and positioned so the grafted area does not rub the pillow. A neck-support travel pillow can help stop you rolling over. Some people find a recliner easier for the first two or three nights. Set this up during the week before, while you have energy and both hands free.

When can I wash my hair after a hair operation?

Usually a few days after surgery, using a very gentle pouring and patting technique that your team will demonstrate, rather than rubbing or using a shower jet. The NHS describes gentle washing beginning several days in, with crusts softening and shedding over the following week or so. Follow your own team’s exact day and method, since protocols differ between surgeons and techniques.

How much time off work do I need after a hair transplant?

The NHS notes many people take up to two weeks off, but the real range is wide. Someone working from home may return within days, while a client-facing role may warrant longer until crusting and swelling settle. Strenuous exercise is typically off the schedule for around a month. Decide on your leave during the week before, so you are not negotiating it while sore and tired.

References

• NHS – Hair transplant
• MedlinePlus – Hair transplant
• MedlinePlus – Smoking and surgery

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.