WhatsAppThere are many considerations to make after a hair transplant to protect your scalp and the grafted hair follicles. One such consideration is how to prevent sun exposure and damage.
These are real concerns and must be taken seriously. Below, I look at questions such as how long to avoid the sun after a hair transplant, what protective measures you should take, and the potential negative consequences of sun exposure after a hair transplant.
When looking at our before and after images of a hair transplant in Turkey, you can see that the patients have a beautiful head of hair – this is because they followed guidelines and took the recovery process seriously, including reducing the chance of sun exposure.
The potential dangers of sun exposure after a hair transplant include:
Firstly, after a hair transplant, your scalp is more susceptible to sun damage due to the trauma the skin and cells undergo during the procedure. This means that too much sun exposure after a hair transplant can result in damaged and discolored skin.
Not only that but as the deep tissue surrounding your transplanted hair follicles needs longer to heal, sun exposure can cause damage to them. This, in turn, can affect your hair follicles and potentially reduce the chances of success of your transplant.
Aside from these immediate dangers, there is always the real possibility of sun exposure and the health issues it can cause. We all know that sun exposure can lead to permanent skin damage, and in more severe cases, skin cancer. These potential side effects are all heightened if you have fair skin and are already susceptible to sun damage.
As you can see, the potential dangers from sun exposure are real and it’s important to take your recovery seriously and protect yourself after a hair transplant. You can do this by following the guidelines your surgeon provides and looking at the below considerations.
The most basic protection measure is to avoid direct exposure to the sun for two weeks after your hair transplant. This doesn’t mean that you have to hide away indoors like a troll or vampire, but you must be careful and sensible.
Depending on the hair transplant type, your hair is usually shaved shorter which means that your scalp is more visible and more prone to sun exposure. Therefore, two easy protective measures are to wear a hat and to use sunscreen.
SPF 30 sunscreen should be sufficient to protect your scalp and stop any UV rays from penetrating your skin. Hats should be worn no sooner than 3 days after your hair transplant as before this, your hair follicles will still be unstable and a hat risks pulling them out.
As mentioned above, early sun exposure can do one of three things (or a combination of them all). This includes damaging your hair follicles and reducing the chances of success of your surgery, causing permanent sun damage, and the potential for more severe issues like skin cancer.
Protection from the sun can be seen as a gradual process – the stronger your hair follicles become, the less protection you need. At the start, immediately after a hair transplant, you need the most protection as this is when your follicles are the most vulnerable.
However, the protection can be reduced, and you can reintroduce yourself to sunlight gradually after the first few days and weeks. The following is a simple timeframe to follow:
It’s important to wear a really loose-fitting hat for the first week as this is when your follicles are unstable. Wearing a baseball cap immediately after could cause damage and pull your newly transplanted hairs out.
Even if you aren’t getting a hair transplant, I recommend taking sun protection seriously. Sun damage is a real threat and it affects a huge number of people worldwide. Whenever you are outdoors for a prolonged period, you must protect yourself, cover-up, and apply sunscreen where necessary.
It is also important to protect your scalp after a hair transplant as it is particularly susceptible to sun damage during the healing process and any damage could cause problems with your transplanted hair follicles.
Get Mail!