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Currently, there are no invasive hair transplant surgery techniques that don’t result in some scarring. FUT hair transplants leave a single linear scar that is typically on the back of your skull while FUE surgeries result in clusters of small circular white scars on the donor sites where hair follicles are extracted.
There is no way to avoid these scars. However, you can affect your recovery process and affect how quickly the scars heal and how they develop. This is something that you should factor into your hair transplant Turkey cost in terms of time taken off work and a potential change in lifestyle.
To put any fears you have to rest, we take a look at typical scarring and recovery periods from hair transplants, and what you can do to ensure a swift and stress-free recovery.
Expected Scarring and Recovery Periods
As stated, scarring is virtually unavoidable with this type of surgery. However, once your hair has fully grown in it is barely noticeable and we have listed the two most common hair transplant options below and the expected scarring:
- FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) – A single linear scar on the back of your scalp
- FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) – Multiple small circular scars on the donor site
FUE surgeries certainly have less visible scarring as the circular scars are virtually undetectable but spread across a wider area. In contrast, the FUT linear scar is more visible, but it is concentrated to a single line on the back of your scalp and once your hair grows in it isn’t noticeable.
The recovery period for both surgeries is relatively quick and you can expect to be back at work within 7 days after your procedure.
Also Read: What is The Best Hair Transplant Technique?
Best Practices to Improve Results and Reduce Scarring
There are a range of guidelines and things you should and shouldn’t do after your hair transplant surgery to aid the recovery process.
Refrain from exercise
It is advised that you do not do any exercise for 7 days after a hair transplant surgery. If you do, the excessive sweating could cause increased irritation and inflammation of the transplanted follicles and the scar sites.
After 7 days only light exercise should be undertaken where you don’t sweat which is essentially walking. It’s not until 14 days after that you should attempt any vigorous exercise such as sports, swimming, hiking, and gym workouts or weightlifting.
By waiting for this period you can ensure that your scars are healing correctly and that any scabbing and swelling have disappeared.
Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol has many negative effects and drinking it immediately after your surgery can affect your recovery and healing process. Alcohol can reduce blood flow to your scalp and also result in increased blood pressure which isn’t good for any post-surgery recovery.
Therefore, we advise stopping all alcohol consumption for at least 14 days after your hair transplant procedure. If you want the best results and to give your transplanted follicles the best chance of success it could be a great idea to simply cut alcohol out for the foreseeable future. This is exactly the same for smoking and tobacco consumption.
Washing your hair
After the first 5 days, you should not wash your hair with any shampoo. Washing your hair shouldn’t have any impact on the scarring, but it can potentially damage your transplanted hair follicles and cause them to come loose.
Even after 5 days you should be incredibly gentle when washing your hair and avoid any high-powered shower nozzles. Instead, it is preferred that you simply pour water over your head and rinse using a jug.
Follow the post-surgery care routine
The most important thing you can do to ensure minimum scarring and a healthy recovery is to follow the guidelines given by your hair transplant surgeon! Specialists in this field have years of experience and understand what it takes to make the best recovery.
They should give you an after-care plan and routine including what you can and cannot do, and how you should look after your hair. Stay disciplined, follow these guidelines, and if you have any uncertainties, speak to the surgeon! In most instances after care consultations are available and some are included in the package cost.
Also Read: How Long Does It Take to See Results After a Hair Transplant?
Hair Transplant Recovery is in Your Hands so Take it Seriously
Ultimately, choosing a skilled hair transplant surgeon is the best action to reduce scarring but following the carefully laid out recovery plan and after-care regime is also vital. The recovery process and healing of scars can be as simple or difficult as you make it.
The key is to be disciplined and take your recovery seriously. If you follow the guidelines and look after your body then there is no reason why you can’t recover quickly and minimize post-surgery scarring.