After a hair transplant, many patients are keen to know when and how they can shave their hair. One of the questions that is often asked is about when is it possible to start shaving after hair transplant, as well as details about whether it is acceptable to shave the entire head or let the hair grow naturally.
How short your hair will be cut after a hair transplant depends largely on the surgical technique that was used. Patients who undergo FUE hair transplantation can usually have very short hair. However, patients who undergo strip hair transplant surgery may need to leave their hair long enough to hide the linear scar left by the procedure. Here are some key points to consider before making your first post-op trip to the barber or hair salon.
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When can I shave hair after transplantation?
After the hair transplant, there will be some scaling in the recipient area of the scalp . You may also feel some initial swelling and discomfort, although this will subside after a short while. During the first five days, the newly transplanted follicles are very fragile and care must be taken not to touch them.
Patients are usually advised to wait 8-10 days before cutting their hair in any way. At this point, the grafts are safe and should be suitable for a haircut without damaging it or jeopardizing your recovery. However, keep in mind that the longer you wait, the better so that the longer the scarring and redness have to settle, the thicker your hair will be.
It is also worth noting that noticeable new hair growth does not usually occur until about 4 months after a hair transplant, with most patients seeing the majority of growth between 5 and 12 months.
The degree of hair cutting after transplantation
This depends on the type of hair transplantation you underwent and how aware you are of revealing any scars left by the operation. As is well known, hair transplant surgery leaves a linear scar, although many doctors do this well in neat structure and fine scars, but not all doctors in this method can avoid a linear scar. To hide the donor scar, you may need to leave your hair long enough, although patients sometimes find that they can cut their hair shorter, long hair in this area will be necessary.
However, FUE patients can usually shave their hair much shorter, for example, they can get a #1 or #2 shave with a razor. This is because when the procedure is performed by an experienced and reputable surgeon like all the hair transplant experts at Turkish Way, the hair transplant surgery leaves nothing but a series of small dot scars on the scalp. These scars are usually less than 1 mm across and are difficult to see with the naked eye.
While the FUE technique and other remarkable developments such as the Choi and Ambassador pen technique may be preferred for patients who wish to keep their hair very short, the procedure should be chosen according to the patient’s requirements and condition. During the consultation period, the doctor will discuss different options with you to help you decide the best course of treatment.
Is it possible to shave directly after hair transplantation?
It is possible to shave your head after FUE hair transplantation, and we recommend waiting for 8-10 days before doing so. However, the patient should not shave the transplanted areas for at least 3 months after the surgery.
When the follicles are harvested from the donor area carefully, and in a diffuse pattern, the small scars left by the procedure are usually unnoticeable in everyday life. So, assuming you take care of your grafts properly, it is possible to shave your head without showing any obvious signs of hair transplant surgery. However, every patient is different, so it is best to speak to your surgeon before shaving.
Once your scalp has healed and your new hair has had time to grow in, you will be free to style it as you choose. It is important to take extra care when cutting hair, especially in the donor and recipient areas of the scalp. Even after the crust has fallen off, scars can be very sensitive for a while, so we recommend that you try to avoid using scissors for the first few weeks after surgery.
In the early stages after a hair transplant, some men choose a short hairstyle to hide the difference in length between their natural hair and the hair of the donor area. Other patients prefer to go for a longer approach to cover the treated areas that are still growing. Talk to your doctor or hair stylist for advice on the best hairstyle for you. The first haircut after seeing the new growth from your hair transplant represents an important time in the hair restoration journey. Many patients enjoy the process of experimenting with hairstyles to find a new look that works for them.
Using a hair clipper after planting
If you want to have a high and narrow haircut like the current fashion, due to the hair being cut from the sides and the back with longer hair on top, you should wait up to two weeks to try this haircut on the sides and the back especially in and around the donor areas after your hair transplant. Also, using the trimmer after a hair transplant, you’ll want to take extra care not only in the donor areas, but if you decide to cut the top where the recipient areas are, that will need just as much care.
Although surgical sutures are no longer used in the majority of common hair transplantation techniques, unlike previous techniques that left a linear scar. Healing is much faster as the recipient areas are very small. This does not mean that they do not need a long recovery time, so you should consult with the doctor who performed the hair transplant in order to find out when is the best time to start using the razor again after the hair transplant.
Haircut tips after transplantation
You should be patient at first by allowing the cuts and scrapes to heal before doing anything to your hair. Although the transplanted hair in the recipient area should fully grow back in about 12 months, haircuts and styling products are acceptable only 2 to 3 weeks after the procedure.
Be aware that most hair styling products are chemical based, so they should be avoided for the first few weeks of recovery. Once your cuts and scrapes are healed, there are a few important things to be aware of before doing anything with your new hair.
When drying your hair after a hair transplant, the best method is air drying because there is no heat to damage the newly transplanted follicles.
After the first month of recovery, you can start using the hair dryer again. However, you should ensure that the temperature is always set to a low temperature. One of the first things a patient will want to do is visit a hairdresser to get a haircut. Now that you have more hair, you can have fun experimenting with new hairstyles.
You may also want to start using hair styling products like sprays, gels and hair dye to get back to your youthful look. Patients often shave their hair for a very short period of time after a hair transplant until the hair length is normalized. Similarly, patients also prefer shaving at the skin level for the same reason and effect. However, that would not be wise until a full year after the procedure is completed.