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You made the investment, you got through the surgery and your new hair grafts are producing excellent results.
It’s finally time for your first haircut and this can either be a very exciting or entirely daunting milestone. Naturally, you want to look your best after your surgery but many patients tend to worry about whether they could end up damaging their transplanted hair during their first hairdresser appointment.
This brief guide will help you prepare for your first post-transplant appointment at your hairdresser. (See also: The Comprehensive Guide on What to Expect After a Hair Transplant Procedure)
When to Schedule Your First Hairdresser Appointment
Your scalp is going to need some additional care in the first few weeks after your surgery. Following your hair transplant, your surgeon will provide you with a list of post-operative care instructions that you will need to follow very carefully if you want to achieve your desired result. Your surgeon will also provide you with specialized products that will help reduce infections and promote healing.
Any scabbing and crusting that occurs after your hair transplant will have cleared up two to three weeks after your surgery. Once this occurs, you will know that your scalp has healed and the transplanted hair follicles won’t be lost if you had to schedule a haircut.
With this being said, most experts recommend that you wait at least a month before you consider getting a haircut.
If at any stage during your recovery process you feel unsure about whether your scalp is healing properly or if you’re caring for your hair correctly, schedule an appointment with your surgeon.
Styling Your Hair after a Transplant
Realistic expectations and patience are two things that every hair transplant patient needs and your patience will really be tested as you wait for your hair to grow. It will take at least three months before your newly transplanted hair begins to show signs of growth, which means you will more than likely only be cutting your existing hair at your first hairdresser appointment.
The best hair clinics, such as New Hair Clinic, will produce minimal scarring when carrying out FUE hair transplants, which is why many patients actually choose to shave their heads until their transplanted hair starts to grow. If you had long hair before your transplant, you could grow it out even more and simply cover up the areas that have received transplanted hair.
Once your hair finally starts to grow, you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with new haircuts and hairstyles but for now, you’re going to need to be patient for about a year. (See also: Top 5 Hair Styling Tips For Women With Thin Hair)
What to Do and Not Do after a Hair Transplant
If you’re ready to schedule your first hairdresser appointment after your transplant, here are a few dos and don’ts that will help you protect your scalp and your hair.
Haircut Dos
- If you’re not entirely sure whether you should be scheduling a haircut, contact your surgeon for their advice. If you’re still experiencing any pain, redness or swelling, it’s probably best to wait a little longer before you contact your hairdresser.
- The transplanted area of your scalp may still be slightly numb by the time you’re ready for a haircut, so be careful when you get your hair dried as you could end up burning your scalp.
- If you are feeling nervous about visiting a hairdresser, rather find someone who specializes in transplanted hair. Once you start looking around, you’ll actually find that quite a few salons advertise the fact that they specialize in transplanted hair.
Haircut Don’ts
- Stay away from styling products for a while if you can help it. Some products could actually hurt your sensitive scalp, so rather speak to your surgeon about the best hair care products to use following your surgery.
- Don’t hesitate to ask your stylist to be very gentle during your appointment. Using cooler water is one way that you can go easy on your scalp. If at any point you experience discomfort, rather take a break.
- Don’t panic if your hair appears thinner following your first haircut. Your surgeon will tell you that thinning is a natural part of the hair transplant recovery process, so this is not something you need to be worried about.
About The Author:
Damian Wolf is an entrepreneur and experienced author with articles published in several top online publications. He is working remotely from 2011, participating and improving projects hosted in the Middle East, the United States and Australia. Damian comes from the land of kangaroos, and when he’s not online, you can find him jogging or hiking around. He loves trying out new things: apps, software, trends and will gladly share his views. He is all about feedback so feel free to leave yours below. Follow him on Twitter at @damianlwolf.
