POST-OPERATIVIE INSTRUCTIONS

 Please follow the recommendations we suggest for the post-operative period. These suggestions will help you to make the post-operative period and the wound healing as comfortable and symptom-free as possible. If you have any questions regarding these instructions, please feel free to contact us! Hair transplantation is a complex procedure, which can be associated with certain complications. If you carefully follow the instructions recommended here, you can decrease the risk of these complications to minimum. Any activity which is contrary to medical advice, unfortunately, may increase complications and reduce expected results.

 

Taking care of the implanted area

 

Day 0 (the evening of the day of the surgery)

• Take off the bandages from the back of the head.
• Spread the diaper on the pillow (with its absorbing, rougher side up) to absorb wound exudate.
• After dinner, take the provided antibiotic and painkiller.
• Sleep so at night that the pillow and the implanted area do not touch. The back of the head (the site of the graft extraction) can touch the pillow without any problems.

 

Days 1-3

• In the morning, shower the back of the head with lukewarm water and wash off the dried blood clots.
• Spray the implanted area every two hours with the provided bottle of solution (2-3 squirts).

Days 4-5

• In the evening, soak the whole head with gentle, lukewarm shower for 15-20 minutes, then if necessary, absorb the remaining water with a towel, performing very careful and gentle movements (do not rub!).

Day 6

• After soaking for 15-20 minutes (in the bath or during shower), wash the implanted area with baby shampoo, performing very gentle finger movements in order to wash off the small crusts.
• This washing shall be performed daily until the crusts at the implanted area fall off (even 2x a day if necessary). Do not rub the crusts! It is not necessary to remove all crusts for the first time! With crusts, the upper, visible part of the hairs might fall off as well, but there is nothing to worry about, because the hair follicles remain in their place; they enter a dormant phase and start to grow in a few months.

Within 1-4 weeks after the surgery, the visible, upper part of the implanted hairs might fall off, but there is nothing to worry about, because the hair follicles remain in their place where they enter a dormant phase and in 5-6 months following surgery they start to grow; roughly 12 months after the surgery they catch up with those tiny hairs that did not fell off within 1-4 weeks after surgery and thus grew continuously.

BANDAGE

After the hair transplantation, we discharge our patients with a bandage on the back of their head. This bandage shall be taken off, on the day of the surgery before going to bed.

BLEEDING

Following surgery, some exudate leakage might occur, both from the donor and the implanted area, which is completely normal. In the unlikely event when you experience constant bleeding, please follow these instructions:

1. Apply continuous and steady pressure to the bleeding area with a sterile gauze for approximately 15 minutes.

2. If bleeding persists, call us on: + 36 20 610 10 54 and our colleagues will assist you how to proceed.

SLEEPING

It is not recommended to lie and sleep on your face, because this position might cause the swelling of the face. For 3 days, sleep with your head elevated to 30°. Using more pillows or a raised bed is suitable for this. Inflatable neck pillows used on planes can help in the proper positioning of your head.

PAIN

In most cases, apart from some minor discomfort, severe pain is unusual. Some patients however, may experience headaches, especially near the donor area. In this case, use the provided or other over the counter painkillers. Please do not drive and operate machines, while taking pain medication.

SWELLING

In some cases, swelling around the forehead might occur on the 3rd and 4th. day after surgery, which generally lasts for 2-3 days only. This swelling might spread, which might cause the temporary swelling of the area around the eyes and the nose. In such cases, we recommend cold compression on the forehead, 2-3 times a day, for 15-15 minutes.

WOUND HEALING, SCARRING

1. Allow your head to ventilate freely, avoid anything that can block the way of the air.

2. After the surgery carry on a relaxing lifestyle, do not strain for at least 3 weeks.

3. Abstain from alcoholic beverages after surgery for at least 1-2 weeks.

4. Do not smoke after the surgery for at least 2 weeks.

5. Avoid any medication, which can affect the blood flow (eg. Aspirin).

PIMPLES (BLISTERS, CYSTS) OF THE SCALP

2-3 months following hair transplantation, in rare instances, small, swollen pimple-like sacs (cysts) might appear around the hair follicles. In fact, small blisters are always formed in the 1st month following hair transplantations, because the new hairs grow and break through the layers of the skin. This process can easily be mistaken with an infection, although it is natural. In most cases, blisters open by themselves and disappear after a few days without medication. If bigger or more pimples occur, which are accompanied by redness, be sure to contact our doctors who will help you.

ITCHING

It is possible that after the hair transplantation, or with the growing of the implanted hair, an itchy sensation occurs in the implanted area and/or the donor area, which is part of the healing process, so there is no need to be worried. Dryness of the scalp might also promote itching. Scratching is prohibited, because this leads to the loss of the implanted hairs. Instead, we recommend using baby oil to relieve the symptoms.

REDNESS OF THE SCALP

Congestion, redness of the scalp might occur at the implanted area, which fades over time and disappears by itself. This congestion is natural after such an intervention, so please do not worry.

NUMBNESS

Numbness might occur in the scalp around the implanted area. This numbness is however transitional and goes away within 6-8 weeks in most of the cases. In rare occasions numbness might last for a couple of months.

INFECTIONS

If the donor area becomes congested, swollen and sensitive, this might indicate infection. Fever or subfebrility might also be indicative of inflammation. If these symptoms occur, contact our clinic, and we will assist you. To prevent infection please follow these recommendations:

1. In the first week avoid dirty and dusty environments, which can be the source of infections.

2. Use the antibiotics that we gave you.

3. Keep the operated areas and its surrounding clean as we discussed in the previous sections.

CRUST FORMATION

Crusts continuously fall off within a week or two after the surgery. It is important not to poke or rub these crusts. Following the instructions after surgery greatly reduces the chances of crust formation.

COMBING OF THE HAIR

Do not comb or brush your hair in the implanted area for 7 days after the operation. After this period, you might gently start combing your hair at the non-implanted areas, but it is very important not to touch, comb or brush the implanted areas even then. You can comb the donor area as soon as you wish, but avoid touching the skin.

ACTIVITY

It is best to relax on the day after the surgery. You are going to be tired of the operation and the given medication. If possible, spend this day at your home or in a calm environment relaxing. Focus on the given instructions and the regular showering of your head as described above. After this, you might gradually strain yourself and after 3 weeks you can fully return to your daily routine. It is recommended to completely refrain from smoking for a few weeks following surgery.

EXERCISE

For 3 weeks every sport, swimming, solarium and sauna is prohibited!

SUNBATHING

Do not expose the implanted area to direct sunlight for a month after the surgery. Even then it is necessary to avoid sunburn, thus we recommend the use of suntan oils of at least 15 factors. It is recommended to use a hat that protects from the sun, but besides is well ventilated and prevents the sweating of the scalp. When using a hat, it is important not to rub out the implanted hairs during put ons and take offs.

It is important to know that a hair transplantation procedure is NOT a cosmetic treatment, but a serious AESTHETIC SURGERY so those planning on having a hair transplantation should note and acknowledge the followings: Before the hair transplantation procedure it is absolutely MANDATORY to attend a personal or an e-mail consultation at the operating institute!