HAIR TRANSPLANT CARE
NeoGraft Hair Transplant Pre and Post Op Care Instructions
One Week Before Your Surgery
PLEASE AVOID THE FOLLOWING FOR 7 DAYS PRIOR TO SURGERY:
1. Aspirin (Tylenol is permitted) Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin) Aleve
2. Vitamin E supplements
3. Garlic supplements
4. Curry
5. Fish oils
6. Rogaine (minoxidil)
PLEASE AVOID THE FOLLOWING FOR 48 HOURS PRIOR TO SURGERY:
1. Heavy weight training
2. Jogging/Running
3. Alcohol
Day of Your Surgery
1. No caffeine.
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2. Wear comfortable clothing (a button up shirt)
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3. Bring all prescribed medications.
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4. Have a good breakfast —even if you do not normally eat breakfast.
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5. Shampoo and condition your hair on the morning of surgery, but do not use any gel or spray.
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6. Take any and all medications you would normally take in the morning (with the exception of blood thinners) unless
specifically instructed not to do so.
7. If you are a smoker, it is strongly recommended that you at least cut down, if not actually quit, since cigarette smoking interferes with all healing processes and may affect the survival of your grafts. (Also, this is a completely smoke-free
facility—it will not be possible for you to smoke during the day of your transplant.)
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8. It is helpful, but not essential, to have a ride home; any medication you receive will be out of your system by the end
of the day.
The Night of Surgery
THINGS TO EXPECT:
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• As the anesthesia wears off, your head may feel sore and achy; the pain is usually minimal, but occasionally can be more significant. You may also feel some itching and/or tingling. During the night there may be some spotting or oozing, so you might want to place a towel over your pillowcase.
THINGS TO DO:
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• Have a good dinner, but no alcohol.
• Take pain medication (Tylenol or hydrocodone) as needed.
• Apply ice pack to forehead only for 15-20 minutes. (Skip this step if your transplant involves the crown area only.)
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NOTE: DO NOT PLACE DIRECTLY ON GRAFTS.
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• Avoid bending over or letting your head hang down as much as possible.
• Sleep in your bed with an extra pillow. Place a rolled towel or a neck cushion behind your neck if the crown was transplanted.
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• You may shower from the neck down, but do not wet your head
Post Op Day Day 1
THINGS TO EXPECT:
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• You should be feeling better, though you may still have pain, soreness, tightness, or numbness in the back of the head and/or over the grafted area. This is normal. The numbness may persist for weeks to months. You may begin to notice some swelling in your forehead.
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THINGS TO DO:
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MORNING
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• You may shower from the neck down, but don’t get your head wet.
• Avoid bending over or letting your head hang down as much aspossible.
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EVENING
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• Wet your hair using an unbreakable container, but do not let the shower water hit the grafts directly. Work up some shampoo lather in the palms of your hand, then gently and repeatedly pat the transplanted area with the lather. Shampoo the back and sides of your head normally (i.e., with your fingertips), even though the area may be sore. If there are no grafts in the crown, you may allow shower water to hit the back of your head for at least 5 minutes and massage the back and sides of your head normally. No conditioner until Day 5.
• Try to avoid bending over or letting your head hang down as much as possible; this should help prevent swelling in your forehead.
• Sleep in your bed with an extra pillow to elevate your head.
Post Op Day Day 2
THINGS TO EXPECT:
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• You should continue to feel better. The discomfort in the back of your head should continue to improve, though some numbness/tingling/itching in the transplanted area may persist for weeks to months. You may develop some swelling over the forehead and bridge of the nose, or it may have progressed from yesterday; this is nothing to worry about.
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THINGS TO DO:
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MORNING
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• Wash your hair as above.
• Avoid bending over or letting your head hang down as much aspossible.
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EVENING
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• As above.
Post Op Day Day 3
THINGS TO EXPECT:
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• You may begin to notice swelling in the forehead, or it may be increasing. Over the next 24-48 hours, this may involve the eyes and bridge of the nose, possibly with some bruising. This is not unusual, and does not mean that there is a problem. The swelling will be gone in another few days.
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THINGS TO DO:
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MORNING & EVENING
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• As above.
Post Op Day Day 4 & 5
THINGS TO EXPECT:
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• Continued improvement in comfort and appearance.
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THINGS TO DO:
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MORNING & EVENING
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• As above, except no extra pillow needed from here on. OK to bend now if you don't have any swelling.
Post Op Day Day 6
THINGS TO EXPECT:
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• You may have swelling/bruising, it could be worse, or it may be resolving.
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THINGS TO DO:
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MORNING & EVENING
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• As above, but:
• You should now resume using your fingertips to gently but firmly shampoo over the grafts, and you may allow shower water to hit the grafts. Don’t worry, you won’t dislodge any of the grafts by shampooing—really! And you will look and feel better once the scabs are gone. Continue this procedure twice a day until you are scab-free (usually Day 7-10), then resume the normal routine you had prior to surgery. If you normally use a conditioner, you may begin doing so now.
Post Op Day Day 6 & Beyond
THINGS TO EXPECT:
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• You may have swelling/bruising, it could be worse, or it may be resolving.
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THINGS TO DO:
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MORNING & EVENING
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• As above, but:
• You should now resume using your fingertips to gently but firmly shampoo over the grafts, and you may allow shower water to hit the grafts. Don’t worry, you won’t dislodge any of the grafts by shampooing—really! And you will look and feel better once the scabs are gone. Continue this procedure twice a day until you are scab-free (usually Day 7-10), then resume the normal routine you had prior to surgery. If you normally use a conditioner, you may begin doing so now.
Additional Instructions
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Be careful not to hit your head. If you have some bleeding, simply apply pressure for a minute.
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No alcohol, aspirin, or aspirin-containing products for the first 5 days after surgery. This will decrease the chance of bleeding from your scalp (which could dislodge the grafts).
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Men may begin/resume taking Propecia (finasteride) immediately.
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Begin/resume using Rogaine (minoxidil), to include the transplanted area(s) 2 weeks post-op. (Men, 5% twice a day, women 5% once a day.)
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If you have a laser device, you may begin using it post op day #5.
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No hair spray, gels, or other products for the first week.
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You may resume using a blow dryer on low or cool after the first week.
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You may get a haircut in 2 weeks--just ask your stylist/barber to be careful with the comb and/or clippers the first time if the donor site area is still sore.
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You may color your hair a month after surgery.
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Do not panic if you see hairs in the scabs that fall off during the first week or two. This is normal! The transplanted follicles lie beneath the scalp and will grow new hairs over the next few months.
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If grafts were placed in an area of thinning hair (i.e., not completely bald), you may notice a temporary increase in thinning for 3-4 months. This is normal!
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Refrain from strenuous exercise for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Avoid any forceful neck movements (e.g., situps/crunches) for 3 weeks after surgery.
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Keep the sun off your head for more than a few minutes the first month. If you don’t plan on wearing a hat, use sun block (SPF 30 or higher) if there is any scalp visible through your hair where the grafts were placed.
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You may develop some pimples in the transplant area over the next few weeks- months; if this happens, it is normal. Simply apply hot soaks, a topical acne gel/cream, and/or pop them with an alcohol-wiped needle. If they are bad, call our office— we will start you on an antibiotic.
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If you smoke, this is an excellent time to quit—or at least cut down. Smoking interferes with all healing, as well as the survival of your brand-new grafts.
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And remember... It generally takes about 4 months to see new hair beginning to grow, and a full year (or longer) to see the final result!
Thank you for choosing Alexes Hazen, MD to perform your hair transplant.
We are excited about the results the next few months will bring!
Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions.