Let’s be clear and honest. Following a hair transplant you are going to experience some downtime and considering the vast improvement this procedure will ultimately make to your appearance and self-confidence, accepting and managing your downtime will help you reach your final goal. At YourHairDoc we aim to give you as much information and knowledge about your hair transplant from beforehand to leaving our clinic afterwards, so that you understand each stage and can feel confident that you have made the right decision for you. So, let’s investigate downtime….
- It’s a temporary stage for a long-term solution – the prospect of downtime is one of the most frequently reported reasons for patients to decide not to have a hair transplant. You have every right to be nervous about this phase and what friends, family and even strangers might think. However, if you think about your own hair loss, this would have happened gradually over an extended period and your feelings would have grown from mild concern to possible emotional turmoil in this time. If you imagine that during recovery from a hair transplant, these feelings will go in reverse and you have a bright future to look forward to, you’ll feel ever-happier with each day that passes post-op until you can look in the mirror and feel 100% whole again.
- How long will my downtime last? – This all depends on the scope of treatment, your hair colour, skin tone and the type of surgery you have undergone. Some patients can heal in as little as 10 days without much visual evidence that treatment has taken place. On the other hand, some patients can experience redness for longer, especially if they have fair skin. It’s also worth taking in to account that the recipient area of your scalp will have to be shaved prior to treatment, so you’ll be starting from scratch in this area, which isn’t necessarily such a bad thing as the hair will seemingly grow in naturally. As a rough guide, allowing a minimum of 2 to 3 weeks for healing after a light session or around 4 to 5 weeks for FUT sessions, your expectations should be met.
- Cover up and take some time out – during your downtime period, you could opt for wearing a hat to cover up your healing. It’s perfectly safe and acceptable to wear a hat not only to protect your scalp from elements such as sunlight, but to reassure you that your healing period will be disguised. If this is not an option, it’s worth perhaps taking some time off work after your op or booking a holiday to recuperate might give you the opportunity to heal and to start your journey to a new head of hair without fear of embarrassment or self-consciousness. After all, downtime doesn’t have to be lost time.
For more information about all aspects of hair transplant surgery, speak with one of the team here at YourHairDoc on 0208 418 0362.
