What can I expect during recovery from hair transplant surgery?

After hair replacement surgery, you may experience some pain or discomfort. Doctors say this will be mild and should respond to pain medication. Most surgeons tell you to refrain from wearing a wig or hairpiece, at least for the first two weeks after surgery.

Hair transplant veterans say the toughest part is being patient. It will take time to see the full results of your surgery. Because of the manipulation involved, hairs in the larger grafts usually are shed. Re-growth then usually begins in two to six months. The hairs in smaller grafts usually continue to grow immediately after surgery and will keep growing as if they were in their original, non-balding location.

All hair replacement surgery patients need to be realistic. Don't expect a "full head" of hair. Surgery has only redistributed the hair remaining on your scalp to the best cosmetic advantage. Sometimes, a few grafts can produce fewer hairs but almost all will produce some hair.

It can take several weeks for the grafts to become firmly anchored. Be very careful while grooming your hair. Three days after the procedure, gentle daily shampooing may begin. For the first few weeks, use only a very mild, non-medicated shampoo.

Getting back to your normal daily routine depends on the length of your surgery, the complexity of the surgery as well as the type of surgery you've had. Some patients feel well enough to head back to work and to resume normal, light activity in a matter of days.

Often, hair may fall out after it is transplanted, but new hair will regrow in the transplanted hair follicle. But it may take a period of time before you can see the new hair growth.

The success and amount of hair coverage on a treated area depends on how many hair follicles remain healthy after being transplanted. You will probably need several surgeries to get the hair coverage you want. Healing between surgeries usually takes several months.

After hair transplant surgery, the hair follicles will not be sturdy for a few weeks. Most of the hairs will initially enter a resting phase for several months and fall out, but then will start growing again. Results cannot be evaluated before one year. At that time, a second procedure to further increase density can be considered.