Can I wear a hat after a hair transplant?
We’ll look at wearing a hat after you’ve had your transplant, how soon you can do it and whether or not it’s a good idea.
One of the leading solutions to hair loss in the UK is a hair transplant, and with an impressively high success rate it’s not surprising that more than ever people with hair loss are taking the plunge and making the decision to spend their money on improving their looks, confidence and even their job opportunities!
In this blog we’ll look at hair transplant post-surgery and see if it’s OK to wear a hat to cover or protect your head.
So let’s set the scene-post-surgery.
The surgery is now complete, you’ve been taking it easy for a few days, (just as your surgeon told you), and now it’s been a week since you had the surgery, and you’re going out!
But what about your newly grafted head?
Should you cover it or leave it open to the elements?
And, if you cover it, what do you cover it with?
Here’s what the leading surgeons tell us.
Whilst modern hair transplants are minimally invasive, and are an outpatient procedure, both of the two methods most commonly used, FUE and FUT involve extracting healthy hair follicles from a donor site and transplanting them into the recipient site where hair loss is present.
To transplant these hair grafts, your hair transplant surgeon must create thousands of small slits, into which the follicular grafts are implanted.
The result can be unsightly for as long as 10 days, and many patients, understandably, wish to conceal these scars until they have had a chance to properly heal.
It is crucially important that you follow your surgeon’s post-surgery instructions to the letter and take proper care of your newly implanted hair to achieve the best results from your hair transplant procedure.
Immediately following your transplant, your new hair grafts are extremely sensitive, and haven’t yet rooted into position, so it is advised that you do not touch, rub, or scratch at the site. Your surgeon will provide you with full instructions and a detailed timeline for your post-operative care.
But the most pressing question for some is:
How Soon After a Hair Transplant Can I Wear a Hat?
According to surgeons this is may be the most commonly asked question following a hair transplant procedure.
Once your hair transplant has been completed, your scalp will be a little swollen, and you are probably going to notice some bleeding and scabbing over the first few days.
During this time, you may wish to cover your scalp to hide the signs of your recent operation, however, it is recommended that you wait at least 7 to 10 days before wearing anything on your head as it takes time for the grafts to permanently anchor themselves into the scalp.
If you wear a hat you run the risk of compressing the grafts which may cause them to be damaged or displaced, and this could lead to empty patches on the scalp and could impede your hair transplant recovery process.
After 7 to 10 days, once the grafts are permanently anchored, wearing a hat after hair transplant is considered safe.
But what if I have to wear a head covering?
Key Takeaway: Having a hair transplant can be both physically and mentally challenging. Until you see that new growth starting to appear you are on tenterhooks worrying about whether it’s worked or not, so don’t jeopardise the result by wearing a hat before your grafts have taken.
Although it is advised not to wear any head coverings for up to 10 days, patients are also encouraged to keep their heads out of direct sunlight, rain, or wind for a few weeks following treatment.
If you have to cover your head to protect it from the elements, to avoid risk of damage to the hair grafts, it is advisable to wear a loose-fitting hat (such as a fisherman’s hat) or a loose, light hood.
You must avoid any sort of headwear which is tight, such as a baseball cap or beanie.
Your clinic will be able to advise you in determining the ideal type of hat.
Additionally, care should be taken to avoid clothing that will pull on the scalp.
Things like tight T shirts and turtlenecks are to be avoided, instead, choose a shirt, something that you do not need to pull over your head.
What Precautions should I take when wearing a Cap?
Importantly, if you do choose to wear a cap you must not let the hat come in to contact with the newly implanted hair grafts.
Any stimulation or manipulation of the recipient site in the first 7 to 10 days is likely to cause these hairs to fall out.
Choose a hat made of soft fabric, however, avoid cotton as it tends to stick to the hairs and risks pulling them out when it is being removed.
Another thing, you really should not wear your favourite old cap.
It will have hair grease and sweat on it and it’s essential that you make sure that your hat is perfectly clean as any dirt and grease may cause an infection of the recipient area.
Avoid wearing a hat for periods of longer than 5 hours. If the heat is causing your head to sweat, it is best to not wear a hat at all and stay indoors as sweating can cause an infection in the area of your newly completed transplant
If you have any doubts, your hair transplant surgeon will be able to advise you and hi-light the precautions you need to be aware of following your procedure.
Conclusion
A hair transplant can be a straight forward procedure when carried out by an experienced surgeon, providing that a few key instructions regarding aftercare are adhered to.
Obviously keeping the head clean and not subjecting the new grafts to any friction are right up there with the must do’s, but wearing a hat too soon is right up there with the must nots!
Do as your surgeon tells you and the results of your transplant should be everything you wanted it to be.
We at the Harley Street Hair Clinic have a wealth of experience and can restore your bald or thinning hair to the head of hair of your dreams.
Take a look at our Harley Street Hair Clinic or contact us today for a chat Call Now
