Hair Transplant return to work. The NextGen guide.
Returning to work after a hair transplant often brings up many questions.
We are often asked, “When can I return to work following my transplant?” This is a common question as many patients worry about the recovery process and any obvious signs of surgery. It depends on the patient’s work schedule and can be divided into two main principles.
1. Can you work from home?
2. Does your work entail wearing a hard hat, or taking part in exercise?
Working from Home
You can return to work as soon as you are able to work remotely if you have had a hair transplant.
Wearing a hard hat or have a physical job
To ensure that you are fully healed and have no visible signs of surgery, such as redness or scabbing, you might want to take 5 days off from work before you return to work.
Tips for returning to work after a hair transplant
These tips and tricks will help you return to work quickly after a transplant. We recommend:
1. Rest as much as you can
2. Give yourself some time to heal
3. Use the solution that we offer to spray your head
4. To protect your hair and hide your transplant, you may need to wear a cap
5. Avoid direct sunlight
The process after a hair transplant
It can be frustrating and exciting to wait for your hair growth to return. Patients don’t usually see any new growth for the first three months. Do not despair if there is no growth.
The FUE Hair Transplant procedure is quick because the incisions are only a few millimeters. You may feel some discomfort or swelling for the first three days. However, this will quickly disappear. You will initially have small hairs that are delicately placed in the recipient area. There will be some redness around the areas we have worked in, as well as some scabs from where grafts were placed. In 5-10 days, these obvious signs of surgery should disappear. Some hairs will fall out during the recovery phase. This is normal and not to be alarming. Most patients will notice a difference in their hair growth after 3-4 months.
There are many things you should consider before you return to work, especially after the growth of the hair transplants and the healing of your donor site. After the procedure, patients must adhere to the aftercare instructions and recovery advice provided by the Next Gen team. Our team is available to help you with any questions that may arise as your hair grows.
What day can I return to work?
After 5 days, you can return to work. This is a time when your hairs are less damaged and you have less signs of surgery. If you are able to, it is a good idea to return to work within 10 days of your hair transplant. You will be fully healed from the surgery, and you will not have any redness or scabbing.
When deciding when to return to work, patients must take into account the type of work they do. After your procedure, we recommend that you avoid direct sunlight for at least 2 weeks. Direct sunlight can burn and cause permanent damage to your newly-implanted hairs. You may want to use a cap or hat if you are working in direct sunlight.
Another consideration is for those who have to wear a tight-fitting hat, or hard hat, at work. The delicately placed hairs could be compromised if a tightly fitting hat is worn on top. We recommend that you take two weeks off work in these situations.
How long does it take for the grafts to become secure in your scalp?
No matter where you work you need to make sure you don’t accidentally remove any newly-implanted grafts. After a hair transplant, it takes two weeks for the grafts to fully integrate into the scalp. If you’re worried about your job and the possibility of losing hairs, wait until 14 days after your surgery.
Our clinic explains that the first five days after a hair transplant is crucial. Hairs are delicate and can be dislodged if they come in contact with the scalp. We recommend that patients take 5 days off after a transplant. If 5 days are taken between 2 weekends, this can add up to 10-11 days. This means that your hair will “take root” by the time you return to work.
You can view a video of our clinic here.
