When Can I Wash My Hair After a Hair Transplant?

The treatment that follows a hair transplant is as vital as the procedure itself. These aftercare procedures influence your scalp healing and hair growth. A crucial aspect of this phase is hair washing.

Washing your hair the right way within the first ten days after a transplant determines how well the dead skin cells fall. Depending on the uniqueness of a case, patients receive specific guidelines about when and how to wash their hair.

This article will give you detailed information on the aftercare timeline for washing your hair after a hair transplant. And how long it may take before you resume your regular hair wash schedule.

How to Wash Hair After a Hair Transplant?

After a hair transplant, scabs and blood crusts noticeably form on the scalp. Despite popular misconceptions about hair wash post-transplant, it doesn't damage the transplanted area.

Instead, it gently removes the scabs and crusts from the scalp while reducing or eliminating the risk of infections

Although you may be eager to resume your regular hair wash schedule after a hair transplant, it is important to follow the general hair wash guidelines for the first ten days post-op to perfectly heal your scalp.

When Can You Wash My Hair After a Hair Transplant?

To obtain the best results and avoid common discomforts like numbness, swelling, or itching along the transplanted area after a hair transplant, it's best to follow these hair wash instructions. This is essential before resuming your regular hair washing.

Your first wash post-op comes up about 48 hours after the surgery. Doctors advise patients to avoid touching the scalp during this time. Before the 48 hours are complete, you can't wash your head or remove the dressings.

All you have to do is apply saline spray at regular intervals to keep the area clean and infection-free. While having your bath, you can put on a shower cap to stop the area from getting wet.

First Wash After a Hair Transplant

Depending on your physician's recommendation, you can wash your hair for the first time after the transplant at home or in the hospital. Most hospitals ask their patients to return after 24 hours for the first wash.

Do not wait longer than 48 hours because it could lead to an excess buildup of crust and blood. For instance, if you completed your transplant on a Wednesday morning, ensure you wash your hair by Friday morning.

We recommend that you visit the clinic for your first wash. This allows a technician to examine your newly transplanted grafts and administer helpful ointments to aid and quicken the healing process.

If you're doing it yourself, wait two days to ensure the donor sites are healing. Use only lukewarm water to wash and rinse. Try to be as gentle as possible to ensure the grafts remain in place.

Days 3 – 4 After a Hair Transplant

After the first wash, you can begin washing your hair using the prescribed shampoo and your fingertips. Gently apply the shampoo to the scalp and rinse off using the pour technique— pouring water from a pitcher or a cup.

Avoid staying directly under a shower, as the force of water from the shower head could dislodge the new grafts. Or you can use a rainfall shower head if you have one. This ensures the water is evenly distributed.

The best way to wash your head is to squeeze a little shampoo into your palm and carefully rub it on the scalp. Or put some drops of shampoo into a cup of water, mix and pour the bubbly solution on your scalp.

Pay more attention to the donor area at this point. Avoiding using a blow dryer and exposing your scalp to excess heat is best to prevent injuries.

Days 5 – 7 After a Hair Transplant

It is important to continue washing your hair daily to keep the donor and grafted areas clean and itch-free. You can apply a little heat to your scalp by the fifth day. Ensure your blow dryer settings don't exceed medium heat.

Also, do not use any hair products, including spray, gels, or alcohol-containing products. Using them makes your scalp sore, flake, itch, or irritated. Unless your hair tech explicitly prescribed them.

If the scabs are still widely present on your scalp, you can apply a conditioner (pre-approved by your doctor) to the area. Gently massage the areas in circular motions to soften the crusts and encourage the scabs to fall off.

Days 8 – 10 After a Hair Transplant

It's now the second week after your hair transplant. Depending on your stage of recovery or the transplant technique, you may continue using the recommended shampoo or switch to your regular product.

Lightly pat the grafted areas while washing rather than scrubbing because the new hair grafts may not have healed fully.

You can start applying hair spray and gel to the donor area. If you also wish, you can re-introduce a higher heat setting on your blow dryer after washing. But, continue to avoid sun exposure.

Oftentimes, it is best to ask your doctor for advice before re-introducing all these. We expect you to take note of any discomfort or irritation when you introduce previous hair products.

Days 11 – 14 After a Hair Transplant

If you had a follicular unit transplant, your doctor might remove your sutures during these days. Once this is done, you can start washing your scalp more vigorously. In fact, the doctors encourage you to scrub harder.

Throughout these days, your focus should be on promoting blood circulation within the donor and grafted areas and removing remnant scabs and crusts from your scalp.

Finally, Resume Your Regular Wash Day Schedule

The above is a comprehensive yet direct answer to the question, "when to wash hair after a hair transplant?." You must abide by these aftercare procedures to ensure your newly transplanted hair is perfect.

If you are still waiting to get a suitable and maximum long-term benefit hair transplant, or you want to learn more about post-op care and treatment advice to know the best time to restart your regular wash day schedule, contact us.

We are Hair Transplant Pro, and we link you up with well-trained and experienced surgeons who can expertly carry out hair transplant operations and post-op procedures across 25 world-class clinics.