Q: Can I sleep as I normally do after a hair transplant?

A: We ask that you sleep on your back, with your head elevated on a few pillows. By raising your head, the pillows decrease any swelling that normally occurs after the hair transplant. We also use a small injection of cortisone given in the arm to help decrease swelling.

Q: Is transplanted hair the same length as existing hair?

A: The hair is first clipped to about 1-mm before it is transplanted. The transplanted hair will look like stubble for the first few weeks after the hair restoration procedure. It is then shed and the newly transplanted follicles go into a resting phase for about two months.

Q: When can patients go in the sun after a hair transplant?

A: Following a hair transplant, patients should protect their scalps from the sun for about a month.

This does not mean one needs to stay indoors. It just means that after a hair restoration surgery you should wear a hat or a good sunscreen when outdoors.

Sunburns on the scalp should be avoided, not just for persons having a hair transplant, but for everyone.

Q: Do patients need to wear a bandage after the surgery and for how long?

A: In a properly performed follicular unit hair transplant, the patient can remove any bandages the day after the procedure and gently shower/shampoo the transplanted area.

The bandages do not need to be reapplied.

The reason the dressing can be removed so soon is that follicular unit grafts fit into tiny needle-size incisions that heal in just one day.

Q: It has been over a month after my hair transplant procedure and I am starting to get nervous. When can I expect to see some growth?

A: Transplanted hair begins to grow, on average, about 10 weeks after the procedure, although this number can vary. Hair tends to grow in waves and occasionally some new hair may start to grow as long as a year after your procedure. In general, growth is a bit slower with each hair transplant procedure, although the reason for this is not fully understood.