Washing Hair After Hair Transplant
Q:
Great blog Dr. Mohebi, Thanks,
I have had a hair transplant 5 days ago. I have been washing my hair in last 5 days with my regular shampoo. I don’t rub the transplanted area, except for some dabbing with shampoo for about 4 to 5 minutes every day. Can you please explain how I should wash at this point and how long I need to continue with any special care after hair transplant surgery? Do you recommend any after hair transplant care product or shampoo?
Thank you for your time.
A:
There is not a certain standard in washing hair after hair transplant surgery. I previously posted an article on the blog “After hair transplant Care” and explained the care that is needed after a hair transplant surgery. We fine-tuned our after hair transplant care procedures to minimize the risk of hair graft dislodging, which is a threat in the first few days after hair transplant surgery. A study showed that there is a decreasing risk of dislocation of grafts within the first few days after hair transplant surgery “Graft anchoring in hair transplantation Drs. Bernstein and Rassman”.
Patients always ask whether or not they can skip washing the first few days when there is risk of dislodging for the newly transplanted grafts. The truth is, hair washing reduces the chance of scab formation and extensive scabbing after hair transplant increases the risk of graft dislodging. The above mentioned study shows that the scabbing after hair transplant extends the interval that grafts are at risk of being dislodged.
We at US Hair Restoration recommend frequent but gentle hair wash in the first few days post-operation with only dabbing and without rubbing in the recipient area. We recommend professional hair wash for the first day to all our patients and during that time teach patients how to wash their hair at home for the next few days. There are some products that are claimed to reduce the scabbing and infection rate after hair transplant with no documented evidence to support them.
I generally use and recommend baby shampoo for hair wash for the first few days after hair transplant surgery. I don’t recommend using any other commercially available products for hair wash after hair restoration surgery.
Best,
Tags: dislodging, hair transplant care, hair wash, scab