Hair Restoration Blog

Q:

Hey there, doc,

It’s been about three weeks since my second hair transplant in Los Angeles. As of this moment, when I bend my neck, there’s a tightness and tension on the back of my head (donor area). Can you tell me if this tightness will ever go away and be back to the way it was before my operation? I really want to be back in the gym doing my jump ropes and abs.

A:

I’d say to give it about three weeks and begin more gentle activities such as jogging, brisk walking, bike riding, or push-ups. As long as you don’t stretch that donor area by looking down (this is important), you ought to be OK.

Activities to stay away from four to six weeks after a hair transplant: wrestling, flag football, basketball, boxing, abs exercises, and surfing or boogie boarding. Make sure there isn’t much strain on the donor area. It’s sensitive and requires protection and non-contact to heal.

Remember: Activities which increase tension between the edges of the healing wound in the donor area, such as lifting barbells or weights and other exercises involving intense bending of the neck are to be avoided. You should wait at least six months for this type of exercise in order to prevent reopening of the wound or stretching and widening of the donor scar.

Question:

I am a 40 year old man. I had a hair transplant 15 days ago and have my sutured removed 5 days ago. I am generally very active, but my doctor said that I can not exercise intensively for first 3 months after surgery. When do you usually say is safe to resume heavy exercise.

Thanks A lot!!

Answer:

Dealing with daily activity and sports after hair transplant surgery is a concern for many patients who are physically active and want to get back to their normal routine as soon as possible. There are two areas of concern after a hair transplant surgery. First, you may lose newly implanted grafts when doing contact exercise like wrestling. This can only be problematic within the first 4 days after surgery. Research has shown that after this period the hair graft is completely healed and infused in surrounding skin. Usually even pulling the hair after this period of time doesn’t have an adverse effect. The follicle stays in place and is capable of making a new mature hair.

The second concern is with the donor area, which is primarily closed by sutures or staples. Using Laxometer can help up to close donor wound with not much tension on the wound edges. The healing of the donor incision follows the general wound healing rules. The process of healing starts from the moment the wound is closed. The wound heals primarily within a few days from the time of hair transplant and any vigorous activity should be avoided within the first two weeks. After two weeks, the wound is practically healed, but the strength of this newly healed wound is nowhere close to normal skin. The wound needs a few months to get back to its final strength. However, regular aerobic exercise is not contraindicated even the day after surgery.The activities that you should be avoiding are: Anything that increases the tension between the edges of the healingwound in the donor area, such as weight lifting and other exercises which involve intense bending of the neck. You should wait at least 6 months for this type of exercise in order to prevent opening of the wound or widening of the final scar.