HOW LONG AFTER A HAIR TRANSPLANT CAN I WEAR A HAT
One of the most common questions we’re asked is “can I wear a hat after a hair transplant procedure?” On this page, you’ll find out when you can wear a hat after a hair transplant and other important information regarding your hair transplant recovery process!
Key Takeaways
- You can wear a loose-fitting hat around 14 days after the initial recovery process of a hair transplant.
- You should not wear a hat in the first 14 days after a hair transplant. This can increase your chances of contracting an infection and potentially dislodge or damage your newly transplanted hair follicles.
- Wearing a hat in the years after a hair transplant will not cause further hair loss. Wearing a hat does not cause hair loss.
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The Big Question:
Can I Wear a Hat After a Hair Transplant Procedure?
FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) hair transplant is a minimally invasive procedure used to restore hair in areas affected by hair loss. In this technique, individual hair follicles are extracted from a donor area, typically the back or sides of the scalp, and transplanted to the thinning or balding regions. Unlike the traditional strip method, FUE leaves minimal scarring as it doesn’t involve removing a strip of skin. It is known for its natural-looking results, shorter recovery time, and suitability for various hair loss patterns.
After a hair transplant, it’s important to allow the transplanted grafts to properly heal and become securely established. Wearing a hat too soon can interfere with this process. So, do not wear a hat in the first 0-10 days after your hair transplant. From day 10, you can start wearing loose-fitting hats, but we recommend you wear a hat around 14 days after your hair transplant.
Making sure your donor area and recipient area are fully healed is important. This enables both areas to scab over and heal fully, minimizing chances of infection. Kindly obtain information regarding hair transplant aftercare from our consultant or seek guidance from our professional doctors.
Post Operative Care Instructions: How and When Should I Where a Cap After Hair Transplantation?
After a hair transplant, its important to follow post-transplant care instructions laid out by our consultants. Here’s what we recommend to our patients to protect their newly transplanted follicles.
Immediate Post-Transplant Period (Day 0-9)
In the immediate period after a hair transplant, make sure to do as little as possible to disrupt the healing process. As such, you should avoid wearing a hat and be following your post-operative care instructions closely!
In the initial healing process, it is vital you let your scalp scab over naturally, and wait for your new hair grafts to bed themselves into your skin. Wearing a hat at this point could dislodge your newly transplanted hair.
In some cases, wearing a hat in this phase could cause the head to become sweaty. This increases the chances of contracting a condition called folliculitis. Folliculitis is an infection that is easily treated. However, it does pose a risk to your hair transplant result.
Early Healing Phase (Day 10-13)
After the first week, you might be able to wear a very loose and light hat, such as a soft cap, but only for short periods.
Avoid tight-fitting hats. Pay attention to the “closure” (the area on the back of a cap that tightens and loosens) and sweatband (inside lining) of a cap. Ensure that the hat does not rub against or press on the transplanted area.
If you want to wear a cap at this point, make sure you consult with your hair transplant doctors first. Our professional doctors will be in the best place to give you hat-wearing advice and guidance on how to not disrupt your new hair growth and healing scalp.
Later Healing Phase (Day 14+)
After the first week, you might be able to wear a very loose and light hat, such as a soft cap, but only for short periods.
Avoid tight-fitting hats. Pay attention to the “closure” (the area on the back of a cap that tightens and loosens) and sweatband (inside lining) of a cap. Ensure that the hat does not rub against or press on the transplanted area.
If you want to wear a cap at this point, make sure you consult with your hair transplant doctors first. Our professional doctors will be in the best place to give you hat-wearing advice and guidance on how to not disrupt your new hair growth and healing scalp.
Why Do Patients Wear a Hat After a Hair Transplant Procedure?
Wearing a hat after hair transplant procedure is a common practice. This is because a hat enables the patient to hide any visible signs that they have had procedure from the general public.
The first few weeks after a hair transplant can be tough for patients. Days 0-14 require the patient to mainly stay at home. This is to minimise the chances of infection and prevent the scalp from getting sweaty or too warm when exposed to direct sunlight.
Once a patient’s initial recovery period has passed, they may wish to go back into the office, go to the gym, or head into town to grab a coffee. Wearing a hat helps to hide the fact they have had a hair transplant and avoid any undue attention. Many hair transplant patients just want to get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible after the procedure!
What is the Best Hat to Wear After Hair Transplantation?
The best hat to wear after a hair transplant is one that is loose-fitting, made of soft and breathable material, and adjustable to ensure it doesn’t apply pressure on the grafts. Suitable options include loose-fitting baseball caps, bucket hats, fisherman’s hats, and soft beanies (after the initial healing period).
To offer some additional tips, make sure that you keep your hat clean to lower the risk of infection after your procedure. Also, be sure to wear your hat for short periods. Again, this helps to minimize the chances of infection.
What Other Clothing is Advisable After a Hair Transplant?
If hats aren’t your style, then there are other clothes you can wear to hide signs that you have had procedure. You can always wear a loose-fitting hoodie with a hood. Make sure the hoodie zips up from the front and does not go over your head.
It’s advisable a patient avoids clothing that must over go over the head. This is because it could snag or catch on your implanted grafts. Always opt for button-up shirts or zip-up hoodies or sweatshirts that zip up rather than crew neck and v-neck tops.
Conclusion
Wearing a hat immediately after hair transplants is not advisable. This is because it can damage the transplanted hair follicles. At Advanced Hair Transplant Specialist, we recommend you start wearing a hat 14 days after your procedure. This enables the scalp to heal properly. If you’re unsure about anything during your healing process, always contact us for the right info and stay updated.
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