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If you are considering a hair transplant procedure, you should become familiar with the possible “setbacks” that may occur just after surgery. Not unlike all other procedures, it will take time to achieve the final result from your hair transplant and right after the procedure you may experience some temporary, normal events, which are detailed here.
One of the most common issues that may occur right after the surgery is swelling and slight discomfort. The surgery itself is not painful, but the recovery may be slightly uncomfortable for the first few days. Generally, patients feel “tightness” and “tenderness” along the sutures in the donor area, which is easy to control with mild pain killers. Swelling, if present, should last about 4-5 days. Not surprisingly, the discomfort and swelling will disappear as your scalp heals. This is common for many types of noninvasive surgery, and the final results are more than worth any temporary discomfort.
Another temporary setback that may occur is that most of the transplanted follicles will fall out during the first 2 weeks from the procedure. This is a normal and expected event. Also, some of your existing hair could fall out during the first month or two after the procedure, since the transplanted hair could cause the adjoining hair to enter its resting phase. This is commonly known as “shock loss”. This is also normal and it should not be so severe that other people will notice. This means you should not expect to have the fuller head of hair you desire immediately following the treatment. However, new hair should start to grow in within about three months, and you should see the complete results within about nine to twelve months.
Some patients find that one hair transplant procedure isn’t sufficient to maintain their hair density and coverage, as your native hair (not the transplanted follicles) may continue to thin. Your doctor should warn you of this possibility and should discuss medications and treatments that may help minimize this risk. You may need additional treatments if you begin to see signs of balding again years later. But this isn’t true for everyone.
These issues are usually temporary and minor and are part of the normal process but should be discussed in detail during your consultation, to avoid surprises and stress.
If you’re considering this treatment, contact Dr. Barusco at Tempus Hair Restoration for a free consultation.