Postoperative instructions FUE
In order to contribute to healing and graft regrowth,
we ask you to comply with the following instructions :
Summary table of FUE postoperative instructions
The first night
The first night is of crucial importance. It’s absolutely imperative not to touch the grafts as they could come out of the incisions. The grafted zone needs to be hydrated by means of a spray that will be given to you. The term over which this spray needs to be used will be specified at the end of the procedure.
The spray
You will receive a spray with a physiological fluid (NaCl) to take home with you. Vaporise the lotion over the grafted zone every 15 minutes over the course of the first night following the procedure. The first hours are of crucial importance.
When you notice no more bleeding whatsoever nor any liquid secretion in the recipient zone, the intervals between spraying can be increased progressively. Often, it’s even possible to cease spraying at about 2 am or 3 am.
Washing your hair
You must wash your hair 48 to 72 hours prior to the procedure (donor area as well as recipient area) and subsequently wash them each day for at least a week.
Use a pH balanced shampoo (pH7) : mix water and shampoo in a plastic container and gently massage the grafted area as well as the scar with the fingertips. To rinse, pour water over the head using the same container.
Avoid direct contact with the waterjets coming out of the shower head (because of the excessive pressure) for at least 10 days following the procedure. Small white marks might appear at the grafts after washing : this is due to the fact that the skin on top of the grafts will have absorbed water. These marks generally disappear after half an hour.
However, from the day following your procedure you can already wash the donor area (area where hair was removed) mornings and evenings for one week.
To do so, first soak or sprinkle the donor area with clean water from bath or shower (take great care at this stage not to humidify the recipient area).
Then you can clean the donor area in order to remove scabs using a gauge compress. At this point, the donor area might bleed at certain spots when removing scabs.
Simply apply pressure for about 10 minutes to the areas concerned by means of a dry compress. Afterwards let it dry by exposure to the ambient air (no hair dryer).
Antibiotic and corticosteroid cream
An antibiotic cream (Neobacitracine : Bacitracin + Polymixin-B-Sulphate) and a corticosteroid cream (Cremicort : Hydrocortisone 1%) will be handed to you at the end of your procedure. You need to apply them to the scars (donor area only) twice daily over the course of a week beginning the day after the procedure and this after washing and drying the hair. These creams aid wound healing and avoid any type of infection.
Physical effort
Avoid physical effort for a week after the procedure : avoid leaning forward and blowing your nose excessively hard. Limit your physical activity for at least an entire week (no sexual activity for 7 days). Avoid swimming for two weeks.
Possible complications
Swelling
It’s possible your forehead may start swelling : this may happen on the 1st, the 2nd or even the 3rd day after the procedure. If this should be the case, keep on taking the prescribed meds.
In this case, you need to hold ice to the forehead (NEVER hold ice to the grafted area) from the 1st until the 3rd or 4th day after the procedure.
Not noticing any swelling does not mean that you can stop taking the meds or stop holding ice to the forehead ; as a matter of fact, your forehead can start swelling from the 3rd or 4th day.
As far as the corticosteroids are concerned, if you notice increased oedema, you can take up to 10 X 4mg/day (start with 8 and take 10 afterwards).
if, however, the oedema is mild and not developing, you can reduce the corticosteroid use to 4 daily, subsequently 2 daily and finally stop all together.
Bleeding
In general, micro-bleeding lessens at the end of the procedure.
Care should be taken to clean them from the start and to avoid them from drying out. More severe bleeding is almost exclusively the result of accidental actions that remove a graft from its incision. If this happens, apply pressure by means of compresses or a clean cloth to the area that’s bleeding. After 10 minutes, the bleeding should have stopped. Clean the area using the spray.
It’s imperative to prevent lateral movement with the compress, so as not to remove more grafts. On the other hand, compression of the grafts holds no risks.
With regard to the donor area, don’t be afraid to clean it thoroughly. A bandage will be applied at the end of the procedure and will need to be removed the morning after the procedure. From that moment you should start washing and cleaning the donor area.
Over the following days you will need to remove all traces of blood or scabs from the donor area.
Pain
You might experience some pain after the procedure : this is completely normal and the prescribed meds (Contramal 50mg : Tramadol and Ibuprofen 600mg : Ibuprofen) will help to ease this pain. These meds work synergistically. Taking them should be spaced 6 hours apart. Normally, you should not feel high levels of pain from undergoing a FUE type hair transplant.
Infection
Only on rare occasions, the grafts or scars may infect as you’re still under the effects of antibiotics (it’s imperative to finish the antibiotics treatment).
Loss of sensitivity
You may experience some loss of sensitivity to the recipient area : there is no need for worry, sensitivity will return within 4 to 12 months after the procedure.
Scabs
During the healing phase, scabs will appear at the grafts : moisten the grafted area by means of compresses to allow the scabs to disappear as fast as possible.
Generally, scabs will fall off within 7 to 10 days following the procedure. It’s possible to accelerate the shedding of scabs by gently massaging them when applying shampoo. Don’t scratch them too aggressively. Grafted hairs and their bulbs are often torn off together with the scab : do not worry, the roots are still in place and will provide new heir growth.
Miscellaneous
Regrowth
Keep in mind that your hair will take 3 to 4 months to grow back unless they do not shed (in 5-10% of patients hairs grow immediately).
Sometimes, regrowth is even slower and can start after 5 to 6 months !
Shock loss
It may be possible that part of the hair still present in the grafted area starts to shed. Don’t be alarmed, these hairs will regrow together with the implants.
Correspondingly, if a few grafts would fall out, don’t be alarmed : the general aspect of the grafted area remains unchanged.
Alcohol
You are prohibited from consuming alcohol for 72 hours after the procedure.
Sunlight
Avoid any exposure to sunlight (this includes tanning beds) for as long as you have a rash to avoid graft discoloration.
You’re allowed to wear a cap from the day following the procedure.
Minoxidil - Proscar
You can apply the Minoxidil from the 15th day after the procedure. With regard to Propecia (Finasteride), you can continue to use it before, during and after the procedure.
