How To Take Care Of The Donor Area After A Hair Transplant?
If you suffer from hair loss or have previously suffered from hair loss and went through a hair transplant procedure, your next step should be to provide your operated hair with the best care possible. Proper care and nourishment after the surgery is extremely important for good recovery. Your surgeon will give you instructions on how to take care of your hair, what to do and what to avoid doing, after your surgery. Following their instructions meticulously will result in immaculate results. You must take care of both the donor area and the recipient area after the transplant. Here is some information on how to take care of the donor area after a hair transplant.
What is ‘Donor Area’?
In a hair transplant surgery, the hair follicles are taken from an area which is rich in healthy hair and then transplanted onto an area experiencing baldness usually called a patch. The area or site from where the hair follicles are taken is called the ‘donor area’ and the area where these follicles are transplanted to is called the ‘recipient site’. It is as important to take care of the donor site after the surgery as it is to take care of the recipient site. The donor site is not only limited to scalp, though it is the area usually preferred as the donor site, hair can be taken from other parts of the body as well like chest.
It is the hair in the donor site that helps in determining whether the patient in question is suitable for the surgery or not. The hair follicles from this donor area are also selected very precisely, taking into consideration their survival rate after grafting. In the different hair transplant methods like FUT hair transplant and FUE hair transplant the hair follicles from the donor site are extracted differently. Thus, a lot of factors come into play while selecting the donor site. This makes it clear that it is absolutely necessary to take care of this donor site after the successful hair transplant procedure.
How to Take Care of the Donor Area Post Surgery?
Proper care of the donor site after surgery prevents infections and contaminations. Since, hair transplant may be a recurring need for dome candidates; a healthy donor area provides constant supply for further sessions.
- Sutures: After the surgery sutures are used on the donor area. Hence needed attention should be given in the supervision of these sutures for at least 14 days after which they are usually removed. While sleeping, one may find themselves in a slightly uncomfortable position as it is absolutely necessary to avoid any kind of hard pressure on the suture line or the donor site. Hence, a soft pillow is recommended after the surgery for fast recovery.
- Sun Light Exposure: Exposure to the strong rays of sun for long periods may cause sunburn in the donor area. This may also scar the newly transplanted hair follicles. Hence it is always better to wear hats or caps to protect the donor area from undergoing damage. One must stay cautious in seasons of hot weather conditions.
- Medication: As said earlier, the medications given by your surgeon plays a vital role in fast recovery. Take these medicines on time as prescribed by your doctor. They are also essential in nourishing the donor site and in keeping it healthy. These meds also facilitate regrowth of hair; hence do not compromise on these medications. They should be taken as advised by the doctor and on advised conditions as like before eating or after meals or before meals or the first thing in the morning. Many people tend to be negligent when it comes to medications, but do not commit this ignorant error.
- Avoid Alcohol: Avoid consumption of alcohol and also avoid smoking for a minimum of 48 hours after the transplant procedure. Alcohol can induce bleeding and smoking leads to unhealthy recovery process. It may also reduce the graft uptake for future procedures. Therefore, it is better to avoid any kinds of alcohol.
- Bleeding: Bleeding can happen for a few days after surgery on the scalp. One way to stop the bleeding is to apply slight pressure to the affected area with a clean cloth for about 15 minutes. Be mindful of the surrounding grafts while applying pressure. If the bleeding doesn’t seem to stop even after the precautions and first aid, call your doctor immediately and seek immediate advice.
- Intense Work: If you are a close friend to intensive training, you will have to bid your friend goodbye for the next 2 to 3 weeks after the surgery. All increased activity like running, jumping, swimming; driving should be avoided for at least 2 weeks after the surgery. You can always get back to your daily routine and physical activity after the recovery. You can instead perform low intense yoga or go for a short walk for these 2 weeks. After your successful recovery, you can welcome your close friend back into your life!
- Swelling: There might be some swelling on your forehead after the surgery. The swelling usually goes down after sleeping or by using cold compression. There might also be some itching in the donor area but do not scratch the area as it may lead to zits and infections. Cold compression usually works for itching as well.
One of the best ways to care for your donor site and your overall hair after the procedure is by cautiously following the instructions your doctor. Dr.V.S.Rathore who is deemed to be the best hair transplant surgeon in Kolkata will provide you will these proper instructions and guide you on how to take care of the donor area after a hair transplant surgery. Having over 19 years of experience in the field of cosmetic surgery and hair transplant, he runs the best hair transplant clinic in Kolkata. He has performed over 2100 hair transplant procedures all of which have been successful. We also offer other cosmetic services such as liposuction, facial surgery, and nose job among many. Check our website for more information on the various services offered by us. Our prices are also very cost-effective and affordable. We aim to deliver nothing short of perfection to our clients. Make an appointment right now and reach the best hair transplant clinic in Kolkata.
These were some of the methods to take care of the donor area after a hair transplant procedure. We hope you found our article useful.
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