Hair transplant recovery week by week: what to expect

Most people go back to desk work 7⁠–⁠10 days after a hair transplant and look close to normal after about 2 weeks, once redness and crusts have gone. The transplanted hair sheds in the first weeks, and new growth starts around month 3⁠–⁠4. Most of the result shows at 12 months, or up to 18 months for the crown.

Everyone heals differently. The timings below are typical ranges, and the written aftercare plan from your surgeon always comes first. For an interactive version, see our recovery timeline.

Day 1: surgery day and the first night

Surgery day starts with blood tests and your consultation, then any shaving and the local anaesthetic. Your grafts are taken out, there is a break for lunch, which is included, and then they are placed before you go back to your hotel. The local anaesthetic keeps your scalp numb during surgery and for some hours afterwards. As it wears off, your scalp may feel tight and sore, and the painkillers the clinic gives you with your medicines help.

That first night:

• sleep on your back with your head raised, for example on two or three pillows with a travel pillow, to limit swelling; do this for the first 3⁠–⁠5 nights
• do not touch, scratch or wash the grafts
• expect a little oozing from the donor area, which is common
• drink water and avoid alcohol

Days 2–3: swelling and the first wash

Swelling of the forehead often appears on day 2 or 3. It can spread towards the eyes, which looks worse than it is. It usually settles within about a week. Keeping your head raised, including when you sleep, helps.

The day after surgery, you come back for a check-up and your first wash at the clinic. The team shows you how to wash at home without disturbing the grafts. Most people fly home after this visit.

Walking is fine from day 1. Avoid bending over, lifting and anything that makes you sweat or strain.

Days 4–10: crusts and gentle washing

Small crusts form around each graft. Gentle washing, exactly as your clinic showed you, softens them. They usually come away by day 10⁠–⁠14. Do not pick them, even when they itch.

Also in this phase:

• itching is common as the skin heals, so ask your clinic what helps rather than scratching
• numbness in the donor or treated area is common and usually fades over weeks to a few months
• by around day 10, grafts are usually firmly in place, but keep following your plan

Most people with desk jobs go back to work after 7⁠–⁠10 days, once the crusts have mostly gone. If you would rather wait until the redness has faded too, plan for about 2 weeks.

Your donor area

The back of your head usually heals faster than the front. The tiny round wounds close within a few days and fade over the next week or two. As your hair there grows back, it soon hides them.

The donor area can feel tight, tender or numb for a while. This usually settles on its own. If you like to wear your hair very short at the back, ask your surgeon when clippers are fine again.

Weeks 2–6: redness fades and shedding starts

Redness usually fades in about 10⁠–⁠14 days, though fair skin can stay pink a little longer. If your job is physical, plan for about 2 weeks off.

Then the transplanted hairs start to fall out. This is the shedding often called shock loss, and it is expected. Most transplanted hairs shed in this window; for some people it starts a little later and continues to about week 8.

The roots stay under the skin and rest before growing new hair. Some of your own hair near the treated area may shed too, and in most cases it grows back. Our guide to shock loss after a hair transplant explains why it happens and what helps.

Weeks 6⁠–⁠12 can feel slow. You may look much as you did before surgery, or even a little thinner. That is normal.

Months 3–4: new growth begins

New hairs start to appear. At first they are often fine, sometimes wavy, and they grow in unevenly.

Some people get small spots, like pimples, as new hairs push through the skin. These usually settle. Tell your clinic if there are many or they are painful.

Month 6: about half the result

Most people see about half the result at 6 months. Hairs are thickening and getting longer. The front often looks ahead of the crown, which grows more slowly.

Month 12: most of the result

Most of the result shows at 12 months. The texture of the new hair usually settles, and the hairline looks more natural as the hairs thicken. This is a good point to judge the front.

If you are unhappy with an area at this stage, talk to your surgeon. Sometimes a smaller second session can help, once everything has grown.

If your plan has two sessions from the start, as it always does at Norwood 6⁠–⁠7, the second one, usually for the crown, comes at least 8⁠–⁠9 months after the first.

Month 18: the crown catches up

The crown can take up to 18 months to reach its final look. Remember that your own, non-transplanted hair can keep thinning over the years. Your surgeon may discuss medication such as finasteride or minoxidil to protect it.

We ask for photos at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, so your surgeon can follow your progress.

When can I go back to…?

These are usual ranges. Your surgeon confirms each date for you, and your written plan comes first.

Small things that help

• Sleep on your back with your head raised for the first 3⁠–⁠5 nights.
• Drink plenty of water, and no alcohol for at least 2 weeks.
• Wear nothing tight on your head until your surgeon says so.
• Keep your scalp out of strong sun.
• Take the medicines the clinic gives you exactly as your written instructions say.
• No nicotine in any form, including vapes, shisha and pouches, for at least 2 weeks before and after surgery: smoking reduces blood flow to the scalp and can slow healing.
• Send your follow-up photos on time, even when nothing seems to be happening.

Our aftercare page has the full instructions.

When to contact your clinic

Contact your clinic, with photos, if you notice:

• pain that gets worse instead of better
• spreading redness, warmth, pus or a temperature of 38 °C or more
• bleeding that does not stop after 15 minutes of steady pressure with clean gauze
• many painful spots
• patchy hair loss outside the treated area
• little or no new growth by about month 6

Infection is rare, but it needs quick treatment. For a fuller list of what is normal and what is not, read our guide to hair transplant risks.

Next step

If you are still planning your treatment, send four photos for your free plan. Your surgeon can tell you what recovery is likely to look like for your plan.

Sources

• Hair transplant – NHS
• Hair Transplantation – StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
• Complications in Hair Transplantation – Kerure AS, Patwardhan N. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2018 (PubMed)