TIPS AND ADVICE

How Do You Recover from an FUE Hair Transplant?

by Dr. Andrew Kim, MD

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is the hair

transplant approach that has gained more

preference because of the lesser risk that

it has with scar formation. It does not

require incisions compared to the

traditional Follicular Unit Transplantation

(FUT), also known as the strip method.

But despite the techniques that make it

less invasive and relatively safer, you still

need to take certain precautions in order

to ensure that you end up with successful

results.

With FUE, the follicular units (naturally

occurring hair groups in twos or threes)

are removed using a metal instrument with

sharp edges which has a hollow middle.

Unlike FUT, where a strip of scalp is

removed before each hair graft is

extracted through a high-powered

microscope, FUE has a more conservative

approach resulting to less healing and a

faster recovery time.

Another thing that makes FUE popular is

that it also provides a more natural-looking

result.

After the transplant, one of the most

important things that you must remember

is to avoid washing your hair for the first

24-48 hours. It is at this time that the

implants are still at the most vulnerable to

damage and can be easily dislodged.

When recovering from FUE you still need

to make sure that you keep the wounds,

no matter how small they are, constantly

cleansed. The donor site, as well as the

recipient area should be gently washed

using a wet cotton ball.

Do not use a wiping motion, but dab the

wet cotton ball instead. This will remove

the crusts without dislodging the hair

implants.

For the next two weeks after your surgery,

you should avoid direct contact from the

sun and protect your scalp with sunscreen

or a hat. You should also sleep with your

head elevated by propping some pillows to

prevent swelling. By doing so, you also

hasten the healing time.

A few days after the hair transplant

surgery you will notice scabs forming both

from the donor and recipient sites. Yes,

this is a sign which means that these

areas are healing. However it doesn’t

mean that you can just pick or scratch

them. You should just wait until they fall off

themselves, to ensure that the area is fully

healed. If you scratch them, you would just

be introducing infection and could damage

the hair grafts.

When we talk about the recovery time for

FUE, it is significantly lesser compared to

FUT for the reason that it does not have a

long linear wound. This is one of the major

reasons why FUT would take some time to

heal and has more risks for complications

such as bleeding or infections.

If you want to assure that you heal in time,

you must prepare your body to be healthy

enough to let the hair grafts thrive. It

should also be that you choose a good

surgeon who can perform this delicate job

with careful precision. With that, you can

ensure yourself to have a faster and

uncomplicated FUE recovery period.

Dr Andrew Kim, MD

Hair Transplant Surgeon

Dr Andrew Kim is the founder and

Medical Director of Australian Institute

of Hair Restoration, a clinic specializing

in surgical hair restoration.

He has a team of highly-skilled hair

transplant technicians who address the

needs of their clients after a thorough

consultation.They operate in various

locations in Australia including Sydney,

Melbourne, and Canberra.

For more information on protecting,

enhancing and restoring your living and

growing hair, call 1300 733 092, or

learn more online at www.aihr.com.au.

Australian Institute of Hair Restoration | Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra Australia