Hair transplantation has become a more common choice for men and women dealing with noticeable thinning or patterned hair loss. At My Hair UK, the procedure most often offered is follicular unit extraction, where individual follicles are removed from the donor area and carefully implanted into areas of thinning. While the surgery itself is highly precise, what many people underestimate is how important the early weeks and months are in protecting the transplant. Once you have made the decision to undergo surgery, you carry part of the responsibility for the outcome. How you wash, rest, return to exercise, and even travel can influence how well those grafts survive and grow.
A well performed transplant places the grafts securely into their new location, but these follicles are fragile for the first ten to fourteen days. Infection, accidental trauma, or excessive pressure can disturb the process. Even simple activities such as wearing a hat that is too tight or sleeping in the wrong position can place unnecessary stress on the grafts. Patients are often keen to return quickly to normal routines, but this eagerness can undo the surgeon’s careful work. Research has shown that minor trauma to the grafts during the healing phase can impact survival rates and lead to a patchy final result. It is why clinics like My Hair UK place such emphasis on aftercare guidance.
Protecting your scalp begins even before surgery. A consultation will typically explore your general health, medical history, and medications. If you smoke or drink heavily, you will be advised to cut down or stop, as both interfere with healing. But an extra step worth taking is visiting your GP prior to the consultation itself. A routine health check can highlight hidden factors such as raised blood pressure, undiagnosed diabetes, or thyroid imbalance, all of which can affect healing and long term hair health. For those based in larger cities, local surgeries offer NHS checks that can provide reassurance before committing to a procedure. This helps ensure you are not only suitable for surgery but also in the best condition to support recovery.
After surgery, patients are usually advised to avoid strenuous exercise, swimming, or direct sun exposure for at least two weeks. The first few nights are best spent sleeping with the head slightly elevated to reduce swelling. Washing the hair is approached with caution. Most clinics recommend a gentle rinse with tepid water and a mild shampoo, applying it carefully without rubbing. The temptation to scratch or pick at scabs must be resisted, as it is one of the most common causes of poor early healing. This can feel frustrating, but allowing the body to shed crusts naturally ensures grafts remain undisturbed.
One overlooked aspect of transplant protection is stress management. Cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, has been linked to disrupted hair growth cycles and delayed wound healing. Patients often focus only on the scalp itself, yet maintaining a balanced lifestyle, proper sleep, and moderate stress levels is equally protective. A healthy diet with sufficient protein and micronutrients, including iron, zinc, and vitamin D, can also play a supporting role in both healing and long term hair strength. While supplements are often marketed aggressively, most patients gain what they need from a balanced diet unless a blood test shows deficiency.
Cost is an unavoidable part of the discussion. At My Hair UK, hair transplant prices are transparent and depend on the number of grafts required. For example, around one thousand grafts, equal to two thousand hairs, costs £2,899, while larger sessions such as three thousand grafts, providing up to six thousand hairs, are £4,499. Beard transplants, which are increasingly requested, are charged at a fixed rate of £2,899 if completed in one day. While these figures are significant, it is important to weigh them against the permanence of the result compared with ongoing non surgical treatments. Protecting that investment with careful aftercare becomes a financial as well as a medical decision.
Patients often ask when they can return to normal routines. Light office work can usually resume within a few days, but visible redness and scabbing may persist for up to two weeks. Exercise can be reintroduced gradually after three to four weeks, but contact sports should be delayed for at least two months. Swimming, particularly in chlorinated pools or the sea, should be avoided for the same period, as both chemicals and saltwater can irritate healing grafts. For many, patience is the hardest element of recovery, but those who protect their grafts during this period are usually rewarded with stronger and denser growth.
The responsibility for a successful transplant is shared. A skilled surgeon can only do so much; the patient’s actions before and after surgery are equally decisive. The decision to undergo a transplant is never just about vanity. For many, it is tied to self confidence and quality of life. Protecting your transplant at My Hair UK involves more than following instructions. It means understanding why these steps matter, valuing the science behind them, and recognising that small choices: how you sleep, what you eat, whether you attend that GP check can make the difference between an acceptable outcome and a result that restores not only your hair but also your sense of self.
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