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How much will it hurt? All patients experience some pain after surgery. Most often this can be controlled with prescription pain pills. Frequently, patients take only plain acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) for pain. Generally, patients begin switching to acetaminophen one to two days after their hair restoration. Ice packs also help with pain and swelling. Do I have to stay in bed after my surgery? No. Gently get out of bed as soon as possible after your surgery. An adult must help you get out of bed the first few times because of possible fainting. Begin to walk as much as possible as soon as you can after surgery. Always get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Do take it easy the first few days. Do not exert yourself in any strenuous activity. A balance of rest and reduced activity will speed up your recovery. Will there be any bandages or dressings? A light pressure bandage is placed on the forehead for twelve to twenty-four hours. This reduces swelling, keeps the grafts in place, and collects any small amount of bleeding from the incision. We will remove the dressings the day after surgery and we will wash your hair at this time. When can I shower after hair restoration? You may shower the day after your hair restoration once the dressing has been removed. Wash your hair and face with soap and water. You may use the antibacterial soap that you used before your surgery. Do not take a bath or swim for one week. When do I come back to the office for aftercare? I will want to see you in my office one day after your hair restoration to remove the dressing and wash your hair. After your first visit, I want to see you at one week, six weeks, six months, and one year. The reason for this extended care is because it takes six months to one year for complete hair growth to occur. There are no charges for these office visits. You are welcome to be seen in my office anytime you have questions or concerns about your surgery. Will there be any stitches to take out? No. I only use stitches that will be absorbed or wash out. I do this to eliminate the discomfort of suture removal after surgery. How long you are off work depends on your occupation. If you do clerical work (i.e. stockbroker, teacher, or programmer), you can return to work when you feel up to it. This usually takes about a week. If you do manual labor (i.e. entertainer, truck driver, or trainer), you must be on light duty for three weeks. Regardless of your employment, do not lift anything weighing more than five pounds for three weeks. A balance of rest and reduced activity will speed up your recovery. Body massage is very effective in relaxation. However, it cannot be done while the scalp and hair grafts are healing due to the risk of graft injury. All therapeutic scalp massage must be discontinued for two weeks. When can I work out after surgery? Generally, you can go back to working out two to three weeks after hair restoration surgery. This depends on how you feel. Do not lift anything that weighs more than five pounds and avoid contact sports for eight weeks. Workouts must stop if you experience any discomfort in your scalp. A balance of rest and reduced activity will speed up your recovery. When can I have a permanent and hair coloring? You must wait six weeks after hair restoration surgery to have either a permanent or hair coloring. The chemicals used in these processes can irritate the grafts during this time leading to poor hair growth and scarring. When can I suntan after surgery? Sun tanning damages your skin. It leads to wrinkling, discoloration, and superficial growths. It can also lead to serious skin cancer. For these reasons, I recommend that you use sun block with an SPF number of 15 or greater at all times. A physical broad-spectrum sun block works best. If you are exposed to the sun, I recommend that you protect treated areas for six weeks with clothing such as a hat. You must be careful to protect any scars from sun exposure with clothing or sun block for six months. Better yet, stay in the shade where it's cooler! How long will the results last? The results are usually very long lasting (i.e. five to ten years). Hair loss in the donor site and aging will reduce the longevity of the results.
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