After a DHI hair transplant: recovery guidance

Mild tenderness, tightness, crusting, redness, or swelling can occur early on. The treating team’s instructions take priority because washing, sleeping, exercise, and medicine advice may differ with the procedure and your health.

DHI places individual follicular grafts into the recipient area, often with an implanter pen. Small surface wounds then close while the follicles settle beneath the skin. Temporary shedding of transplanted hair shafts can occur even when follicles remain in place, so early appearance does not show the final growth pattern.

The donor area may feel sore or look dotted, while the implanted area can form fine crusts. Picking those crusts, rubbing the scalp, or wearing tight headwear can disturb healing tissue. Numbness or altered sensation may take time to ease.

Sleep in the position advised by your clinic and avoid pressing the recipient area against bedding. Wash only when instructed, using the demonstrated pressure and products; pour or foam gently rather than directing a forceful shower stream at new grafts.

Keep hands away from the scalp unless caring for it, and do not remove crusts manually. Avoid strenuous activity, swimming, direct sun, smoking, and alcohol for the period specified by your surgeon. Take prescribed medicines exactly as directed and do not add aspirin, anti-inflammatory medicines, supplements, or topical hair products without checking first.

Contact the treating clinic promptly for worsening pain, spreading redness, increasing warmth, pus, unpleasant odour, fever, persistent bleeding, or swelling that is severe or continues to increase. Sudden facial swelling with breathing difficulty requires emergency help.

Also request advice if grafts appear to have been dislodged after a knock or scratch, you develop a medicine reaction, or your recovery differs substantially from the written plan. Share a clear photograph if the clinic offers remote triage, but do not delay urgent assessment for serious symptoms.

Confirm when and how to wash, sleep normally, wear headwear, exercise, swim, and restart usual hair products. Ask whom to contact outside clinic hours, which photographs would help assess healing, and when shedding, new growth, and follow-up checks are expected in your individual plan.