What should you know about DHI hair transplant after care?

The implanted area can look red, swollen, crusted, or uneven at first. Small scabs may form around grafts, while the donor area may feel tender or tight. Early appearance does not show the final result: transplanted hairs can shed before new growth develops, and the scalp changes gradually.

DHI uses an implanter pen to place follicles, but after-care still depends on the extraction method, graft handling, your skin, and the clinician’s instructions. [Implanter Pen](/technology/implanter-pen/) explains the device, while [FUE Hair Transplant](/treatments/hair-restoration/fue-hair-transplant/) provides context about a related restoration approach.

Sleep in the position recommended by your clinic so swelling and rubbing are reduced. Do not scratch, pick crusts, wear tight headwear, or press the treated area against bedding. Wash only as directed, using the recommended water pressure and cleanser; pat rather than rub when drying.

Avoid strenuous activity, swimming, dusty environments, hair colouring, and heat exposure until your clinician clears them. Take prescribed medicines exactly as directed and attend the planned review so grafts and the donor area can be checked.

Contact the treating clinic for worsening pain, spreading redness, increasing warmth, persistent bleeding, pus, fever, or swelling that affects vision or breathing. A small amount of tenderness or crusting may occur, but symptoms that intensify rather than settle deserve professional assessment.

Ask when and how to wash, whether a sleeping position is needed, when exercise and headwear are allowed, which medicines to avoid, how to manage crusts, and which changes should be reported the same day.