How to Prepare for a Hair Transplant
One of the many problems of ageing is hair loss. And it’s disappointing if your hair was one of your assets that made you look good and feel confident.
While you can make a drastic change to your diet and lifestyle and/or use a hair tonic to remedy thinning or receding hair, getting a hair transplant can be a faster and more certain solution.
But, for this, you can’t just show up at the clinic on the day of the procedure without being ready. So here’s how you should prepare for your upcoming hair transplant.
Preparing for Hair Transplant
There are two types of hair transplant you can go for: Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).
Your nurse or hair transplant doctor should give you a set of instructions according to which method you’ve chosen.
Their specific preparation rules may differ from each other. However, the following guidelines are almost always required of you:
- Don’t smoke at least 24 hours before the surgery. Smoking will negatively affect your wounds’ ability to heal and your overall recovery.
- Also, avoid alcoholic drinks for at least three days before because they’ll slow the healing process of your scalp and dilate the veins, causing it to bleed more.
If you can abstain from drinking a week beforehand, that’s so much better.
- Don’t get a haircut before the procedure. Let the donor hair grow to a sufficient length so it can cover the bald patch/es entirely and the stitches afterwards.
- Massage your scalp for roughly a month or two before the surgery. You may do it 10 to 30 minutes per day.
Doing so will soften the skin and improve your skin tone, making the new grafts and your skin look better post-surgery. This also promotes better blood flow in your scalp.
- Some clinics may require you to undergo certain tests if you are 45 years old or up. Typically, these include an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood test to ensure the surgery is safe for you.
- Take the medications prescribed to you by the doctor. It can be different among them and depending on your degree of hair loss.
One example of this is Minoxidil a.k.a. Regaine, which helps to stimulate hair growth for both men and women.
Furthermore, you may also be advised to take antibiotics whether pre or post-surgery, and this is crucial because they will protect you from the risk of infections.
- Your doctor will give you a list of what medications you can and cannot take before the surgery. What you should not take two weeks before the surgery are:
- Aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs
- Anti-depressants
- Beta-blockers
- Blood-thinning medications
- Multivitamins
- Herbal supplements such as Ginkgo biloba or peppermint
- Slimming pills or formulas
- Don’t do any casual exercise, including running or biking, for at least three to seven days before the surgery. For more intense training like weight-lifting, running long distances, and boxing, refrain from doing them for at least a week before.