How Soon Can I Go Out in Public? The First 2 Weeks of Recovery

Seeing results after a hair transplant is an exercise in patience. It simply takes time for the transplanted hair to take root, shed, go dormant during the telogen resting phase, and finally start growing in, though often patchy at first, at around 3 months. For a detailed look at your expected 12-month hair growth until completion, please visit Recovery: Timeline of Hair Growth after NeoGraft.

“How soon after a hair transplant can I go out in public again or return to work?

However, in this article we’d like to focus on the immediate recovery after a hair transplant, not the long-term results. Most of our patients, when planning their hair transplant, have one pressing concern: How soon will I be comfortable to show myself in public again? How soon can I return to work?

Some patients will be more concerned about privacy than others, but even if you’ve told friends and family about your hair restoration, you may still prefer to avoid unnecessary attention in the immediate aftermath. Understanding what happens in the first 2 weeks after your procedure will determine how you plan for this time period, and how much time you need to budget. You will find many pictures of actual patients throughout this article, including one for African hair and one for a beard transplant.

Donor Hair vs Transplanted Hair

After your procedure, the donor area (at the back of your head) will be covered in the tiny red dots from the extraction process. Your recipient areas (into which the transplanted grafts were inserted either on your scalp for hair transplant patients or your face for beard transplant patients) will also be covered in small, but slightly larger dotted like spots numbering how many grafts you received.

The donor hair recovery is typically the least concern when planning for your recovery. The extraction sites heal fast, a little faster than the recipient sites, and it’s just a matter of your hair growing back after the pre-procedure shaving. Usually by day 7 it looks almost undetectable. In addition, the back of your head won’t be what most people see – especially if your concern is how soon you’ll be able to get onto a Zoom call again. The dotted sites will first scab over and then flake off once you begin scrubbing while washing on day 7. After the dot like scabs have flaked off, most feel confident returning to work. 

Hair Transplant Recovery Timeline

Below we will show you, in detail, what to expect at each stage of your 14-day recovery, including recovery tips as well as many examples of previous patients.

Let’s dive in.

Days 0-2 After Hair Transplant

After your procedure you will leave our office with a rectangular piece of gauze covering the donor area around the back. If you’re a travel patient, you can fly as soon as the next day and may use the blue mesh cap covering.

You can expect some swelling in the first few days. For most, it’s mild and quickly dissipates, but occasionally it can be more prominent. It’s important to keep your head elevated and to follow our other guidelines on how to prevent swelling after a hair transplant. The steroid pack ends on day 5, some cease keeping their head elevated at that time as everything looks good, but we urge you to continue through the instructed day 7 and not a day sooner. If not, it’s possible to accrue some unwanted late swelling while transitioning from the end of your steroid pack. 

Please note that, unlike with other cosmetic surgery, there won’t be much impact on your daily activities, other than refraining from physical exercise while healing. You’ll be prescribed pain medication to be taken as needed, but most patients report little to no pain after the procedure. Some only use an over the counter pain reliever for a couple of days. These first two days are best spent taking it easy and assuring you are following all instructions diligently for the best outcome possible. 

Days 3-7 After Hair Transplant

On the morning of Day 3, you will remove the gauze wrap from the back of your head. This will also be the first day you’re instructed to wash your hair using the gentle cup method provided. You will use this gentle method for the first 5 days. Make sure you read our tips on washing your hair after a hair transplant.

Please avoid sun exposure. If you plan to be in the sun, you may wear a loose-fitting hat for protection. Sunscreen is permitted after 2 weeks in which we recommend an aerosol spray for thorough coverage and reapplying often. Also, do not submerge your head in a pool or at the beach for the first 2 weeks. 

You should still not submerge your head in chlorinated water during this time, and avoid sun exposure. If you do go outside, wearing a loose-fitting hat, since sunscreen is not permitted in the first 2 weeks.

Days 7-10 After Hair Transplant

By day 7, the scabs that will have formed in the transplanted areas will begin to fall off. Do not pick or scratch at these scabs at any time. Doing so can endanger the healing of the graft and could cause scarring or a chance of infection.

Don’t be alarmed to see short hairs attached to your scabs when they fall off. The hair bulb is safely inside the scalp. It is natural to lose the hair shaft after the transplant process. The hairs will lay dormant and then start new growth cycles approximately 3 months after your procedure.

This process typically continues for another few days, with most patients having shed their scabs by Day 10. If you still have scabs after 10 days, give them a good rub as you can’t ruin anything at this point, and the build-up of dead skin/scabs needs to come off.

After 14 Days

Your immediate recovery is now concluded. There are no more restrictions on physical activity, wearing of hats, restarting Rogaine or other products to stimulate growth cycles, or swimming and submerging in water. You may get your hair styled and cut again – just no buzz cuts or shaves for 3 months.

You might still experience some tenderness and sensitivity in some areas as they continue to heal. Any lingering redness will slowly fade away. If you’re out in the sun long enough to burn, you should either wear a hat or sunscreen.

Once again, don’t be alarmed to see your transplanted hair begin to shed. This is normal as your hair cycles into the next phase of growth, which typically occurs around the 3 month mark, give or take a few weeks.

Special Notes for Beard Transplants

Please note that the above rules and tips apply equally to hair and beard transplant patients – with the exception of hats, which are permitted for beard transplant patients since there are no grafts to protect on the scalp.

Beard transplant patients may also take a bit longer for swelling and redness to subside, since the face is more susceptible – and visible – than the scalp.

Below we are showing you pictures for beard transplant patient Nate, who said the following about his recovery status at 2 weeks:

Things have been going real well I believe in the healing process. Soreness of the face lasted maybe three days, swelling was done after 4-5 days, the purple/red in my face subsided after about 5 days as well. Soreness from the transplant area is still there to the touch but nothing drastic. 

Nashville Hair Doctor patient Nate B, 1,000 graft beard transplant

Tips for Disguising Your Appearance

If keeping your hair transplant private is a concern, there are some strategies you can employ to make it less noticeable.

One such strategy is to plan ahead with a strategic haircut that more closely resembles your look right after the procedure. The classic fade or crew cut is ideal – closely shaved at the back and sides, and up to an inch on top. If you sport such a hairstyle for several months leading up to your transplant, the transplant itself will barely stand out.

The same goes for the wearing of hats. If you are planning a return to work by wearing a hat, it will not attract much attention if you are known as a person who wears a hat. Again, planning a head by subtly changing your appearance to the “after”-look is a good strategy.

In the even longer term, it’s a good strategy to have a transplant before your hair loss becomes too noticeable. You will be the first one to notice the thinning and receding, and restoring your look early on will result in a less altered appearance than waiting several more years. So instead of one large hair transplant, you might opt for sevearl smaller ones, each one only resulting in a relatively small transformation of your hairline.

Please also read our tips on how to conceal your hair transplant.

Conclusion: How Long Will it Take?

Let’s look at this in terms of three scenarios:

1. You’re eager to resume work as quickly as possible and are not much concerned about your look. You can expect to go back to work after a 2-day break to allow for the bandage to come off and take your first shower. We accommodate all scheduling needs with available slots on Saturdays to help patients incorporate the weekend.
2. You are comfortable going out in public or to work with a hat. You will need to schedule a 3-day break to allow for your procedure and the time hats should be avoided.
3. You prefer to wait until your appearance is completely back to normal. In that case, we would advise you to plan for a 10-day break. Many of our patients plan their procedure together with some vacation time. Remember, you are not stuck at home, you are completely free to travel, provided you have adequate sun protection.

We hope this article has helped answer your questions about the immediate recovery after hair restoration. We are always happy to explain the process, so please contact us at any time!