Hair Transplant , Hair Loss Treatment,
Hair Restoration and Replacement
57 West 57th Street, Suite 1112
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: 212.751.4247
Toll Free: 877.751.4246
57 West 57th Street, Suite 1112
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: 212.751.4247
Toll Free: 877.751.4246
Hair Transplant
GRAFTS: Transplanted hair follicles thrive in a moist environment, so do everything you can to keep them from drying. If they are allowed to dry, they will still heal, however they will form thick crusts which will adhere to your scalp for a longer period of time. Therefore, spray the grafts with as much as possible for the first five days.
You may keep your grafts moist with hourly sprays of "normal saline" (0.9% salt water) while you are awake. You can either purchase normal saline from a medical supply store or you can mix it yourself (mix 10 tablespoons of table salt in one gallon of distilled water). This amount should last you several days.
For the first five days following the surgery you should wash the graft area twice a day using the following method. Apply a small amount of shampoo to a gauze or washcloth and place on the graft area. Rinse the shampoo off of your scalp by pouring cupfulls of water over the gauze or washcloth. Spraying or pouring water directly to the graft area could dislodge the grafts, and is strongly discouraged for five days following the procedure. After this time, the grafts are well adhered to the scalp and you may resume showering normally.
SWELLING: Before you leave the office following the graft procedure, one of our technicians may have applied elastic tape to your forehead to control swelling in your face. Swelling of eyes and forehead is a very common event on the second or third day following transplantation, and the tape helps to redirect the swelling to your neck rather than down your face. You should also use gravity to your advantage by lying flat on your back with your head tilted backwards when you sleep. Once the swelling in your forehead abates, you may sleep in your most comfortable position.
DONOR AREA: The head bandage covering the sutures in the back of your head (the donor site) should remain in place overnight. You may notice some blood-tinged stains on this dressing. Excess bleeding occurs very rarely and can be controlled with firm pressure. The donor area is usually the most uncomfortable part of the scalp after the procedure, so please take your pain medicine as directed after you leave the office. The pain medicines may cause drowsiness and will impair your judgement, so you should not drive while taking them. If you feel the dressing is too tight and causing you a headache, please remove it and re-apply more loosely.
You will keep the sutures in place for 14 days and keep the area clean and dry. A gentle shampoo to the donor site is acceptable (the sutures are extremely strong, so you will not tear them out or re-open your incision by bathing). Antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin or Neosporin) is also helpful in keeping the donor site moist, apply it liberally to the entire sutured area.
ACTIVITY: During your first night, sleep in a position most comfortable for you. If you have any discomfort, take either Tylenol or the pain medication (analgesic) prescribed to you. You may resume most of your normal daily activities but be careful when bending over or lifting heavy objects as this may increase your blood pressure and cause the grafts to bleed. Use your judgement while increasing the intensity of your physical activity. Try not to bump your head on anything!
GROWTH AND EXPECTATIONS: The transplanted hairs may fall out over the next several weeks - this is normal and expected, and new hairs will grow in their place. New hair growth from the transplanted sites takes 3 to 4 months to begin, and significant growth takes a full year. During this time it is very common to develop small cysts or pimples. These may be gently squeezed and drained with clean fingers after cleaning the area with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Doing this will not affect the growth of the transplanted hair. If you are not comfortable squeezing the pimples or they do not pop with gentle pressure, apply warm moist compresses for twenty minutes at a time several times a night until the pimples resolve. If the area becomes red or swollen and looks infected, please call us and we will prescribe an antibiotic for you.
Finally, it is very exciting to have new hair growing where it's been missing for a while but please remember there are limitations in the final achievable density with transplantation.
All of us at Anapelli Hair Clinic and Dr. John Frank's office appreciate you being our patient and look forward to seeing you soon!
You may keep your grafts moist with hourly sprays of "normal saline" (0.9% salt water) while you are awake. You can either purchase normal saline from a medical supply store or you can mix it yourself (mix 10 tablespoons of table salt in one gallon of distilled water). This amount should last you several days.
For the first five days following the surgery you should wash the graft area twice a day using the following method. Apply a small amount of shampoo to a gauze or washcloth and place on the graft area. Rinse the shampoo off of your scalp by pouring cupfulls of water over the gauze or washcloth. Spraying or pouring water directly to the graft area could dislodge the grafts, and is strongly discouraged for five days following the procedure. After this time, the grafts are well adhered to the scalp and you may resume showering normally.
SWELLING: Before you leave the office following the graft procedure, one of our technicians may have applied elastic tape to your forehead to control swelling in your face. Swelling of eyes and forehead is a very common event on the second or third day following transplantation, and the tape helps to redirect the swelling to your neck rather than down your face. You should also use gravity to your advantage by lying flat on your back with your head tilted backwards when you sleep. Once the swelling in your forehead abates, you may sleep in your most comfortable position.
DONOR AREA: The head bandage covering the sutures in the back of your head (the donor site) should remain in place overnight. You may notice some blood-tinged stains on this dressing. Excess bleeding occurs very rarely and can be controlled with firm pressure. The donor area is usually the most uncomfortable part of the scalp after the procedure, so please take your pain medicine as directed after you leave the office. The pain medicines may cause drowsiness and will impair your judgement, so you should not drive while taking them. If you feel the dressing is too tight and causing you a headache, please remove it and re-apply more loosely.
You will keep the sutures in place for 14 days and keep the area clean and dry. A gentle shampoo to the donor site is acceptable (the sutures are extremely strong, so you will not tear them out or re-open your incision by bathing). Antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin or Neosporin) is also helpful in keeping the donor site moist, apply it liberally to the entire sutured area.
ACTIVITY: During your first night, sleep in a position most comfortable for you. If you have any discomfort, take either Tylenol or the pain medication (analgesic) prescribed to you. You may resume most of your normal daily activities but be careful when bending over or lifting heavy objects as this may increase your blood pressure and cause the grafts to bleed. Use your judgement while increasing the intensity of your physical activity. Try not to bump your head on anything!
GROWTH AND EXPECTATIONS: The transplanted hairs may fall out over the next several weeks - this is normal and expected, and new hairs will grow in their place. New hair growth from the transplanted sites takes 3 to 4 months to begin, and significant growth takes a full year. During this time it is very common to develop small cysts or pimples. These may be gently squeezed and drained with clean fingers after cleaning the area with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Doing this will not affect the growth of the transplanted hair. If you are not comfortable squeezing the pimples or they do not pop with gentle pressure, apply warm moist compresses for twenty minutes at a time several times a night until the pimples resolve. If the area becomes red or swollen and looks infected, please call us and we will prescribe an antibiotic for you.
Finally, it is very exciting to have new hair growing where it's been missing for a while but please remember there are limitations in the final achievable density with transplantation.
All of us at Anapelli Hair Clinic and Dr. John Frank's office appreciate you being our patient and look forward to seeing you soon!
John Frank, MD is a board certified Otolaryngologist and a dedicated facial plastic surgeon. For the past five years, he has performed over 2,000 hair transplant procedures in Northern California and New York City and has become a leading experts on hair loss and hair restoration.
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ADDRESS
Anapelli Hair Clinic
57 West 57th Street
Suite #1112
New York, NY 10019
PHONE
212.751.4247