Before scheduling a surgery, every patient wants to know what the down time and recovery is going to be like post procedure so they can be well prepared before their surgery date.
Hair Transplant Surgery Techniques
At Utah Facial Plastics we offer two different hair transplant surgery options; follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE).
FUT recovery time
Most people refer to this method as the “strip method’. The FUT method involves removing a strip of hair from the lower back of the head. The recovery time with this technique is surprisingly fast. Patients can usually resume their normal activities within two to three days with minimal restrictions. The FUT method does require just a little more wound care the first five to seven days because of the incision. Wound care includes; keeping the linear incision clean with half hydrogen peroxide and half water followed by a generous application of Bacitracin or Neosporin. This is a crucial step you must be consistent with during the first week.
NeoGraft FUE Recovery Time
The FUE method is done without the need to remove a strip of hair from the back of the head. Instead, the NeoGraft technology allows us to extract one hair follicle at a time from that area. Many patients will choose this method if they do not want a visible scar, wear their hair short or have thinner hair. The recovery time with this technique is also extremely quick. Most of these patients can return to work within two days. Instead of having an incision to care for, you will have the punch marks on the back of your head. The punch mark are about 1 millimeter, so they are very small. You will care for the tiny punch marks with half hydrogen peroxide and half water followed by an application of Bacitracin or Neosporin.
Recovery From Anesthesia
Our patients love that there is no recovery time from anesthesia with either of these procedures. Both of these procedures are done in our Layton office under local anesthesia.
After recovering from hair transplant surgery, you do have to wait patiently to see the full results of your hair transplant. Expect the newly transplanted follicles to fall out and shed. After the shedding process, you will see new growth in 3-4 months. You can expect to see the full results approximately 12-14 months from your procedure date, though it does vary for each patient.
For more information about recovery from hair transplant surgery at Utah Facial Plastics, call 801-776-2220 or contact us HERE.