How To Clean And Remove Scab After Hair Transplant Surgery?

Hair transplant surgery is the most commonly sought cosmetic procedure among men, the latest survey claimed. With over 70% of men and 40% of women suffering from male and female pattern baldness respectively, at some stage in their lives, hair transplantation should be the top-ranked procedure. Another factor that makes it the most preferred choice of balding men is its ability to produce natural-looking, permanent results.

All other hair restoration methods, including natural remedies, topical and oral medications as well as injectable, usually give temporary results and the hairs begin to fall off as soon as the treatment is discontinued. But the hairs grown through transplantation do not fall off, as they are balding resistant and do not take effect of Dihydrotestosterone even after being replaced from their original position.

But to make your hair transplantation a success, there are a number of factors that you need to take care of before and after the surgery. Post-op care is particularly important when it comes to reaping the maximum benefit of surgical hair restoration. One question that is often neglected by the patients, as well as the doctors, is, “how to clean and remove scab after hair transplant surgery?”

If you don’t take care of the wound’s and freshly transplanted follicles, you may end up dislodging the follicles, thus affecting the ultimate outcome of the surgery, i.e. hair growth in bald areas. Here we will share with you how you can take care of your scalp after surgery.

Hair transplantation involves transplanting at least 1000 plus hair grafts in the bald or thinning areas to add a fuller effect to your balding thatch. And for that purpose, an equal number of incisions have to be crafted in the recipient area to insert the follicles. If you have opted for Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), expect to get the same number of incisions at the donor area. Every incision will develop scar and scab. And like any other wound scar, these tiny scars will also cause an itchy feeling. All that you have to do is, resist your craving to scratch the thatch or pick at the scab. Let the scab come off automatically as you wash your scalp.

Scab on incisions begins to form on the 3^rd day, but initially, it is firmly attached to the skin. It begins to loosen after day 10. Surgeons recommend their patients to start slightly massaging scalp when wet from day 8. As you wash your scalp, massage it gently in circular motions with the weight of fingers. Avoid exerting extra pressure as this can dislodge the follicles. To speed up the scab removal process and for quick healing repeat this twice daily. However, avoid oil massages until day 10 at least.

Most patients are scared to massage their scalp, as they fear this may dislocate the grafts. But if you start it on day 13, do it with full confidence, but light hands, as by this time your scalp will be already pretty clean and follicles almost attached to the scalp and blood supply.

By the 4^th week, transplanted hairs will automatically begin to fall off. But this is pretty normal and should not panic you. The transplanted hairs, as well as a part of existing hairs around the recipient area, will shed before they begin to grow at a normal pace of half an inch per month.