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Hair Transplant Recovery: A Complete Week-by-Week Guide
EEstetica IstanbulMarch 25, 202610 min read
What recovery actually looks like
Hair transplant recovery has three distinct phases most patients do not understand going in: the physical recovery of the scalp (days 1–14), the shock loss phase where transplanted hair falls out and your scalp looks worse than before (weeks 2–8), and the regrowth phase (months 3–12). Each phase has its own rules and each phase will test your patience.
The good news is that the recovery is almost entirely predictable. What follows is what happens, when it happens, and what you should and should not be doing at each stage.
Day 1: the first 24 hours
You leave the clinic with a protective headband, specific instructions, and a bag of medications. The recipient area (where the new follicles were implanted) has tiny scabs forming around each graft. The donor area (back of your head) has small red dots from the extraction. You will feel tight and slightly sore but not in significant pain.
Sleep with your head elevated at 45 degrees on at least two pillows — ideally in a recliner or on a travel neck pillow. This is the single most important thing you can do for the first 72 hours. Gravity matters: if your head is flat, fluid pools in the forehead and makes day 2–3 swelling dramatic.
Days 2–3: the swelling peak
Around day 2–3, many patients wake up with noticeable forehead swelling that can extend to the eyes. This looks alarming and is completely harmless. It resolves within 3–4 days if you keep your head elevated and apply cold compresses to the forehead (never the grafts themselves). The swelling is caused by the saline solution used during surgery draining downward under gravity.
The first wash happens in the clinic under supervision at day 2 or 3. You will be taught the exact technique: pour warm water over the grafts from a cup, gently dab (never rub) with a foam shampoo, and pat dry with a cotton towel. This exact technique must be repeated daily for 10–14 days.
Days 4–10: scabs form, scabs fall
By day 4 the grafts look like a field of tiny dark scabs. By day 7, with daily gentle washes, the scabs are starting to loosen. Between days 10 and 14, the last scabs fall off completely. Your scalp looks pink underneath but otherwise clean.
