Considering a Hair Transplant? Here’s Everything Experts Want You to Know

That said, you should look out for any abnormalities in the recovery stage.

“If, weeks after, you start developing pain in certain areas, that could be because you have an infection in the area. That’s why it’s important to have a doctor who offers regular check-ups following the procedure. There’s usually one within the first two weeks and then one normally at six months and finally one 12 months after the procedure.”

What is aftercare like?

1. Don’t touch it. “You must treat your newly transplanted hair with extra special care; avoid touching, combing, or rubbing the area for around three days post-procedure,” says hair transplant surgeon Dr. Mark Tam. “Be careful when getting in and out of cars because your scalp will still be numb initially, and a small bang to the head will likely undo some of your surgeon’s good work, meaning your hairline will need repairing.”

2. Spray with a saline solution. During the first few hours post-surgery, the transplanted area can ooze; spraying it with a saline solution will help to wash off any blood and avoid clot formation. “This also improves the appearance of the hairline over the coming week—nobody wants to return to work with noticeable blood along their hairline; that would be the biggest giveaway that you have had work done,” says Dr. Tam. “Continue to spray the solution on the area every 30 minutes for the first three days; moistening will help the grafts to heal.”

3. Washing your hair. From day four onwards, you’ll be able to wash the transplanted area, but you must follow your surgeon’s advice on how to do it and when the right time will be. This will vary depending on the hair transplant technique used. However, you must wash the area because not washing can lead to infection, which will stop the transplanted hair from thriving.

4. Patience is a virtue. “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” says Dr. Tam. “Your transplanted hair will take several months before it starts to grow. Typically, results take 12 to 18 months to mature. When you look at it after a few weeks, the shedding process will have taken place. This is normal, but it will look patchy. Avoid becoming overly-anxious about this because stress can further accelerate hair loss.”

5. Take your meds. As Lemont mentioned, taking medication is part of the recovery process. “Unless you have lost most of the native hair on top of your scalp, medications often help to thicken and maintain the hair that you have,” says Tam. “Modern approaches to hair restoration usually combine hair transplants with prescribed medication to reduce future hair loss.”

The results

“From day one I saw instant results,” says Lemont. “The donor hair did shed after one month, but this is actually a good sign that the new hair is coming through and pushing out the donor hair. It’s important to remember that it’s actually the root that has been transplanted, not the hair.”

This story originally appeared in British GQ.