First Hair Cut After A Hair Transplant Surgery (FUT or FUE)

Following hair loss surgery, all male patients are keen to know how they can style their hair. One of the main questions we are asked is, “When can I have my first hair cut & how short can I cut it after a hair transplant?”. 

 

How short you can cut your hair after a hair transplant depends mostly on which surgical method you underwent. Patients who have undergone an FUE hair transplant can usually wear their hair very short, for example, a number 1 or 2 grade cut with clippers. 

 

Some patients can actually shave their hair to a grade 0 of a fade after an FUE surgery. 

 

However, individuals who have undergone FUT linear strip harvest surgery may need to wear their hair at grade 4, or longer, to hide the linear scar that is left by the procedure, as this is a long scar, around 15-23 cm from ear to ear, all be it very thin, hair above needs to hang over this scar line to hide it. 

 

Following a hair transplant, there will be some initial scabbing in the recipient area of the scalp where the grafts have been placed. You may also experience some swelling and initial discomfort in the first 5-7 days, although this will then disappear. During the first 7 days, the newly implanted grafts are very fragile and you should take care not to touch them. This is detailed in the Aftercare Instruction issued by the Surgeon on the Surgery Day. 

 

We usually advise patients to wait for 21-30 days before cutting their hair. At this point, the grafts are secure and you should be safe to get a haircut without damaging them or jeopardizing your recovery. However, bear in mind that the longer you wait, the more time the scars and redness will have had to settle, and the thicker your hair will be. It’s also worth noting that noticeable new hair growth doesn’t usually occur until around 4 months post surgery, with most patients seeing the majority of growth between 6 and 18 months. 

 

After surgery, your patient advocate is contactable 7 days a week to discuss any aspect of your aftercare and answer any questions you have. You can send us some photos so we can check your scalp and make sure it’s healing as expected with the Surgeon. 

 

We take patient aftercare very seriously at Elite Hair Restoration, and all our GMC Registered Hair Restoration Surgeons are always happy to provide feedback about their recovery and offer advice and support when required. 

 

This depends on the surgery you underwent, FUT or FUE hair transplant and the scarring caused by each of these procedures, FUE (small dots) and FUT (linear strip scar). 

 

As we’ve already explained above, the FUT hair transplant surgery does leave a thin, but long linear scar, although Dr Moussa (whom specialises in our FUT Surgery, has exceptionally neat, thin, smooth & fine scars, there is still a scar and this needs to be understood before undertaking FUT Surgery. 

 

To conceal the donor scar, you may need to wear your hair at grade 4, or longer (although patients sometimes find that they can cut their hair shorter). If this scar does bother some patients, then we can consider a small area of Scalp Pigmentation, this can disguise the linear scar and costs around £295 and would be reviewed 7-12 months post surgery. 

 

Patients who’ve undergone an FUE hair transplant, however, can normally wear their much shorter, for example, a grade 1 or 2. This is because the FUE surgery only leaves tiny dot scars on the scalp evenly spread throughout the donor region. 

 

These scars are typically less than 1mm due to the punches that are used in Surgery. They are very difficult to see with the naked eye. You can review the scarring by viewing our Elite Hair Restoration YOUTUBE Channel and watch some Post Surgery FUT & FUE Scarring Videos. 

 

While FUE may the more sough after surgery for patients who wear their hair very short, the procedure isn’t suitable for everyone and FUT has its own advantages. During the hair loss evaluation consultation, Andrew Cooper will discuss the various options with you to help you understand the treatments and what might be best for you long term. 

 

Yes, it is possible to shave your head after an FUE hair transplant, and we recommend waiting for 21-30 days before doing so. However, one shouldn’t wet shave the treated areas for at least 3 months after surgery. 

 

When FUE grafts are harvested cautiously, and in a diffuse pattern, the dot scars left by the procedure are not normally noticeable in everyday life. So, assuming you’ve cared for your grafts correctly, it is possible to shave your head without showing any obvious signs of your hair transplant surgery. However, every patient is different so it’s best to speak to your surgeon before shaving your head. 

 

Once your scalp has healed and your new hair has had time to grow, you are free to style it as you choose. 

 

It’s important to take extra care when using hair clippers, particularly in the donor and recipient areas of the scalp. Even after the scabs have fallen off, the scars can be quite sensitive for a while, so we recommend that you try to avoid using clippers for 21-30 days after your surgery. Some clippers can catch and pull the hairs, this can cause a loss of grafts and compromise the end results of the Hair Transplant Surgery. 

 

In the early stages following a hair transplant, some men opt for a short hairstyle to disguise the difference in length between their natural hair and the donor hair, they then grow it all out in one go. However, other patients prefer to go for a longer style to cover up the treated areas that are still growing and use the longer hair to simply hide the new grafts growing underneath. Speak to the clinic or to your stylist for advice on which hairstyle may work best for you. 

 

Your first haircut is a milestone, potentially you will be seeing some new growth from your hair transplant and exciting times ahead in your hair transplant surgery journey, with new hairs coming through for several months. 

 

The two main hair transplant techniques used today are Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transfer (FUT also referred to as ‘Strip Surgery’). Both of these procedures are performed regularly at Elite Hair Restoration by our leading surgeons throughout the UK. 

 

During the FUE process, the donor area of the scalp is shaved and follicular unit grafts are extracted individually from the head using a 0.7mm to 1.25mm ‘punch’ device. The grafts are then placed into tiny incisions in the balding (recipient) area of the patient’s scalp. The procedure leaves a series of tiny dot scars that are scarcely visible to the naked eye at most hair lengths. 

 

The FUT technique, however, involves removing a healthy strip of skin from the donor area of the scalp containing health hair follicles, this is located at back of the head, normally horizontally from ear to ear. The strip is then divided into tiny individual grafts or follicular units. These comprise of one, two, three or even four hairs. 

 

As with FUE, these units are then implanted into tiny incisions in the recipient areas of the scalp. The site of the donor strip is sutured, which means stitched together, these sutures dissolve by themselves and you are left with a thin, neat scar. 

 

Elite Hair Restoration has an excellent record of performing successful FUE and FUT hair transplants. Our surgeons technical skill, training and ability combined with an artistic eye for hair design enable them to create a natural look that blends seamlessly with your natural hair, while also keeping scarring to a minimum. 

 

Combine this with our commitment to aftercare and results, we encourage you to stay in touch with us for ongoing support and help to monitor the progress of your new hair growth, as well as advice on caring for your scalp. 

 

To book an free online consultation please call us on 0800 1712430 or email us at info@elitehairrestoration.co.uk