Hair Transplant Aftercare: What to Do, Week by Week

Michael Seutin Written by Michael Seutin, founder — former nurse, researching transplant pricing.

Published · every medical statement links to its source.

Hair transplant aftercare comes down to three jobs for the first two weeks: leave the grafts alone while they are not yet secure, wash exactly the way your clinic shows you, and know who you will contact once you are home. The NHS says your surgeon will tell you how to look after the grafts, and that you need to be very careful with them for the first 2 weeks because they will not be secure[1].

Your written protocol is the aftercare

No two clinics give identical instructions, and that is normal. The ISHRS says bandages, sprays, return to exercise and water exposure vary among surgeons, and that you should follow your own surgeon's instructions rather than any website[2]. Read this page as the questions to ask, not a replacement for the answers.

The ISHRS also lists post-operative care among the parts of hair restoration it believes only a licensed physician should perform[3]. So it is fair to ask before you pay: once I am home, who reviews my healing photos, a doctor or a coordinator?

Week 1

Any bandages can usually come off after 2 to 5 days, but you should not touch the grafts, and the NHS expects a gentle wash by hand by day 6[1]; some surgeons start washing on the second or third day[5]. Discomfort typically lasts no longer than a day or two, followed by 7 to 10 days of tenderness to the touch, and the physician prescribes what to take for it[7]. For sleep, a 2021 review recommends lying flat on your back or slightly propped up, and not on your side or face down[8].

Weeks 2 and 3

If you had FUT, non-dissolvable stitches usually come out after 10 to 14 days[1]. A 2008 review lists what to avoid for the first three weeks: a comb striking the grafts, clothes like T-shirts or pullovers that come off over your head, and hair oils, stronger shampoos and helmets[5]. The NHS says you may need 1 to 2 weeks off work[1].

The first month

The NHS says you may be told to cut down on exercise in the first month to reduce scarring[1]. If you had surgery abroad, the NHS advice for cosmetic surgery is that a holiday straight afterwards is unrealistic: you need to rest, and should not drink alcohol, lie in the sun, go sightseeing or go in the water[4].

Smoking

A 2018 review lists heavy smoking among the factors behind decreased growth of transplanted hair[6], and in a 2021 series the small patches of dead skin seen in three patients' recipient areas were all in smokers[8]. Ask your surgeon what they want you to do about smoking before and after.

Aftercare after the flight home

Then you fly home, and the clinic is in another country. The NHS warns that overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment, or not to the same standard, and that they may not have a healthcare professional in the UK you can go to[4]. Before you book, it says to find out what happens if there are complications and where follow-up appointments will be[4].

Following the washing and wound-care instructions matters medically too: a 2018 review says failing to follow them may cause infection[6]. If something feels wrong, the NHS says to contact the clinic as soon as possible about severe pain or any unexpected symptoms[1].

You can check whether a quote covers any of this before you pay.

Does your quote say this in writing?

Our quote check reads a written quote for what it leaves open. These are its rows on what you are paying for, and what happens after you leave:

  • Lists what the price includes. Hotel, transfer, medication and follow-up are sometimes in the number and sometimes an invoice later.
  • Says what happens afterwards, and who to contact. Complications happen after the flight home, when the clinic is in another country.

8 of the 36 clinics we track publish any price on their own site. The rest quote privately, case by case, so what your own quote includes is the comparison you actually get.

Check your quote →

Clinics that publish what their package includes

These clinics state on their own website what their package price includes. In their words, as recorded in our directory:

AHD Clinic

Antalya, Turkey · Dr. Hakan Doğanay

Antalya clinic led by Dr. Hakan Doğanay. Publishes team packages priced by graft ceiling, from €3,300 for up to 2,500 grafts to €5,200 for up to 4,500 grafts, under Dr. Doğanay's supervision. It also publishes €3 per graft for an operation Dr. Doğanay performs himself. Both options include medicines, accommodation and airport pickup.

Checked against the clinic's own site, October 2026.

Hairneva Clinic

Istanbul, Turkey · Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güncel Öztürk

Istanbul clinic in Beşiktaş led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güncel Öztürk, a European Board certified plastic surgeon (FEBOPRAS). FUE and DHI. Publishes a typical package range of $3,000–$6,000, which it says covers surgery, a two-night hotel stay, transfers, medication and twelve months of online follow-up. It prices packages, not grafts, and publishes no per-graft rate.

Checked against the clinic's own site, October 2026.

Sources

Primary sources only: the NHS, the FCDO, the ISHRS and peer-reviewed papers on PubMed and PubMed Central. Each was opened and read on the date shown.

  1. Hair transplant — NHS. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. FUE Hair Transplant: Benefits, Process & Recovery — ISHRS. Read 2026-10-22.
  3. Seeking Hair Restoration Surgery? Be sure a properly trained and licensed physician is responsible — ISHRS. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. Cosmetic surgery abroad — NHS. Read 2026-10-22.
  5. Hair transplantation surgery (Khanna, Indian J Plast Surg, 2008) — PubMed Central. Read 2026-10-22.
  6. Complications in Hair Transplantation (Kerure & Patwardhan, J Cutan Aesthet Surg, 2018) — PubMed Central. Read 2026-10-22.
  7. After Hair Restoration Surgery — ISHRS. Read 2026-10-22.
  8. Complications of Hair Transplant Procedures: Causes and Management (Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg, 2021) — PubMed Central. Read 2026-10-22.

Read next

Hair transplant scabs → Flying home after a hair transplant → Who actually does your surgery →

← The full hair transplant recovery timeline, day by day to month 12

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Questions, answered

What is the most important hair transplant aftercare rule?

Follow your own surgeon's written instructions. The ISHRS says aftercare policies such as bandages, sprays, exercise and water exposure vary among surgeons, and tells patients to follow their surgeon rather than any website. The NHS adds that the grafts are not secure for the first 2 weeks, so leave them untouched.

When can I exercise after a hair transplant?

Your surgeon sets the date. The NHS says you may be told to cut down on exercise in the first month to reduce scarring.

Who should handle my aftercare after I fly home?

Settle it before you book. The ISHRS lists post-operative care among the parts of hair restoration that should be done by a licensed physician, and the NHS warns that overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment, or not to the same standard.