Hair Transplant guide

Day by day

Move through your recovery

Each stop shows what is normal at that point, and what is worth a call to the clinic the same day.

1. Days 1 to 3

   Tight, tender and swollen

   • A tight, achy, swollen scalp. Most people report no more than mild discomfort, for a day or two.
   • A little oozing in the first 24 to 48 hours.
   • Forehead swelling, at its peak around day 2 to 3. It can spread to the eyelids and nose.
   • Small scabs forming where the grafts went in.
   • Bandages, if you have them, usually come off after 2 to 5 days. Even then, do not touch the grafts.
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2. Days 6 to 10

   First wash, and the scabs let go

   • A gentle wash by hand, if you have not started already. The NHS says day 6; one review favours starting within 24 to 72 hours.
   • Scabs coming away, usually by day 7 to 10.
   • Tenderness to the touch, which can last 7 to 10 days.
   • Itching, which usually starts between day 3 and day 7.
   • The swelling gone, usually within 5 to 7 days.
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3. Day 14

   Two weeks in

   • The end of the two weeks in which the NHS says to be very careful with the grafts.
   • After FUT, where a strip is taken and the wound stitched, stitches that do not dissolve usually come out at 10 to 14 days.
   • Time off work differs by source: the NHS says you may need 1 to 2 weeks, ISHRS gives a minimum of one week after FUE and two after FUT, and The Aesthetic Society says one to two days is typical.
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4. Weeks 2 to 8

   The transplanted hairs fall out

   • The transplanted hairs fall out. This is normal, and the root stays in the scalp.
   • Some of your own hair around the area may shed too. That is shock loss, and it is usually temporary.
   • Redness around each graft, which a 2026 review calls expected. It usually fades within 2 to 4 weeks.
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5. Month 3

   Thinner than before

   • Your hair may look thinner than before the transplant. The American Academy of Dermatology calls this normal.
   • Shock loss usually starts to grow back around now.
   • Small spots can appear around week 10, as the first new hairs come through.
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6. Month 4

   New hair usually appears

   • New hair usually starts to appear around now. British plastic surgeons say three to four months.
   • It grows about 1 cm a month, so length comes slowly.
   • Numbness that has lingered usually clears within 4 to 8 months.
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7. Months 6 to 9

   Most people see results

   • Most people see results between six and nine months after surgery. For some it takes 12.
   • British plastic surgeons say judging the look can take a further 6 to 9 months after growth starts, depending on your hairstyle and hair length.
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8. Months 10 to 18

   The full result

   • The NHS says the full results should be seen at 10 to 18 months.
   • The hairs may keep improving in quality for up to 18 months.
   • Your own hair around the transplant can keep thinning over the years.
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