What are the side effects from a hair transplant?
In this guide, we’re going to walk through the most common hair transplant side effects you may experience and what to expect during the healing process.
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Most Common Side Effects You May Experience After A Hair Transplant
While generally safe, hair transplant procedures can result in several common side effects during the recovery process:
1. Swelling
The first and most common side effect is swelling.
Especially if you got a lot of work done in your hairline, there’s a big possibility that you will swell starting from the forehead. Because of gravity, it will travel down to your:
- Eye area
- Cheek area
It will eventually go away on its own.
You’re not going to feel any pain from it, but you will look a little funny. It’s just part of the normal healing process that you don’t have to worry about.
2. Itching
Another possible side effect is itching.
This may not happen right after surgery, but it can occur during the healing process—anywhere from one week to one month.
This is also a normal part of healing. You can help control it by using saline spray from time to time.
Once you’re fully healed, the itching will go away.
3. Pain
Another possible side effect could be pain.
Most patients do okay with over-the-counter drugs such as Tylenol.
The pain is usually worse during the first or second day, but after a couple days, most patients feel fine.
4. Numbness
Some people can experience numbness after the procedure.
- This is usually slight numbness
- It is not very prominent
- It does not last very long
The numbness stems from:
- Injections of local anesthesia
- Small punctures in the scalp
- Placement of the hair follicles
It usually goes away within 3 to 4 days.
5. Scarring (or Lack of It)
A common question with hair transplantation is: is there scarring?
With the FUE (follicular unit extraction) technique that we use, there is virtually no scarring whatsoever.
You may notice small lumps (almost like pimples) on your head from the actual grafts themselves.
When they smooth out and the hair starts to grow, these bumps disappear, and there is essentially no visible scarring with either FUE or FUT hair transplant techniques.
6. Shock Loss
There are some other very temporary side effects that can occur, including shock loss.
This can happen anytime between the first and fourth week after surgery
Because the grafts go through stress, the hair may fall out, but the follicles are still under the skin, so new hair will grow.
So even if shock loss happens, there is nothing to worry about.
7. Pimples or “Cysts”
Some people ask about cysts after the procedure.
They are not true cysts, they are more like small pimples, similar to ingrown hairs.
This happens when hair follicles redirect into the scalp.
You might see one small pimple in an area with thousands of grafts. They are very rare, temporary, and self-resolving.
8. Throbbing Sensation
Another question that comes up is whether there will be throbbing.
Throbbing is kind of a continuum along the pain scale.
Remember that you had injections in your scalp with local anesthesia. This causes inflammation.
Most of the byproducts of inflammation include throbbing, so you may experience some of this.
This usually lasts 2–3 days, is not intense, and feels mild.
Post-Operative Tips To Manage Side Effects
To deal with any side effects and help your hair transplant results last, we recommend following simple post-operative instructions.
Some of the tips we recommend include:
- Rest properly
- Sleep with your head slightly elevated (to minimize swelling)
- Avoid intense exercise (like the gym) for 7–10 days
- Do not pick at scabs on the scalp
- Take medications as prescribed
Medications You Can Take to Manage Pain
For infection prevention, antibiotics may be prescribed. Infection rates are very low, but this is precautionary.
For pain control:
- Over-the-counter options like Tylenol
- Ibuprofen in small doses (avoid high doses due to bleeding risk)
Pain tolerance varies: some people only need OTC meds, and others may need stronger medication.
In these cases, we may prescribe narcotic-based medications like percocet or Tylenol with codeine.
It’s rare to need a narcotic after a hair transplant.
When To See A Doctor About Your Side Effects
If you experience any unusual or uncomfortable symptoms, such as:
- Excessive swelling
- High temperature (fever)
- Anything that feels abnormal to you
You should call us right away so we can take a look and see what’s going on.
One method to communicate with us if you have any concerns about side effects that are unusual to you is to take a photograph.
Take a photograph of the area, send or text it to us, and we’ll review it, tell you if it’s normal, and determine if treatment is needed.
Schedule Your Hair Transplant Consultation with Philadelphia Hair Restoration Today!
Philadelphia Hair Restoration has a proven track record of delivering exceptional hair transplant results, backed by over 18 years of experience and a 100% success rate. Led by Dr. Kenneth Nam and Dr. Anthony Farole, our clinic has successfully served over 1,000 clients, providing natural-looking, permanent hair transplants and other alternative treatments.
Book a hair transplant consultation with Philadelphia Hair Restoration today to start your journey to new hair and appearance.
