Hair transplant operation is a great opportunity for those who suffer from excessive hair loss. However, there are some side effects of hair transplant such as bleeding, infection., swelling of the hair scalp, bruising around the eyes, lack of sensation on the treated areas of the hair scalp, and itching.
As one of the common complication of hair transplant surgery, itching is a side effect you can manage easily at home.
Itching after the hair transplantation is quite annoying but you should know that it might last between one week and four weeks. Especially it might be getting more severe for the first week after the surgery. The biggest reason why you suffer most for the first week is about the fact that you should not wash your hair scalp during that time and even touch the region operated. After the first week is done already, it will be easier for you to combat.
What Are the Reasons for Itching After Hair Transplant Surgery?
First of all, itching hair scalp might be related to the postoperative reaction of your hair scalp against the new hair follicles implanted in the region. It is because your skin needs some time to get used to the new hair just planted.
The small scabs on your hair scalp during the hair transplant operation might be another reason for itching. Dryness of the transplanted area might be seen another factor resulting in itching, too.
Second of all, your medical history varying from patient to patient has a role of itching problem. For those who have an allergic reaction to topical creams applied during the hair transplant surgery might be your reasons.
Therefore, you should honestly tell everything your doctor about your medical history and current conditions including the medications you use so that this kind of allergic condition can be prevented in advance.
The infection leading to itching might be followed by a cause for scalp itches after a hair transplant operation, and a skin illness you already have. Needless to say, hair transplantation needs such a meticulous planned and designed way to have the desired outcome and not have a hair loss problem again after the surgery.
It is important to stop itching as much as possible since it has some side effects scratching the scalp when it itches such as break outing on hair scalps like pimples leading to some other complications, and swelling of the transplanted area and sometimes even of the whole scalp.
Apart from that, other side effects can be listed as bruising of the recipient area due to the constant scratching of the itch, and regardless of temporary or permanent, hair fall of the newly-implanted hairs.
What to Do for Itching After Hair Transplant Surgery?
You should handle this process under no risk as much as possible. Here are some tips for you to handle itching after that hair transplant operation.
1.Medicated Shampoo
For the itching, a Ketoconazole shampoo has the potential to comfort you, which will helps reduce itchiness. Yet, you should ask for it to your doctor since it is bought only by a prescription. It is only for those who need and have a suitable condition to use.
You need to use it by applying your head. For the best result, it is better to use twice a week at least between 2 and 4 so that it can help you to reduce the itching.
2. Scratching or Not Scratching
The first rule is you should avoid scratching to your hair scalp after the hair transplant surgery. You should convince yourself first about the fact that this is normal to itch your head after a hair transplant.
It is better to avoid this part definitely if you scratch your implanted hairs since it might be risky. You might experience a skin infection and hair follicle infection that is called folliculitis as the risk of scratching after the surgery.
It is even possible to pull out transplanted hairs entirely if you keep scratching harshly. I suggest you be patient enough at least for two weeks so that you have no chance to face this vital risk.
Apart from not scratching part, you should follow the instructions of post-care steps of the operation recommended by your doctor. For instance, you need to sleep with your head elevated approximately 45 degrees around three or four days after the hair transplant procedure so that you can avoid swelling.
For eating and drinking habits, you might need to change it a bit. It is better not to eat any ice cream and aspirin as well as alcoholic drinks especially for the first week of the surgery.
Lastly, you can apply snow to your forehead if the seasons are suitable for this application. If you feel extreme swelling, you need to apply the snow every two hours. This way will make you feel more comfortable about your swelling and itching.
3.Steroid Scalp Solution
Although it is less possible to have itching more than three or four weeks, you can mind using a steroid scalp solution. It is okay to treat and reduce the itch with this method in a short time.
You should apply the solution for a week for the best result. It can help you to cure the itching and even the rest of remaining inflammation in your hair scalp.
4.Using an Anti-Histamine
Histamines are effective solutions to fight with itching after the hair transplant. It is because some chemicals providing the sense of itching do not work after using an antihistamine.
By doing so, it can reduce itching and heal it at the end. With the reduction of the histamines in your scalp, you will feel less itchy.
There are many types of anti-histamines. You can buy this without any prescription from a local pharmacy near to your house but it is still better to ask any advice to your doctor for the best brand according to your medical condition.
Lastly, as well as antihistamine products, you can buy a petroleum jelly or baby oil to use. For the best usage according to your own condition, you should ask your doctor the dosage and frequency of those products.
5.The Salt Water Spray
The saltwater spray is another treatment way when combating with itching after the hair gratification. It works well since you are not allowed to wash your transplanted hair almost for the first week after the operation.
Because of this reason mentioned above, you will feel better and more comfortable with this spray. You can ask the hair clinic in order to provide you with a saltwater spray.
I strongly suggest you have one since it works well not only to nourish your hair and the transplanted area but also it is one of the best ways to clean away debris and dry skin. When you clean all, you will see the reduction of itchiness sensation.
To apply the saltwater spray, you need to spray it to your hair scalp so that it can help you sooth the transplanted area. You should be careful when the water comes out in a spread outburst to gently spray since a single jet might damage your hairs.
The Expected Process of After Hair Transplant Surgery Period
You should know what is waiting for you after the hair transplant operation, which makes you comfortable and more peaceful about the things to get worried or not. The first night after the hair gratification, the things you need to very careful is the bandage you have on your donor part. Alternatively, you might also have a hairband around your forehead.
Those apparatus and medical products will help you when it comes to avoiding the swelling on your face. It might be possible to realize some small scabs in the recipient area as well as small red holes on the donor area. Yet, they will be gone within maximum two weeks so you just need to be patient enough.
On this stage, it is quite possible to feel some swelling, itching and even mild pain for the first days after the hair transplant operation.
As an alternative you the treatment ways of itching written above, you can try to use some ice applications, emollient lotions and maybe some symptomatic medicine if your doctor allows you to have.
The first three days might be the most challenging parts for you. You should be very careful about the things you need to do and do not as post-operational care.
The cleaning part is the most critical point since your bandage will be ready to be removed if you are done with cleaning perfectly. You should be sure about the fact that there is no reason to get any infection related to dirty parts.
When you get started to wash your hair around the third day, the selection of shampoo is important. You need to take some advice from your doctor and hair clinic about the brand and the type of shampoo you will use.
The same condition is valid for the preference of your hair lotion. The first two weeks are the most important time period.
You should wash your hair carefully but at the same time you should not give up washing your hair because it will help you remove the scabs and help during the healing process of hair transplant.
During the fifth and seventh days, your transplanted grafts will become stronger and settled. In other words, the transplanted grafts are no more under the risk of falling by touching or other movements.
Yet, you should still need to avoid itching and scratching. In fact, after the four or fifth days the operation, the new hair in the transplanted region might start to fall down for a couple of months. You should be cool since you will have new permanent hair soon, they will start to grow.
When it comes to the end of the first months, the natural look you have imagined and your appearance will be more clear. The best part to enjoy is that your close friends and your family members probably do not understand the fact that you had a hair transplant operation.
They think they are your natural hair, which will make you happy and make you forget all the troubles you had during the operation and after it.
Between the first and the third months, your hair might give a reaction which is called a shock hair loss experienced but the transplanted hair starts to grow soon. There is nothing wrong about this reaction, please do not worry about it.
Hair growth and regrowing of falling part will happen between the fourth and sixth months. Actually, almost half part of hair growth will occur during this time period. Through the end of the first year, that means after half of the first year, your transplanted hair will continue to grow and become thicker in time.
When it comes to the second year of hair transplant operation, it is when you enjoy your new appearance. The final result of your hair transplantation will make your very happy and even successful since it will give you a high self-confidence with your intensive, longer and thick hair that has no hair loss and falling problem.
The process after the hair transplant operation should more or less follow these steps. If you have anything different than these processes, you should immediately your doctor to ask whether or not it is normal.
For your information, the other complications after hair transplantation can be varied. You might have bleeding and swelling on your hair scalp as one of the most common side effects after the itching. It is just normal as the nature of the hair transplant since your hair follicles were removed from the head region.
It is also possible to observe some infection and inflammation of your hair if you have a certain allergic condition. You can use a mild antibiotic cream, lotion or gel, which are suggested by your doctor. You can not use just a random medication without taking any advice from your doctor.
