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Hair Transplants and Water: Do They Mix?
by Marisa Amorasak
Due to recent technological advances, hair transplant surgery is an increasingly popular procedure that can give men and women the hair of their dreams. Hair transplants are designed to look, feel, and grow just like the hair you were born with. That's because it is: your own hair follicles are grafted and then transplanted into the areas you experience hair loss. Understandably, many people who are considering hair transplants have a lot of questions, among them: Will my hair transplants look good wet? You want your hair transplants to be as natural-looking as possible, which means they will be indiscernible while swimming, showering, and participating in other activities involving water.
Do Hair Transplants Look Good Wet?
Good hair transplants will look good when wet. For the most natural look, very fine follicular units should be transplanted. This means that the hair follicles coming out of areas where hair loss tends to occur-- at the top and front of the scalp-- should be very small, just like they are naturally. They should also be densely packed, so that the individual follicular units can't be easily identified. Your hair loss specialist should always aim for the most natural look possible, but you may want to tell them that you are concerned with the way your hair transplants will look when wet to ensure that they keep your priorities in mind.
In addition to using fine and densely packed follicular units, your new hair should be transplanted in a pattern that mimics your natural growth direction. For example, hair growing in the middle of your scalp actually grows in a spiral pattern. A qualified hair transplant surgeon will recreate this pattern during surgery. Similarly, the hair towards the front of your hair line should grow either forward or backward. Follicular units transplantation can also be aided by lateral split incisions and custom blades.
When Can I Get My Hair Transplants Wet?
The morning following your hair transplant surgery, you will probably be advised to shower. During the shower, you can very gently rinse off your hair. You should continue to shower every four hours for the rest of the day. Frequent rinses are necessary to facilitate quick healing, and hair grafts can't heal when there are scabs, blood, and pus in the way. After a couple of days, you'll use a special shampoo given to you by your surgeon to further encourage the healing process. You can receive a haircut in two weeks, and color your hair in three.
When it comes to swimming, most surgeons agree that it's not a good idea if your surgery was very recent. If you're still experiencing scabbing or bleeding, you shouldn't go swimming. Swimming is different than showering because your scalp may be entirely submerged in water, putting more pressure on your fresh grafts. Plus, the type of water you're swimming in will make a huge difference. Many hair transplant surgeons agree that chlorine can irritate fresh grafts and even break them. On the other hand, some old-school surgeons believe that swimming in the ocean can actually do hair transplants a bit of good, due to the salt content in the water. Of course, you can feel free to go swimming and participate in other water activities after your transplants have fully healed. If you're wondering if you can go swimming post-op, it's best to ask the surgeon who performed your transplant.
Scheduling Your Hair Transplant Surgery
If you're interested in learning more about hair transplants or you'd like to schedule a private consultation with a hair transplant specialist in your area, contact us today!
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