How Soon to Wear a Hat After a Hair Transplant

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By Carole Vansickle
eHow Contributing Writer

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Hair transplants are a popular and permanent solution to hair loss. When you get a hair transplant, the doctor actually grafts hair from other parts of your head onto the balding areas of your head. This hair then grows in the new location. Hair transplants are a delicate procedure, and you must use care following the surgery to make sure that the new hair starts growing in its new location.

History

People have been seeking solutions to hair loss for centuries. The earliest hair "transplants" were just wigs that were placed over the existing hair to make it look like the hair was fuller. As science and technology progressed, so did hair care. Now you can get extensions to make your hair longer, wear a toupee to cover baldness or even get new hair surgically installed.

Function

Hair transplants work because they are surgically removed from other parts of the body--generally the back of the head where the hair is still growing--and placed in balding areas. The entire hair follicle is moved so that hair can continue to grow in its new location. In order to help your new hair grow, you need to be very careful about what types of things you cover your head with while you heal.

Significance

You can actually wear a hat immediately after hair transplant surgery. However, make sure that you get your hat approved by your surgeon before wearing it. Also, be sure that you do not touch your transplanted hair with your hands or the hat. Have the surgeon show you how to put the hat on.

Types

There are several ways that you can cover your head following a hair transplant. You can wear a loose-fitting ball cap after the first few days. However, before this, you will need to wear a soft, loose hat provided by the surgeon or approved by the surgeon at the very least. Since you will need to protect your head from the sun and will not be able to wear sunscreen for about four months, you may wish to consider a bandana since it will give you better coverage.

Time Frame

Once you are fully healed, your hair transplant will look and act like natural hair.
When you get a hair transplant, you will need some serious time to recover, and so will your scalp. For about two weeks, you may not be able to bend over and your head may be seriously swollen. Also, it is likely that you will experience some severe pain. You also will need to protect your head from sun exposure for up to four or five months, and you will need to use extra care when washing your hair for at least this long also. Work with your doctor to establish what you should and should not do to care for your scalp and your specific surgery.

Warning

Hair transplants are delicate operations, and they do not always "take" permanently. Even if you are embarrassed by the way your head looks, you must only wear the hats that are approved by your doctor and follow all instructions when it comes to caring for your hair. If you do not, you run the risk of more pain, infection and even recurring hair loss.