How to Sleep After a Hair Transplant

by admin May 26, 2023

—

After your hair transplant, do you know how to sleep comfortably? It is crucial to sleep well at night to enable your newly transplanted hair to grow well too. It is vital for you to know how to sleep after a hair transplant. For more information on post-hair transplant surgery care, you can always consult our doctors and hair experts at The Hair Transplant Malaysia clinic which offers professional hair loss treatment services at the most affordable cost.

There are various sleeping positions to aid in your post-operative hair recovery. To hasten your recovery and boost your new hair regrowth, you can follow certain recommended sleeping positions. Furthermore, there are other good alternatives such as using the right pillows, creating an optimal sleeping environment and making conducive pre-bedtime preparations. All these factors will ensure restorative sleep.

Importance of Sleeping Position

The right sleeping position can improve tremendously your sleep quality and prevent neck, back and head pain. There are different sleeping positions for different individuals. You can sleep on your back or on your side or on your stomach or even face down. The various sleeping positions produce certain benefits or issues. For example, back sleeping is beneficial to people with lower back pain. Side sleeping works best for pregnant women, acid reflux sufferers and those with sleep apnea. Stomach sleeping is not recommended because this position can cause spinal and neck issues. Hence it is of utmost importance to choose the best sleeping position in order to get a comfortable night’s rest.

Recommended Sleeping Positions After Hair Transplant

Getting adequate sleep is essential, especially after a hair transplant. What is the recommended sleeping position then? You have to sleep in a way that reduces the movement of your newly transplanted hair follicles. So the best way is to rest your head without exerting any pressure. Sleeping on the stomach and sides should be avoided as this puts extra pressure on the head. The use of specialized pillows can help to support your neck, giving you a comfortable and undisturbed night’s sleep.

Before choosing your preferred sleeping position, you should get advice from your doctor first. For best results, consult your specialist and follow the doctor’s instructions and guidelines, especially during your post-operation period when recuperating.

Sleeping on the Back

There are several health benefits if you have a habit of sleeping on your back which means you are lying supine. The benefits are listed below:

The weight of the head, neck and spine is distributed evenly on the mattress thus reducing pressure points and improving posture. As a result, neck pains are greatly minimized.
Back sleeping position can reduce snoring and sleep apnea. This is because the airway is less obstructed, leading to better sleep.
Using a pillow to elevate the head slightly while sleeping on your back. This is the recommended position to sleep after your hair transplant.

The Best Sleeping Position to Use After a Hair Transplant

The best position to sleep in after a hair transplant is on your back, with your head elevated above your heart. This is crucial as by doing this, it can maintain optimal blood flow. It also helps in reducing swelling and prevents your head from turning and damaging delicate hair grafts at night. It is of utmost importance to sleep properly after a hair transplant as your newly transplanted hair follicles are so delicate for the next 10 days after the procedure.

Sleep on 1 pillow with a travel pillow around your neck to prop your head forwards and up. Hence, you are sleeping slightly upright, ensuring that you do not worsen the swelling nor roll over in bed, damaging your newly transplanted grafts. This way can effectively protect your new delicate hair grafts and reduce greatly the inflammation of your scalp. The whole purpose of this sleeping position is to avoid contact between the recipient (transplant) area and the pillow or bed. Once the grafts have grown stronger, life will be much easier then.

When Can I Sleep Normally After a Hair Transplant?

The following guidelines will enlighten you on what to expect and how you should sleep after your hair transplant.

Day 1 – Day10

Sleep on your back at an incline. Be extra careful when sleeping.

Day 10 – Day 14

You can sleep on your side. But remember not to sleep or place undue pressure directly on the area that has been operated on. Anyway, take extra precautions when sleeping.

Day 14 onwards

You can sleep in any position you may like. By the 10 days after your hair transplant surgery, you can sleep normally in any position without feeling any great discomfort. On the other hand, remember not to put too much pressure on your newly transplanted hair grafts so as not to damage them. Never sleep face down until 14 days have passed.

The Dos and Don’ts When Sleeping

Listed below is some advice on sleeping after a hair transplant:

Dos

Keep your head elevated when sleeping during the first 2 weeks after your hair transplant.
Use extra pillows to elevate your head.
Use a travel pillow to prevent yourself from turning your head.

Don’ts

Don’t toss and turn when trying to sleep.
Don’t turn your head sideways.
Don’t rub your head against anything.
Don’t take sleeping pills to help you to sleep because if you wake up during the night, you may feel drowsy and disoriented. You may risk hitting your head.

How Long Does a Hair Transplant Take to Heal?

During the first few days after a hair transplant, both the donor area (where the hair grafts are taken) and the recipient area (where the new hair grafts are transplanted) are healing. Initially, the donor area is bandaged. Some post-procedural oozing and inflammation are considered normal.

As scabs form on these 2 areas, you will feel itchy. But never pick at or scratch these scalps. It is advisable to allow these scalps to fall off naturally. To reduce the discomfort of an itchy scalp, you may take the following steps:

Use a salt water spray.
Take antihistamines.
Use a mild medicated shampoo.
On the advice of your surgeon, you may apply a steroid scalp solution.

But whatever you do and however much your scalp itches, remember to NEVER NEVER scratch.

Week 2

The swelling and inflammation should have subsided. You should feel much better. Nevertheless, you still need to take precautions and avoid participating in intense physical exercise for about 2 weeks or so.

After a month, the healing process should be complete. You should hardly feel any discomfort. The hair would have grown completely to cover the donor area. But your new hair in the recipient area will not appear for another 2 months or more. This new hair is still rather delicate. So you should take extra care to protect it. Do not do anything to damage the fragile new growing hair.

When are Hair Grafts Secure After a Hair Transplant?

The healing process after a hair transplant takes place in the first 2 weeks. From the second week onwards, the new hair grafts transplanted in the recipient area are expected to be healed and secure. This means that the risk of damaging them while you are asleep is much lessened.

Conclusion

Post-surgery recovery and proper hair growth will depend on how to sleep after a hair transplant. It is important to sleep upright for the initial days. It is advisable to sleep on your back, head elevated by pillows or on a reclining chair. Do not sleep on your stomach or on your side as these positions can damage your delicate newly transplanted hair. Use a travel neck pillow or U-shaped pillow for support when sleeping upright for the first 10 days. Cover your scalp with a soft scarf while sleeping on your back after 10 – 14 days. It is recommended that you consult your surgeon if you have any other problems.

—

This content is brought to you by Shahbaz Ahmed

Photos provided by the author.

The post How to Sleep After a Hair Transplant appeared first on The Good Men Project.