You’re among the millions of Americans with thinning hair — perhaps one of the whopping 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States who have androgenetic alopecia, the biggest driver of hair loss.
For a while, topical hair growth creams such as minoxidil were doing the trick, but ultimately, that’s a never-ending battle. And you’re tired of dealing with hair loss that prematurely ages you. So, you’re pulling the trigger on surgical hair restoration with follicular unit excision (FUE) and entrusting the highly experienced and qualified team at Vivida Dermatology to do the work.
We assure you that you’re in excellent hands. Let’s review the recovery timeline so you know what to expect afterward.
Often, we can complete your surgical hair restoration in one procedure, but if we need to transfer a lot of follicles, we may decide to break up your FUE into several sessions. We try to schedule these sessions close together so your recovery isn’t staggered.
After your last FUE session with us, we send you home with complete aftercare instructions that cover showering/bathing, swimming, and other hair-and-scalp dos and don’ts. We strongly recommend following these detailed instructions, and we are available if you have any questions.
Over the first week or two after your FUE procedure, you can expect minor soreness around your scalp at the donor sites and transplant sites. These sites will also develop small scabs that should fall away during the first two weeks after your FUE.
While we’re able to restore hair in places where the follicles have all but disappeared, please note: There’s nothing we can do to speed up your natural hair growth. That means results won’t be immediate.
You can expect the transplanted follicles to initially shed their existing hairs. Then, these transplanted follicles gather their resources to create new hair, which takes time.
On average, a person’s hair grows about half an inch per month, which is six inches a year. So, your results will follow your natural hair growth pattern.
Also, keep in mind that this hair growth not only applies to the transplanted follicular units, but to the donor areas, which we shave when we perform the FUE.
Your final results will be complete when you achieve your desired hair length. This varies from one person to the next: People with shorter hairstyles will see their desired results faster than those who favor longer hair. Either way, patience is key, but it will be rewarded with a fuller head of hair within a year.
If you have more questions about your recovery timeline after FUE, we’re just a phone call or click away. To learn more, please contact one of our offices in Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada, to schedule an appointment.
