If you are a fitness freak, it may be hard to resist the temptation of going to your gym after getting a hair transplant procedure. Many people fear a drop in their fitness levels if they have to stop exercising for one reason or another. They wonder if they really have to take a break from working out after the surgery.
Knowing about the aftercare and recovery process will help you understand why exercising isn’t the right thing to do right after getting a hair transplant. Exercising can even become a setback in your recovery process and even end up jeopardizing your surgery’s success. Let’s find out more about it.
Can You Exercise at All After Hair Transplant?
You have to ease into your old exercise regime. The first two weeks after the surgery, you must give your body ample time to rest. For at least two weeks after the surgery, you should not consider exercising at all.
After that, you can begin some light exercises, such as going for a short walk. Make sure that none of the physical exercises that you’re performing make you sweat. You have to wait for at least 1 month before resuming heavy exercising. Swimming and contact sports need to be put on hold for at least a month after hair transplant as well.
What Are the Risks of Exercising After Hair Transplant Surgery?
It’s a part of your aftercare recovery process that you avoid certain activities that can bring harm to your hair transplant. There are many risks of exercising after the surgery.
Sweating: It is only natural to sweat after exercising. However, sweating increases the risk of infection in the surgical area. Moreover, it can cause infection and irritation in the surgical area. For this reason, you should also avoid direct sunlight for 1 month.
Dislodging Hair Grafts: Right after the surgery, it’s important that you protect your scalp against trauma and injury. Exercises pose a risk of injury to the scalp, which can dislodge the hair grafts and impact the final results of the surgery.
Hair Grafts Popping Out: Strenuous exercises can put a strain on your scalp, which can result in your hair grafts popping out. That means no weightlifting, cardio, running, or jogging.
Timeline for the Exercises You Can Perform After Your Hair Transplant
In order to have a clearer idea of which exercises you can and cannot perform during the recovery process, let’s take a look at the hair transplant recovery timeline.
1 Week After Hair Transplant Surgery: In the first five days after the surgery, you have to completely avoid exercising. This means that you should also try not to walk or work because it can increase swelling in the scalp. At the end of the first week, you can begin performing light exercises like short, slow walks and yoga. Make sure that you also avoid going to a sauna, jacuzzi, and swimming pool.
2 Weeks After Hair Transplant Surgery: Two weeks after the surgery, it is okay for you to go back to your fitness regime. However, you have to be careful. Before you start doing heavy exercises, you should make sure that your scalp is in a better state. If it is sensitive, irritated, red or swollen, you should get in touch with your surgeon and avoid exercising.
Neck stretches can be extremely detrimental to your recovery process. That’s because it can stretch the skin on the back of your scalp and open up the stitches if you have gotten a FUT hair transplant. Before beginning any kind of exercise, consult your surgeon. Every person has unique anatomy; what might work for you might end up being a disaster for another person.
1 Month After Hair Transplant Surgery: You should not play contact sports like football, rugby, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling and basketball for a month after surgery. They can harm the scalp. Moreover, swimming pools are also a no-go because they pose a risk of infection. You can go back to your normal routine after a month has passed. Also, if you’ve gotten a FUT hair transplant, avoid stretching exercises for your back for at least 6-8 weeks.
Taking care of your scalp after a hair transplant is important as it will determine the success of your surgery. Be cautious and follow the aftercare instructions that your surgeon provides.
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