Psychological Effect After Hair Transplantation

How to be prepared for a hair transplantation from the inside 

There are two types of preparation that a patient goes through before a hair transplant: physical and psychological. While we have published enough about the physical preparation steps and the importance of following the doctor’s instructions, we have decided to highlight the psychological aspect of the preparation phase because it is just as important as the physical one.

Believe it or not, the psychological part of anything in life plays a big role in turning things upside down - or downside up! Remember that the main goal of patients undergoing hair transplantation is psychological - to increase their self-esteem and feel better about themselves.

Psychological preparation means adjusting the inner sources of the individual to an upcoming situation. Psychological preparation helps the patient to overcome any obstacle that may appear on the way to the desired result. And psychological preparation encourages the patient to communicate better with the doctor before the procedure about the method, the results and the possible side effects during the healing phase.

Read on to understand why psychological preparation will help you achieve the results you seek.

If you decide to have a hair transplant, you must be aware that your appearance and lifestyle habits will change temporarily in order to achieve the permanent changes you desire.

The temporary change in your appearance is the shaving. Any hair transplant procedure requires that the donor area be shaved so that the surgeon has a better view of the hair grafts. Regardless of whether you will shave your scalp completely or just part of it, you need to be psychologically prepared to love yourself as you are and perhaps find some hairstyling options until your hair grows back the way it was before. If you experience bruising in the first few days after the procedure, don’t panic, as this is normal and part of the healing process. Usually, patients have to deal with bruises on the face when they undergo facial hair transplantation, such as beard transplantation or eyebrow transplantation.

The temporary changes in your daily life routine are mainly related to your physical activities. If you are used to swimming three times a week, you will have to give up this habit for 30 to 40 days after the procedure. If you prefer boxing and running three kilometers, we recommend watching documentaries or reading books for a month before returning to these activities. For the night owls who like to party all night long, whether dancing, drinking or smoking, you will replace this with a cup of green tea and go to bed early to give your body the strength and power it needs for 14 days after the procedure.

If you are psychologically prepared to follow and adhere to the doctor’s instructions, you can go through the entire hair transplant procedure smoothly and with peace of mind.

During initial consultations, many points are discussed, from medical history to expectations and results. But how do you set realistic expectations after a hair transplant? Should you expect Rapunzel’s hair after the recovery period? And how long would you wait to see the results of your hair transplant? All of these questions will help you understand what to expect and how long to wait to see results.

Depending on your case and the extent of hair loss, the doctor will give you an indication of what to expect. For example, if you have a sufficient donor area and only a small part of the scalp needs to be implanted, the results will be quite good. However, if you suffer from more severe hair loss, you may need up to two sessions to achieve the desired results.

Be sure to talk openly with your doctor about the results and your expectations so that you get the information you need. It is important that you do not paint an exaggerated picture, because if you have too high expectations and do not get exactly the same, your joy will be dimmed when the results become visible, even if they are quite good results.

The importance of psychological preparation is to reduce the stress of the procedure and keep the brain focused on the result. When a patient is psychologically prepared, he/she has more confidence in the entire procedure and is therefore willing to put in the necessary time and effort to be successful.

Not being psychologically prepared means you are not ready for the procedure. If you are not mentally prepared for a hair transplant, you will not have the patience and discipline to go through the procedure.

If you do not follow the doctor’s instructions, the newly implanted hair grafts may be permanently damaged, which will ruin the entire result. It is important that you adjust to the new adjustments in the coming weeks after the hair transplant procedure to avoid infections or severe side effects that could affect the hair transplant results.

We believe that psychological preparation also facilitates physical preparation. In order for hair transplantation to be successful, you need to follow some tips and instructions that will save you from serious complications during or after the procedure.

• Stop alcohol for 14 days before the procedure 

• Stop smoking for 14 days before the procedure 

• Keep your scalp protected from sunlight 

• Don’t consume any blood thinning medicines, such as aspirin 

• Have a light breakfast on the day of the procedure 

• Don’t consume alcohol for at least 14 days 

• Don’t resume smoking for at least 14 days 

• Don’t expose your scalp to direct sunlight 

• Sleep with your head elevated for 7 days 

• Keep your scalp completely dry for the first 48 hours 

• Don’t play any intense sports for 40 days 

• Don’t swim for 40 days 

• Resume light exercises such as walking after 14 days 

Hair transplant procedures help individuals boost their self-confidence in general. When a person has a high level of self-confidence, they are able to perform all different activities much better than someone who has little self-confidence. Therefore, hair transplantation improves the quality of life, either aesthetically or physically.