Posted 13/10/2020 in Hair Transplant by Avrupa Sac Ekimi Clinic

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Shaving Head After FUE Hair Transplant: When and What Shaving Tools to Use?

After a hair transplant, many patients try to hide the traces of the operation by either covering their heads or wearing their hair short.

But shaving after hair transplantation may cause damage, and to avoid it, most clinics give a list containing post-transplant instructions.

But how soon after a hair transplant are patients allowed to cut their hair short and use shaving tools?

In this post, we’ll discuss:

The consequences of immediately shaving head after FUE hair transplant
And when can patients shave their hair?

Note Before Proceeding: Click Here To View 100s Of Hair Transplant Before And After Complete Cases

Consequences of Shaving Head After FUE Hair Transplant

It is known that before hair transplant the hair is either fully or partially shaved to prepare for graft extraction.

The decision to perform a full or partial hair shave depends on the degree of hair loss, the specialist’s recommendation and the patient's preferences.

Shortly after a hair transplant, the hair in both the donor and recipient areas will start to grow back. But there will be a difference between the length of the newly transplanted hair and the old hair in the donor area.

This imbalance in hair length could make patients feel uncomfortable about their appearance. Hence, they tend to consider getting a haircut immediately after the operation.

But the question is: Can shaving the head after a hair transplant damage the grafts?

The answer is YES!

Shaving your head after hair transplant could damage the transplanted hair grafts by dislodging them.

The hair grafts need at least two weeks to take root and stabilize in the scalp. Any sudden movement or friction with the grafts during this period puts you at risk of losing them.

Besides that, the scalp after hair transplant becomes very fragile and sore which needs almost one month to heal.

Therefore, using shaving and hair-trimming tools could injure the scalp leading to infections as a result it takes longer to heal.

When Can I Get my First Haircut after a Hair Transplant and What Shaving Tools to Use?

The consensus is that the first haircut after a hair transplant can be done after one month. Over this period, the transplanted hair is fully secured and there is no chance of it coming out of the canals.

But the scalp is still healing and needs your careful attention to allow its full recovery. Hence, when getting your first haircut you must pay attention not to use sharp shaving tools but rather scissors.

Shaving One Month After Hair Transplant Using Scissors

Patients can get their first haircut one month after hair transplant using scissors only. The hair by this time might not be too long. Thus, you must be careful not to cut the hair too close to the scalp in order not to cause any wounds.

During the first month, the transplanted hair starts to fall out which is a completely normal phase of hair growth.

Also, some patients go through a “Shock Loss” phase which is a temporary shedding of non-transplanted hair.

Therefore, getting a haircut one month after hair transplant will give patients a more aesthetic look. As it balances the length of the hair on both transplanted and donor areas.

It is important to mention to your barber that you had a hair transplant so that they don't cut too close to the root. Or, if you are getting your haircut at home from a family member, you should make sure you have the right tools. (Find some popular recommendations below).

Don’t try to do it by yourself as you can mistakenly cut or injure your scalp.

Shaving Using Hair Clippers After Hair Transplant

Normally, men prefer using hair clippers to shave their hair when it’s too short. But hair clippers cannot be used until 3 months after a hair transplant.

After 3 months your transplanted hair will start to grow slowly, and our recommendation is to leave it without shaving.

However, if you want to wear it shorter, you can shave it to number 1 or 2 which is almost between 3-6 mm away from the scalp.

Remember, at this period of time shaving at number 0 shaving is to be avoided since the scalp is still sensitive.

Shaving with Razors or Blades After Hair Transplant

Although we don’t recommend completely shaving your hair, razor shaving after FUE hair transplant is only permitted after 8 months.

After 8 months of your transplant, the hair is fully grown and there is no risk of damaging the scalp or the new hair.

You can now wear and style your hair the way you want as if you haven’t had a hair transplant.

Keep in mind that:

It’s completely different if you had a hair transplant using the FUT technique. A very short haircut after FUT will make your operation scar very visible.
It’s recommended to leave your hair long after FUT hair transplant. Even if you want to shave it, always opt for a number 4 hair clipper or more to conceal the linear scar.

Recommended Shaving/Cutting Tools:

Most used shaving machine by hair transplant specialists: