When dealing with hair loss for a while, people begin to lose a bit of their confidence and may feel quite self-conscious, so getting a high-quality hair transplant in Istanbul can really change someone’s life for the better. However, there is still that short period for the first week or two while everything is a bit swollen and scabs form, and it takes a few months for the new hair to strengthen and grow out.
If you want to make the transition from balding to having a full head of hair as smoothly as possible, you will need to follow a few tips on hiding the fact that you’ve had the surgery.
Why Hide a Hair Transplant?
The main reason you’d want to conceal your hair transplant is to avoid looking awkward during those first few months while you fully recover and actually see some significant new growth. It will also be more apparent during the first week when your head will be swollen.
While modern methods are much less invasive than the old FUT surgery that left a large straight scar on the back of the head, there will still be some signs that take time to cover up as your hair grows out. That’s why most people decide to use different tricks to hide their head until the full hair transplant results become visible.
The Healing Timeline: What Shows and When
During common procedures like Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), the doctor shaves your head at the donor area to make it easier to extract each hair graft one by one, and makes thousands of tiny incisions in the recipient area where they then implant the grafts.
This causes light bleeding and swelling that can reach down to the forehead and sometimes the eyes. That’s why hair transplant surgeons advise patients to sleep with their head elevated to promote fluid drainage and wear compressive headbands to limit the spread of swelling.
After the first week, these symptoms should all go away, and the scabs that form will fall off on their own by the end of the second week. Your head may still be a bit red at this point, and the transplanted hair will begin shedding as it enters the exogen phase to make room for new growth.
By the end of the first month, most of it will have fallen out and will begin to grow out in months three and four, although still a bit thin and wispy. Only after month six will you see a big growth spurt, with thicker and stronger strands, and the full results will be visible within 12 months after the operation.
Clever Concealment Strategies During Recovery
As it will take six to eight months post op for your new follicles to catch up, you will need some effective and inconspicuous ways to hide hair transplant signs for the length of the healing process. For one, you can apply concealers like Topikk or wear a loose fitting hat after the first week.
Style Hacks That Draw Attention Away
Wearing a hat all of a sudden can be suspicious, so you should slowly introduce these accessories into your regular wardrobe a month or two before the operation.
You can also cut your hair short in preparation, just to let the people in your life get used to seeing this new style. Try out different hats, add sunglasses, and experiment with some new colors or clothes to draw attention away from your head. After a few weeks, most people will adjust to your new look and think nothing of it.
Scheduling Smart: Maximize Your Time Off
Another smart move is to wait for the summer and take some time off from work to go on a vacation and have the surgery then. If you fly out to Turkey on a Friday and take five days off, you’ll have two full weekends and everything in between to recover before going back to work.
This gives your hair follicles plenty of time to heal, and people will expect you to be a bit sunburnt or wearing a cool new hat you bought on vacation to remind you of the good times.
Relax and Don’t Overthink It
Hiding the fact that you’ve had hair restoration surgery until you can grow your new hair longer takes a bit of work, but it doesn’t have to be an awkward period for you. With a few simple changes, like adding a loose fitting hat to your daily outfits, cutting your hair shorter, using a concealer, and timing things just right, you can ensure a smooth transition.
If you introduce some of these changes well before the surgery, no one will be able to tell that there is something different about you until you finally wow them with your new hair.