Hair loss is an unpleasant experience with many factors contributing to it. Genetics, nutritional deficiencies, depression, stress, anxiety, ailments, and even their treatments can cause it. In many cases, it makes people perceive themselves negatively. So, they seek a transplant to restore their confidence.
However, as with all surgeries, there is some physical discomfort that might follow. Hair transplant swelling is one. It is something that patients commonly experience. The good news is that you shouldn’t worry about it.
What is the Swelling?
Swelling is the enlargement of an unusual part of one’s body, both internal and external. It can rather develop on account of inflammation or perhaps due to fluid retained in one’s body. The body does react to this trauma. Surgical wounds happen to be a form of injury that can cause infection as well as swelling. Anesthesia is given due to a lot of fluid being injected into the head before surgery can also be a reason for swelling. Medicines injected during surgery can cause swelling.
What Causes Swelling after Hair Transplant Surgery?
At the point when we see hair transplant patients interestingly, we might see swelling showing up directly on the forehead or under the eyes. Swelling can happen because of a hair transplant technique, in which the hair transplant surgeons infuses specific liquids, like anesthesia and adrenaline, into the scalp to stop the aggravation and pain, and to make a space between the scalp and skull muscles so it can undoubtedly eliminate hair follicles from the donor area. With appropriate treatment, the swelling can keep going for quite some time, while sometimes, it can make infection and inconvenience to the patient.
The accompanying advances should be followed to keep away from difficulties because of irritation. This diminishes swelling as well as forestalls further disease and uneasiness.
Tips to Prevent or Reduce Swelling
There are ways to minimize swelling even after it has developed. Both prevention and minimization techniques are discussed here:
Cold compress:
Using a cold compress can help reduce puffiness around the eyes. They help narrow the blood vessels near the eye, preventing the effects of eye puffiness. Everything must be done with care, as excessive use of cold compression can also affect the growth of new hair follicles.
Compression can help reduce swelling by reducing blood flow. It is advisable to compress the cheeks and not on the head. Because the graft is still fragile, unnecessary pressure or movement can damage it. Hence, they should be avoided.
Avoid vigorous exercise:
Understandably, this is a routine and essential part of their daily routine for some exercise, but also one of the things to avoid immediately during a hair transplant. This can lead to sweating, which should be avoided at all costs.
Elevate your head:
The surgical area must be elevated and usually recommended for all types of surgery, not just hair transplantation. However, this is where your head should stay up even while you sleep, and you shouldn’t try to bend over and look down instead of lifting it.
Sleep on your back:
It would help if you didn’t sleep on your forehead at the immediate stage of your next hair transplant. Make sure your back supports the weight while you sleep. Also, watch out for the angle of your head. Put a few pillows under your neck to reduce swelling.
Drink lots of water and keep hydrated:
During a hair transplant, make sure to stay as hydrated as possible. This is because water helps clean the liquid that is injected into the head during surgery. This will help reduce swelling, so drinking lots of water is recommended.
Continue with massage:
It is best to use a gentle sweeping motion from the centre of the forehead to the side to push the fluid under the skin. It is important not to pull the skin, and you should avoid touching the recipient area.
Avoid certain drugs:
Avoid taking aspirin and ibuprofen for a week as these drugs cause blood thinning and increase swelling.
Use of steroids:
Very low dose steroids help reduce swelling on the forehead. This steroid is given as an injection. Corticosteroids are even given to reduce swelling.
Swelling is a prevalent side effect of hair transplants. These are usually mild side effects that go away after a few days, but sometimes they get worse and last longer. In this case, proper treatment must be taken, and care must be given to improve the situation.
