If you are thinking about getting a hair transplant, you should learn more about it. The technique itself, the magic underlying the operation, the healing period, and the things you should do and avoid are the primary factors that you need at least be aware of before undergoing surgery.
The first thing to know is what the procedure of a hair transplant is. Your surgeon will take follicles from a dense hair location, such as the back of the head, which will be referred to as the donor area. They then insert the follicles into microscopic perforations in the afflicted scalp area during a hair transplant.
There are two main ways to achieve this, follicular unit strip surgery and follicular unit extraction.
Follicular unit surgery; a strip of skin will be removed from the donor area and the incision will be closed with stitches, then your surgeon will use a microscope to split the donor skin into tiny follicular units containing one or more hair follicles, which will be inserted into the appropriate location.
Follicular unit extraction; the surgeon will pluck follicles from the donor area with a tiny punch tool. Although some scarring will occur as a result of this operation, it will be less visible, and the client will likely not require stitches.
Both of the methods are safe and have high success rates in terms of the achievement and being permanent solution for hair loss and baldness. Nevertheless, your role is just started. Once your surgeons completed the operation, they give you instructions to follow for the best results. For instance, they say what to do and not to do in the recovery period.
The prominent issues that you should avoid from;
- Having sexual relationship
- Doing sports
- Any kind of activity that may increase your blood pressure
- Consuming coffee or alcohol
Thus, it would not be wrong to say that you will recover in 7-10 days if you follow the surgeon’s instructions after a hair transplantation surgery, except for extreme situations. And, there will be no reason why you can’t return to work immediately afterwards, although you may want to take 3-5 days off first.
On the other hand, whether you followed the instructions which are given by your surgeon or not, slight swelling and moderate pain are possible. This is typical and to be expected. If needed, you will be offered pain medication to help you get through this phase. Most patients do not require pain medication during this phase, but you should take medication if needed. There may be some scabbing in the donor area which is completely natural and healthy and should be removed within the first 2-3 days of bathing.
Still, you have your responsibilities to have a minimal problem in your recovery, including avoiding form sexual activity because it may increase your blood pressure.
So, as you may understood, there are some restrictions and elements that you should pay attention. But, what about sexual activity? Do you need to avoid from it?
Yes, it would be better for you to avoid any kind of sexual activity during the first phase of recovery period of a hair transplantation surgery. The reason for that is directly related to your blood flow. As you may guess, excessive exercise increases blood flow to the scalp and it may cause your transplants or incisions to bleed, so, you should avoid vigorous exercise and contact sports for at least three weeks. As your blood pressure will increase while you are in a sexual relationship, similar to exercise, it may end up with problems such as bleeding and infections. That is to say, sexual activity should be avoided for at least 10 days after surgery.
Moreover, the grafts will have settled into their new location after around 10 days. Patients can resume their typical sexual activities at this point. However, it is critical to proceed with caution and care. And, patients should avoid touching their heads or performing any vigorous pushing or pulling actions that could harm the scalp or grafts. Although patients can resume their usual sex life at the appropriate time.
You will avoid from sexual activity but you may try masturbating. Any action that is gentle on the head and does not impose tension on the scalp will be safer. Masturbation is thus a less dangerous behavior. Patients rarely mention post-operative masturbation since it is a highly private matter. It is important to note, however, that it is better to masturbate in an appropriate posture that does not damage the grafts. So, masturbation may be a safer act than physical closeness with a spouse if this precise position is maintained.
So, let’s summarize why you should avoid from sexual activities in the course of the recovery period of any kind of hair transplantation operation;
First of all, hair transplantation is an uncomplicated but invasive procedure. There are a number of factors that can negatively affect this treatment. Some of these factors can be traced back to sexual activity. For this reason, sexual intercourse is restricted after a hair transplant. In other words, sexual intercourse does not directly harm the hair transplant, but the consequences of sexual intercourse have a negative impact on the hair transplant.
Below are some of the key points of these considerations:
- As the scalp is very thin, sweating in this area has a negative effect on the freshly planted hair grafts. As you may know or guess, sweating is almost inevitable after the heavy exertion of sexual intercourse. Consequently, sweating caused by sexual activity endangers the grafts.
- Blood flow rate and blood pressure both increase during sexual intercourse. Grafts that have not been adequately placed may hemorrhage and explode as a result of this. A circumstance like this will result in a massive loss of grafts.
- The partners cannot entirely control their body motions during sexual intercourse. There is constant communication. Minor mishaps may occur, resulting in blows to the hair transplantation area. The grafts can be lost with the smallest blow to the grafts.
- Hair transplantation, as already mentioned, is a surgical procedure. The convalescent phase of this procedure must be carefully monitored. The body must be kept at strength, and the scalp must be protected from external influences. The fact that sexual intercourse is a very strenuous activity, will adversely affect the healing process.
To cover up, individuals who have had hair transplantation can normally return to their normal lives within 1-3 days. Strenuous activities, on the other hand, should be avoided throughout this time. Because it normally takes 4-12 days for the grafts to settle and become accustomed to their new location. During this time, people should refrain from having sexual relations. Taking this into consideration, doctors recommend avoiding sexual activity for 7-10 days. However, it should be noted that this duration varies from person to person. Because people’s recuperation times and methods differ. Because of this variation, everyone’s break for sexual intercourse may be different.
Why is sex prohibited after hair transplant?
You are sweating during sex because you move around a lot like you’re exercising, which could harm the sensitive hair follicles that are trying to cling to the scalp. As a result, you should avoid sex as a demanding activity. The hormones we release during sex, on the other hand, elevate our blood pressure. That is, you may experience bleeding issues that hamper recovery and may compromise the overall success of your surgery. Furthermore, you require protein and other nutrients in your blood to repair scarring and micro wounds, thus avoiding sex is advised because it may induce protein loss, resulting in a disrupted healing process.
How long to wait for sex after hair transplant ?
After hair transplant surgery, sexual activity or heavy cardiovascular activity can blow some grafts due to excessive pressure created on the scalp. It can also affect stitches and subsequent healing at the donor site. It is recommended to not having sexual intercourse for 7-10 days
Is Masturbation Allowed After Hair Transplantation?
It is possible to list the main reasons for the prohibition of sexual intercourse after hair transplantation as follows; since the scalp is very thin, it has a sensitive structure and it is definitely not recommended to have sexual intercourse and masturbate after hair transplantation, as sweating after the operation will affect the hair follicles.
References:
https://transplant.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Sexuality_resource.pdf
