Normally, hair transplantation operations are not risky operations and patients generally do not need long recovery periods. Nevertheless, there may still be certain issues after a hair transplantation surgery such as swelling, itching, bruising, and irritation on the skin. If you are considering to get a hair transplantation surgery, you may experience these side effects of the surgery and although it may chance person to person the last thing that you want to deal with would be swelling.
To further comprehension, you should first know what swelling is. Swelling is defined as a rise within the size or change within the shape of a bodily area produced by the buildup of liquid body substance, tissue growth, or abnormal movement or position of tissue. That is to say, surgeries whether they are cosmetic or not are the most possible times that you will experience swelling.
So, to comprehend the reason why patients experience swelling after any kind of surgery including a hair transplant, one should know how swelling works in body. Swelling is a frequent side effect of any surgery because the body sends thousands of cells to the wounded or operated part as it begins to heal itself. This is a component of the inflammatory phase, the first step of healing. The introduction of all of these cells into the region causes further edema. That further edema in some cases, is so severe that the patient cannot open his or her eyes. It is sometimes accompanied by eyelid ecchymosis. This could lead to morbidity as well as a delay in returning to normal life and work. Many therapies for edema have been offered, including both physical measures and steroid injections.
Physical measures that can make you relieved or reduce the swelling on your head are respectively; cold compress, elevating your head, avoiding exercise, and sleeping on your back.
- Firstly, using a cold compress to minimize puffiness around the eyes can assist. They aid in the narrowing of blood vessels near the eye, so avoiding the consequences of eye puffiness. On the other side, everything must be done with caution, as too much cold compression can inhibit the formation of new hair follicles. Furthermore, by limiting blood flow, compression can assist minimize edema if you use cold press method too much. Moreover, it is best to compress the cheeks rather than the skull because the graft is still weak, any additional pressure or movement can harm it. As a result, they should be avoided from pressure.
- Secondly, elevating your head. The target area, which is your head in this circumstance, must be raised, which is typically suggested for all types of surgery, not only hair transplantation. However, even while sleeping, your head should remain elevated, and you should not attempt to stoop over and look down instead of lifting it. If you pay attention these elements, the risk of swelling will be reduced.
- Thirdly, you may be able to resume regular activities 3 to 4 days after the transplant. However, avoid strenuous physical activity because it can increase swelling. It also can cause swelling to bursting, which may eventually cause the formation of a grume. Also, vigorous exercise will make you sweat, and sweating can interfere with the healing process by increasing the risk of infection and consequently swelling.
- Lastly, it would be beneficial for you to sleep on your back during the initial stages of your future hair transplant. But you should make sure your back is properly supported while sleeping. Also, keep an eye on your head angle. Lastly, to minimize swelling, place a few pillows behind your neck.
On the other hand, steroid injection is one another way of reducing swelling. Nevertheless, if you consider to get a hair transplantation surgery, you should know how swelling can be reduced by steroids. So, to achieve this comprehension, you should first know about steroids.
Steroid come in a variety of formulations that differ in terms of how easy they dissolve and how long they stay in the body. They can be administered locally, to the exact location of a problem, or systemically, which means throughout the “system” or body. You can get steroids in your body by oral medications or they can be administered directly into a vein or muscle.
Furthermore, the primary goal of steroids is to decrease the production of substances that induce inflammation. This helps to keep tissue injury to a minimum. Steroids also suppress immune system activity by altering the function of white blood cells. As a result, the higher the level of chemicals and white blood cell activity, the lower the likelihood of swelling.
Nevertheless, that is not all. You may also fight with swelling implementing some other techniques. Except for cold compress, elevating your head, avoiding exercise, and sleeping on your back, you have some other chances to reduce the effects of swelling.
For instance, you can keep yourself as hydrated as possible throughout the recovery time of a hair transplant. This is due to the fact that water aids in the cleaning of the liquid injected into the skull during the recovery time. Because drinking water is the greatest way to stay hydrated, you should drink at least 2.5 liters every day to reduce swelling.
Furthermore, a gentle sweeping motion from the center of the forehead to the side can be used to push the fluid under the skin and reduce swelling. Nevertheless, keep in mind that it is critical not to pull the skin and to avoid contacting the recipient area.
To sum up, if you develop minor swelling after following all of the above recommendations, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. To ease pain, apply an ice pack every hour for up to 10 minutes and take recommended pain relievers. On the other hand, if it is not so severe that you cannot even see, keep in mind that it is a natural process of the recovery period of any kind of surgery, all effects of swelling will vanish into the thin air in one week.
What causes swelling after hair transplant?
When you hear that you will experience swelling concerns shortly after your hair transplant, you may be curious as to why you swell. So, here’s the solution. Swelling can occur because of a hair transplant procedure, in which the surgeon injects certain fluids into the scalp, such as anesthesia and adrenaline, to relieve pain and bleeding and to create a space between the scalp and skull muscles, allowing the surgeon to easily remove hair follicles from the donor area. The swelling can last for several days with correct treatment, but in some circumstances, it can bring infection and discomfort to the patient.
How long does swelling last after hair transplant?
Facial swelling and swelling of the scalp after hair transplant are seen in almost every patient. This swelling begins as soon as the hair transplant is completed and continues for an average of 4-5 days. Although the first day after the operation is more and more, every day it decreases and ends completely.
How can I reduce swelling after hair transplant?
These fluids are excreted from the body’s circulation through the kidneys. In addition, swelling is reduced by applying an ice bag to the forehead and face area. Edema can be decayed with the application of an ice bag repeated two hours apart.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2956963/#:~:text=INTRODUCTION,the%20eyelids%20(black%20eyes).
https://www.hairpalace.co.uk/how-to-reduce-swelling-after-hair-transplant/
