Normal side effects in the first two weeks
In the first days the forehead and eyelids often swell — it typically peaks around day 3–5 and settles within a week. Sleep with your head elevated, keep the grafts out of direct sun, and use cold compresses only where your clinic directs, never directly on the grafts.
Redness, tightness and scabs are part of healing: crusts usually come off during the gentle washing protocol your clinic teaches around day 7–14. Mild tenderness, itchiness and a numb or tingling scalp are common and gradually fade; the transplanted area can look worse before it looks better.
Shock loss: the scary-but-expected phase
Most transplanted hairs shed between weeks 2 and 6. The follicles stay alive under the skin — shedding is part of the growth cycle, not a failed graft. Some patients also lose nearby native hairs temporarily; this shock loss usually reverses within a few months.
From around month three new hairs start to appear, meaningful density builds by months 8–12, and the final result is judged at 12 months or later. Monthly photos from fixed angles show progress objectively when the mirror feels discouraging.
Rare complications and when to call your clinic
Infection is uncommon when the clinic works sterile and you follow aftercare; small pimples (folliculitis) around months 1–3 are common and usually clear with a simple antiseptic. Persistent numbness, slow wound healing, or a visibly thinned donor area from over-harvesting are rarer issues worth raising at your follow-up.
Contact your clinic urgently if you develop fever, spreading redness or warmth, pus or a foul smell, pain that increases after the first five days, or any opening in the wound. When in doubt, call early — most problems are far easier to treat in the first days than after a week.
How to keep risks low — and track them honestly
Risk starts with choice: pick a verified clinic, confirm who makes the incisions and what the sterile and aftercare protocol looks like, and follow it exactly — gentle washing, no scratching, no smoking or nicotine for at least two weeks before and after (it impairs graft survival), no sport, sauna or sun for two to four weeks, and no blood thinners unless your doctor says so.
Then track recovery instead of guessing: photograph from the same angles every month, keep your timeline, and compare at each follow-up. This article is for information only and is not medical advice — any concerning symptom should be evaluated by your clinic or dermatologist.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. HairCraft is not a medical device. Consult a dermatologist or authorized healthcare provider before making medical decisions.