Question:
How long after my hair transplant will I need to worry about sun exposure? Is it okay to be in the sun as long as I am wearing a hat and will the hat negatively affect the transplant in any way?

Answer:
As long as a few days have gone by after the hair transplantation procedure, a hat that is put on carefully following the instructions given to the patient by the physician should not cause any harmful impact to the transplants.

The concern with sun exposure is more related to direct sun exposure to the grafted area. In most cases, immediately following the hair transplantation procedure, the patient will have redness and irritation in the grafted area. It is this area that is of concern with getting direct sun exposure.

I always recommend to the patient no direct sun exposure in the transplanted area until all the wounds have healed and the transplanted area has returned to its normal color, no longer showing any signs of redness.

It is possible for a patient to be in the sun with a hat on after the hair transplantation procedure and not necessarily cause any harm to the hair transplants. One should keep in mind, if in the sun too long, sweating does occur and more cleansing of the transplanted area would be necessary.

Posted by: Dr. Charles