Like all medical operations, hair transplantation operation carries some risk for certain side effects. Although, most side effects caused by hair transplantation fall under mild disturbances and most resolve without intervention.
After the operation, our team will give you instructions and recommendations. This will help reduce the chance of hair transplantation side effects to a minimum. Following these instructions and recommendations will also greatly influence the outcome of your hair transplant.
When something unexpected happens after the hair transplant operation, patients rightfully seek assurance. And thus, they knock at their doctors’ doors. One of the relatively common complaints after hair transplant operation is about pimples in their transplanted area. The pimples usually catch patients’ attention at around 2 to 3 months after the procedure. We call this condition folliculitis, and it is most likely not harmful to you. Let’s dive deeper into this topic and get informed.
More about Pimples
First of all, rest assured that these pimples on the scalp are likely to disappear in 6 months. They often pose no serious health risk still; visiting the doctor will not hurt, of course. We usually associate pimples in the recipient area with two possible causes. It can either be a mild infection or ingrown hair. Regardless of the cause, hair transplant pimples often disappear on their own without intervention.
The inflamed follicles can be prevented or treated with some certain measures. The first option patients have is to wash their hair by taking our guidelines as a reference. The frequency of washes and using the correct method plays an important role here. Also, you should do the washes with the recommended shampoo to help prevent folliculitis. When you follow these instructions correctly, you reduce your risk of developing scalp pimples drastically.
Things You Should Avoid
On a side note, you should also consider avoiding taking hot showers, because hot water may increase the chances of developing folliculitis. Besides this, avoiding excessive sun exposure can also help. Heat and sweating will affect your follicles in a similar fashion to hot showers.
One more thing to consider is to avoid using headphones with headbands. Continuous pressure on freshly grafted follicles may cause them to grow inwards. Of course, the same thing applies to hats that fit tightly. In addition to them, avoiding excessive sun exposure can also help. Heat and sweating can affect your follicles in a similar fashion to hot showers.
Conclusion
If you suspect that the pimples on your scalp are infected, you should book an appointment with our doctors right away. If that is not possible, another doctor is okay too. In the case of confirmed infection, doctors often prescribe topical antibiotics (applied directly on the skin) and/or systemic antibiotics (taken orally). Once resolved, folliculitis usually does not have any impact on hair growth in the affected area.