Can I do sports after a hair transplant?
By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2020-03-30
Many people wonder about doing sports after a hair transplant. When should they be able to start practicing their favourite sport, or what kind of sports are convenient during the first days after the hair surgery, are also very common questions among people that have undergone a hair transplantation or that search for the cost of a hair transplant in Turkey.
If you are in such a situation, and you have the same queries, in this article we are not only answering these frequently asked questions, but also offering you several useful tips that will be very helpful when practicing any physical activity to avoid damaging your grafted hair.
Exercise after hair transplant procedure
After a hair transplant, resting during the first week and avoid any kind of intense physical exercise is very important to not cause any damage to the grafts, since sudden movements and physical efforts, as well as sweating, sun exposure and any pressure inflicted on the operated area can affect to transplant results, especially while the grafted area is still healing after the surgery.
Therefore, if you wonder "can you sweat after a hair transplant?", the answer is: not too much, because sweating increases the risk of infection... During the first week after the hair transplant we´d better not do any intense physical activity, such as weight training, running, and or course never playing football, since when playing a match there is a high risk of receiving hits in the head and causing injuries to the new grafted follicles.
A key to know if we can start doing sports after our hair transplant is to check if the healing process of the grafts has concluded: if the scabs have fallen off, this means that scars caused by the grafting process have healed; this usually happens after 7-10 days from the operation, but the healing process vary depending on each patient because of factors such as age, overall health, previous conditions, and so on.
But always remember: as long as the healing process is not complete, you should always rest: otherwise, you may cause harm to the new grafts and alter the results of the operation. In fact, it would be ideal to avoid doing any physical activity during the first month to guarantee the best results. However, it is generally accepted that from the 2nd week low-intensity activities and sports can be carried out, always without involving excessive effort or sweating.
What kind of sports can I do after hair transplant?
Playing sports is something very healthy and a great contribution to our well-being; however, not all sports are suitable after undergoing a hair transplant, since we must take care of the implanted area and refrain from causing any damage to the grafts. Although there is a general consensus on doing sports from the 2nd week (if the healing process is complete), they must be low-intensity and aerobic activities, without implying a great effort, contact or sweating.
So, we can perform exercises such as walking (without running), stretching, pilates or warm-up exercises in a moderate way. But during the 2nd week after our hair operation, activities such as weight training cannot be carried out: we should wait until the 3rd or 4th week for that. However, we can do repetition exercises without any weight.
If what we wish is to do sports that involve physical contact (soccer, basketball, etc.) we will have to wait for at least a month after the transplant operation. It is important to respect the recommended periods of waiting, since doing any activity prematurely can lead to graft injuries that may cause our transplant not to be successful or with the expected results.
Besides, it´s very important to avoid sun when practicing exercise during the first weeks after the hair transplant, because sunrays also affect the follicles health and its healing process, and they also increase sweating... and so the risk of infection. The best we can do is to do sports in a shadow place or during cloudy days. Do not use hats or caps, since they create frictions and pressures on the operated area that can damage the grafts.
Can I swim in a pool or the sea?
Doing sports like swimming that involve wetting our hair in chlorinated or salty water can be very harmful to our grafts. Keep in mind that moisture, and especially chlorine and other chemicals that can be found in swimming pool water, damage follicles and the scalp skin, causing dehydration and irritation, and also removing natural oils that protect hair.
For the same reason we must avoid sea water or salt water pools, since salt is also a corrosive agent that causes dehydration, too; in addition, saltwater pools may contain other products that may affect hair health. Likewise, it is not recommended to go to saunas or spas during the first weeks after our operation.
In general, experts' recommendation is to wait at least a month -some say up to 3 months- to do any sport in the water after a hair transplant; even after that time has passed, it´s recommended to wear a swim cap to protect our head. In addition to wearing a swim a cap, to increase protection it´s a good practice to moisten our hair and apply a hair conditioner without rinsing hair, so that the conditioner acts as a barrier against chlorine.
Important: always follow your doctor's recommendations
All these tips about doing sports after a hair transplant can help us to protect our new hair; however, the most important thing is to always follow your doctor's recommendations on what to do in our specific case: that's why it´s so important to get a hair transplant with experienced clinics such as Clinicana. Take a look at the reviews on hair transplant in Turkey, and find out why we're the best valued clinic. Ask for a free consultation now!
