Wearing cap after hair transplant: when and how

By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2021-06-08

Wearing cap after hair transplant: is it possible? Many patients who come to our clinic interested about the cost of a hair trasplantation, ask us questions like this, even before carrying out the surgery itself. It is well known that normally, after the operation, it is necessary to avoid during some time any contact, friction or pressure on the operated area; however, in what concerns to caps, there are certain peculiarities.

Can I use cap after hair transplant? When? How? These doubts about a complex process such as getting hair implants, are perfectly normal and understandable; in another post, we talked about wearing a helmet after the operation: that is why this time we want to focus on the most common questions about wearing caps and such type of garment after the surgery.  If you also have these doubts, you definitely should not miss what comes next.

Can we wear cap after hair transplant? When is it possible?

So, can I wear a cap after a FUE hair transplant? In general, once hair has been transplanted in an operation, wearing a cap or a hat is not recommended until several days have passed: you should wait a month to wear cap or hat after the surgery, in order to avoid any damage to follicles. However, after medical consultation, it might be possible to use it before, about 10 days after the operation; but the cap or hat should be light, and not put pressure both on the recipient and in the donor area.

First of all, it is very important to follow the recommendations of the medical team on pre-op instructions and care after the hair transplant, in order to avoid any damage to the implanted follicles and so that the operation gets the desired result. In case of doubt, it should be the specialised medical staff of the clinic the one who should advise us: they will decide, depending on your particular case, the appropriate time to wear a cap.

For example, wearing a baseball cap after a hair transplant may not be recommended until a month has passed from the surgery; especially if the cap is made of wool, since this is a material that, due to its characteristics, can become entangled with the newly implanted follicles and cause wounds, or even tear them off when we take off our cap. Therefore, waiting to use these caps until healing process is over and follicles are settled on scalp, is essential.

With regard to sun visors, if they are not too tight, they may be used in principle about 10 days after getting the hair implants; the same happens for example with hats. In any case, in case of doubt and if there is a minimal possibility that, by covering our head, we will put pressure on the operated area, the best choice is to wait for a month to wear any garment on your head.

Why should I wear a cap after hair transplant?

Once we have answered to the question “can I wear cap after hair transplant”? what comes next is: “Why should I wear one?”. Well, there are several cases in which wearing a cap after a hair transplant can be beneficial, and even advisable. A cap can be a good way to hide the effects of hair implants if we feel some sort of insecurity because others may observe us, despite the fact that thanks to the FUE technique the postoperative period is really short, and the healing process is very fast.

Apart from aesthetic or psychological considerations, a cap can also be very useful to avoid direct exposure to the sun in the operated area, something that we must avoid specially in the first days to guarantee proper healing and that hair transplant is successful; to get this, we should use a loose cap after the hair transplant in order to avoid any friction or alteration in follicles; besides, cap should preferably be made of cotton.

There is, however, some controversy about whether a cap should be wear of not after a hair transplantation; there are experts who believe that it should not be used before a month in any case, while others consider that as long as the cap meets certain requirements, its use does not pose a risk to follicles and can even be a great ally to avoid damage by solar radiation.

In general, we consider that if patient does not need to go outside on a sunny day - in which sunlight can hit directly on the operated area - wearing a cap is totally unnecessary, and the best option is to avoid risks and, therefore, not use it; however, if covering the head becomes necessary, our opinion is that - as long as you follow several recommendations - it may be advisable to wear a cap. Let's see what these recommendations are.

Tips about using cap after a FUE transplant

It might be advisable to use cap after a hair transplant in some cases; but we should take into account some advices and recommendations before doing it. In sum, there are two main factors to consider before using a cap: on the one hand, the type of caps to use after hair transplant; and on the other, how we use them.

What kind of caps can I wear after hair transplant?

Regarding the type of cap to use after the operation, our recommendation is that it should be light and made of a soft fabric, preferably cotton; it should also be a breathable fabric to avoid too much sweating. Black caps should also be avoided, because this is a colour that accumulates more solar radiation. The most important thing, however, is that the cap does not put pressure on the operated area and keeps a minimal contact with the head.

How should I wear it?

Even if we choose the correct cap, it is essential to follow some basic recommendations about how to wear it, too. First of all, the cap should not be too tight on the head, and if it is adjustable, it is better to leave it as open as possible. In addition, when putting it on and taking it off, we must do it on the opposite way to usual: put it on from the front to the back of our head, and take it off from the back to the front.

Following these useful tips on wearing cap after hair transplant, we should not have problems with our new grafts; in any case, what is essential is to choose a clinic with a skilled medical team capable of advise us correctly after our treatment. Clinicana is the best hair transplant clinic in Turkey, and we are specialised in all types or hair treatments. Request your free consultation, and ask for a free, no obligation estimate. It's not too late to get your hair back!