Typically, hair transplant surgeons advise their patients not to cover their heads for a while after the procedure. Despite your desire to hide any signs of surgery, not giving in to temptation can help you achieve the best results. 

That’s because there are more than a few downsides to wearing a hat or cap. They can dislodge the grafts due to friction, the fabric can snag the hair grafts, and your scalp can get all sweaty underneath. The last one might even lead to an infection. 

So, you have to be careful and make sure that you’re following your surgeon’s instructions. But if you’re wondering if can you wear a hat after hair transplant and exactly when you can start wearing a hat (and which one), read on to find out. 

Can You Wear A Hat After FUE Hair Transplant?

There’s no rule against wearing hats after a FUE hair transplant, only you can’t wear them immediately after.

In a Follicular Unit Extraction surgery, the surgeon takes out individual hair grafts from the back of the head and transplants them into the balding areas of the scalp via tiny incisions. 

These incisions will take time to heal (close up and hold the grafts firmly in place). Your grafts will also take a couple of weeks to take root. And if you rub your scalp forcefully with anything before that, you risk pulling the grafts out. 

It might not even be possible to get the grafts back into your scalp, so it will affect your hair density (depending on the damage, either overall or in a particular area). 

Other than that, even if it’s a loose hat, a stray thread can get stuck on the skin of your scalp or even the graft and end up harming it. 

Lastly, keep in mind that wearing a hat can also accumulate sweat on your scalp. And since you’ll have tiny incisions on your scalp, you might even risk a hair transplant infection. 

That’s why it’s better to ask your surgeon first about what you can and cannot wear after a hair transplant in Turkey. 

When Can You Wear A Hat After A Hair Transplant?

Patients are usually advised to not cover their head with anything for at least 1 week after a hair transplant. 

Loose caps and scarves are considered okay after 2 weeks because your grafts will have taken root by then. It might be okay for you to wear a hat too by this time, but make sure to ask your surgeon first. 

Can You Wear A Hard Hat After A Hair Transplant?

After a hair transplant, you might need to wait 1 month before wearing a hard hat. That’s because the pressure from such a hat might be more damaging for your grafts. The same goes for beanies, woolly hats, or even helmets.

Although certain professions require people wearing hard headgear for their safety. Similarly, if you skate, ride a cycle, or motorcycle, you’ll have to wear a helmet. These situations aren’t always avoidable, so make sure to consult your surgeon about it.

Conclusion 

After you’ve had your FUE hair transplant in Turkey (or anywhere else), your surgeon should provide you detailed post-operative advice. This, of course, includes what you can put on your head. 

Mostly, patients are advised to wait until their scalp has healed a little and grafts are firmly in place. And even when you’re covering your head, keep in mind that you should allow your grafts to breathe, so don’t wear a cap or hat all day long.  

If at any point you’ve got questions about hair transplant Turkey after the surgery or are confused about the kind of headgear you can wear, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Aftercare. 

Reviewed and Approved by Trichologist Yaprak Yazan