After a hair transplant, the same three questions always come up. How should I sleep? When can I exercise? And what applies in everyday life with caps, sun and sauna? Here we go through the answers, one at a time. One thing first: your clinic's own instructions always come first. The times below are general guidelines, not medical advice.
Sleep: elevated for the first nights
For the first two to three nights you sleep best on your back with your head slightly elevated. It shields the transplanted area and is gentle on the swelling. A neck pillow helps you keep your head still, and pillows around your body lower the chance of moving in your sleep. Many clinics advise you to sleep on your back for up to a week.
Avoid sleeping directly on the transplanted area. Resting on the donor area is fine, though. Clean bedding is a simple way to leave the scalp in peace. After the first week, most people can sleep as usual again, but listen to what your clinic says about your procedure.
Exercise: take it slow at first
A light walk soon after the procedure is usually fine, and gentle movement is good for circulation. What should wait is anything that gets your heart rate up properly: plan on about 14 days without strenuous activity, according to most clinics' advice.
After that period you can gradually start again. Ask your clinic before you go back to the gym. It is the shortest route to a safe answer.
Everyday life: caps, sun and sauna
A loose, clean cap usually works after about five days, if the clinic has approved it. A beanie waits until the scabs have come off. During the first month you should avoid strong sun completely, and after that sunscreen with SPF 50 is a good habit for a while.
Sauna and swimming, both sea and pool, have to wait until after about four weeks. The same timeframe usually applies to styling products. Heat, steam and strong formulations do not belong on a sensitive scalp. Here too, the clinic's schedule comes before ours.
When the daily routine takes over
Once the washing is underway, which you can read more about in our walkthrough of the first seven days, aftercare becomes simple. Cleanse gently with Lather Me Up, follow up with Mist Me Crazy and finish with Whip Me Good for moisture without weight.
Want to see the whole period step by step? Read the aftercare week by week. That is where sleep, exercise and everyday life find their place in the bigger picture.