When Can You Wear a Hat After Hair Transplantation?

Many men and women undergo the hair restoration process, and winter can seem like the perfect time to go for the procedure. Everybody wraps up and covers their hair with a winter hat.

A hat, of course, may seem like a logical idea to keep your head and ears protected from the cold and wind, but when you’ve been through a hair transplant you may question whether you can. How do you make sure that your continued improvement won’t get damaged by this? And is there any way to keep your head warm if hats aren’t a viable solution?

Hair Transplantation The Healing Process

After a hair restoration treatment, it can take from anytime between 7 and 10 days for the grafts to begin to fully anchor in their new location; until the healing process has completely been achieved and gained permanency you should avoid any manipulating or compression on the scalp. Wearing a hat could dislodge, move or even compress the grafts which could result in the outcome not being as satisfactory as you’ve liked.

So, Can You Wear a Hat After a Hair Transplant?

It is suitable to wear a hat after a hair transplant; however, you must approach with care and sensitivity. The hat should be placed very sensitively on the head.

In the cold weather, it is necessary to keep yourself warm and insulated, especially your head, however, if you have recently undergone a procedure to the area such as a hair transplant you may feel apprehensive about wearing a hat.

Different surgeons have different protocols and will tell you after you’ve had the procedure, with some recommending to wait as long as 3 – 4 weeks to make sure the grafts are completely anchored.

Certain headwear such as motorcycle helmets are sure to rub the grafts and shouldn’t be worn for the first 2-3 weeks. Other tighter headwear should be avoided, however, looser hats or hats which can be adjusted can be an exception. You can usually adjust most caps and you can find winter bobble hats or beanies which are looser on your head.

When putting the hat on, make sure it’s loose and as wide as possible around the head. When you take the hat off, try and avoid contact with the transplanted zone.

What to Keep in Mind

Please keep in mind that its normal to feel self-conscious after a hair transplant and wearing a hat may be your go-to solution to overcome this. You should understand that your appearance will adjust, but to keep the results as the best they can be, you should avoid too much contact with the grafts.

Now that one of the two main components to keep in mind during this process has been discussed in the form of avoiding tight headwear, we draw attention to what it is made of. Cotton should be avoided due to its tendency to actually stick to the hair follicles and interfere with the healing process. If the hat is too tight, it can stick to the grafts.

The grafts should be secure between 10 days to 2 weeks, but the only main issue would still be sensitivity from the fabrics. The skin will still be delicate in certain areas, so if you feel comfortable, wearing a hat, this is fine. Refrain from wearing a hat or headwear for an extended period of time but the walk to work and home should be fine!

Here at Sapphire Hair Clinic we would recommend you wait a minimum of 10 days before wearing a hat. This is a sufficient amount of time for the grafts to heal.

Everyone heals differently, and your head may still be sensitive. Be aware of any irritation, as you do not want to feel uncomfortable and have any interference with the healing process – Use your initiative.

A hat can be a great solution to help with confidence when out and about after your hair transplant. The team at Sapphire will provide all the necessary information after your procedure. If you follow the brief guidelines everything will be fine.

Simply get in touch with our team of experts for further information on the procedure.