Sleeping after having a transplant is a subject that falls into the category of post-operative care. Although it rarely happens, many patients worry about accidentally damaging their scalp while they are sleeping. However, playing it safe is the best way to guarantee good results.
Sleeping Techniques for Hair Transplant Patients
There are several sleeping techniques you can apply and some precautions you can take.
- Sleeping on your back or on your stomach may cause swellings on your face. You should avoid doing it and sleep on your sides instead. You can put pillows on your sides to limit your movement while sleeping.
- Place pillow on corners or any other places where you might bump your head into. Your scalp will be very sensitive during the healing period. Bumping your head may damage your transplants, causing them to fall out. No patient would want that to happen.
- Some suggest that travel pillows are very useful for hair transplant patients. You can put a travel pillow around your neck and try to limit any further movement. Rubbing your head against your pillow could also damage your transplants.
- You may think that wearing a bandage is a valid solution for head bumps. But wearing a bandage more than the time that your doctor recommends may cause swelling around your head area.
- Use clean sheets and pillowcases on your bed. The last thing you would want is to get an infection. Also, be sure that you are using allergen-free detergents. Otherwise, you may irritate your scalp during its healing phase. You may want to place a towel on your pillow as some leakage may occur during the night.
Returning Back to Normal Sleeping
The patients can return to their normal sleeping habits and physical activities and wash their hairs as regular after 10 days form the operation. The recipient and donor areas will have healed enough by that time. But it is important to note that the duration of the healing period may differ depending on the patient.
Further Precautions
There are many more tips ranging from what to eat to how to sleep, which helps patients to get good results. Here at esteGrande, we give our patients a detailed briefing after the surgery about how post-operative care should be done. The information we share with our patients helps them achieve the hair they desire.