After how many days can I fly after HT?

[Traction]

After how many days can I fly from India to UK after having FUE? About 3500 grafts are needed.

 

Thanks.

[Blake Bloxham]

Traction,

 

There seems to be mixed opinion when it comes to flying after hair transplant surgery.

 

Some experts recommend flying the day after surgery. They state that patients should visit the clinic the day after the procedure for a post-operative wash and checkup, and then fly home. These hair restoration experts believe that the forehead and facial swelling sometimes associated with hair transplantation truly arises the second or third day after a procedure, and traveling before this inflammation begins is usually easier on patients.

 

Other experts disagree, and believe patients should spend a few days healing and recovering before traveling by plane. This helps ensure patients don't accidentally disturb the newly implanted follicular units and affect the overall yield.

 

Either way, most physicians do not believe the changes in pressure and elevation associated with flying cause any excessive bleeding or damage to the new grafts. This means if patients truly want to fly the day after hair transplant surgery, they can. Knowing this, it is likely best to review the individual clinic's policies/recommendations on traveling after a hair transplant and discuss flying plans with the operating physician.

 

Hope this helps!

[sl]

As said flying the next day is okay but need to be careful not to bang your head. The flight can exacerbate the swelling but will not cause a problem per se for the grafts.

 

If you don't go the day after then maybe wait a few days for the swelling to subside as it can be at its worse day 3/4 post surgery then go down so some just feel more human travelling when that has happened.

 

In any event try to get a window seat away from corridor where you could be knocked and remember to be extra careful when getting up to go to the toilet etc as many do bang their heads so really need to be extra careful.

[Rothki]

I personally would plan to fly after say 5-6 days and rest up before flying. For me the first few days were rather uncomfotable and i enjoyed staying in bed

[ck31]

I flew the day after surgery, I got my hair washed at the clinic before I went as it was an afternoon flight. I didn't have any sedatives during the procedure so felt fine. I wore a hat the clinic provided. I guess ideally I would have waited a week to fly so nothing touched my scalp for the first week but it was too expensive to wait around and i wanted to be in my own bed. Plus my hotel only had a shower not a bath, so it would have been difficult to wash properly after, you need to use a jug of water or a very gentle shower head to wash your grafts with.