Exercise Post-Op

[TrixGlendevon]

Hi! How long do you have to wait, post-op, before you can lift weights and do martial arts again? Also, how long before you can swim again? Thanks!

[Regs]

I was told a month for each. 

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

FUT?? I wouldn’t do much strenuous weight lifting for 6 months. Can affect the scar. 

FUE?? A month should be fine 

[kimura50]

I had FUE, I was told 1 month. To be safe I started weights after 2 months and back into BJJ after 3.

[gillenator]

No issues with exercising and weight lifting with FUE but FUHT always presents risks with stretching of the strip scar.

The key is to avoid any activity that puts any kind of tension in the donor area like weights, sit-ups, pull ups, push up, etc.

Some feel waiting 3 months is adequate, others feel 6 months or more.

Talk to your surgeon for advice.

[Melvin- Admin]

You should always follow your clinics advice, it also depends on whether you will reveive FUT or FUE. Generally, FUE exercise can be resumed after two weeks, FUT typically patients have to wait a month. However, longer time may be required depending on the activity, for example BJJ may cause substantial strain on the scar and cause it to stretch I would personally steer clear for 3 months until the wound is fully healed. 

[gillenator]

Many times we tend to look at how the scar has healed only on the outer surface of scalp tissue (epidermis) and not consider how the inner layer (dermis) has healed.

We tend to rationalize that if the strip scar looks healed on the outside that all is well.  Not necessarily true and why avoiding exercise that stretch the scalp are to be avoided.

Because it is vital that both the inner layer as well as the outer layer are healed enough to avoid a stretching of the scar.