It’s one of the most common questions we get asked by many of our patients following their hair transplant procedures. The question of how active one can be after a hair replacement procedure is almost as old as the popularity of the procedure itself.
Should you continue to do anything strenuous or lift heavy objects after your hair transplant? Well, there are several factors that will determine when you can get back to your usual activities. In this article, we’ll look at what activities you can engage in relative to how recently you had your hair transplant procedure while keeping your aftercare in perfect shape.
Right After Your Procedure
This period is crucial after you’ve just had your procedure. During the first day or two, you’ll want to lay very low and avoid any physical activities. The reason is that your new grafts are highly fragile during this time, and any slight swipes could cause them to dislodge.Day 2: Light Activities
On day two after your hair transplant procedure, you may be able to resume light activities such as walking around, driving, or using stairs without any problems. However, you should avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activities like running or jumping until your body gets used to the new hairline. An excellent way to keep yourself in check is to avoid activities that are likely to cause you to sweat, strain, or affect your aftercare routine in any form. You may also be able to sit at a desk and do some computer work without negatively impacting your grafts’ healing process.Day 5: No Straining
Once you come off the “active rest” list by day 5, our doctors will clear you for light exercises — like walking around the block or getting on a bike or elliptical — with little to no pain. It’s vital that you don’t overexert yourself while still healing your body from surgery. Feel free to engage in sweaty activities, but we strongly recommend avoiding anything strenuous at this stage. As long as you’re not raising your blood pressure or heart rate too high, then you should be fine. After this point, you may start running and working out again if your doctor says it’s okay.Day 10: Modest Straining
Around this time, you can freely engage in sweaty and modestly strenuous activities, but it is best not to overdo it. That means you can now include picking up light weights on your next visit to the gym. How many reps you can do without struggling is a good way to measure this. If that plays out at around 10 to 15 reps before you start to feel any serious stress, then it’s probably light enough. Of course, you might feel sore from time to time when you start exercising again, but this should pass quickly.3 Weeks: Heavy Sweating and Straining
By this time, after your hair transplant procedure, you should be able to engage in highly demanding physical activities easily. That means you can return to the usual Crossfit, boxing, or any other type of competitive sports and activities you enjoyed before your procedure. Beyond the 3-week mark, you can pretty much return to your standard or usual routine of activities as it’s relatively safe to do anything from hair onwards.Conclusion
Ultimately, the key is to be smart, don’t overdo it, and ensure you get plenty of rest so your body can heal. As long as you take care of your transplanted hair and make a few important lifestyle choices, your hair transplant should last for a long time.Schedule a Consult
Interested in hair replacement? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Northwestern Hair specialist. Choose between comprehensive in-person and convenient virtual consultations.