Preparing For your Procedure

You will need some medications for your procedure and aftercare. We will prescribe these for you and ask you bring them with you the day of your procedure.

Please fill out your prescription information at northwesternhair.com/rx (2 min process).

Your day may be different depending on the customizations, but this is what you can typically expect.

Watch Dr. Vinay get his procedure:

Here are the step we’ll go through.

1) PROFESSIONAL HAIR CUT
Our professional stylist partners make your buzzcut look as good as possible.

2) REVIEW YOUR GOALS
You’ll meet our transplant team and we’ll all review your goals.

3) NUMBING MEDICATION
Once you’re numb, you will not feel the rest of the procedure.

4) COLLECTION OF HAIR GRAFTS
While you lay on your stomach, we’ll collect individual grafts for 2-4 hours.

5) EVALUATE HAIR GRAFTS
We’ll order lunch from your preferred restaurant in the area.

6) EVALUATE HAIR GRAFTS
While you’re having lunch, we evaluate every hair graft to ensure its healthy.

7) DESIGN A NATURAL RESULT
We dedicate an entire step to designing the placement and direction of hairs.

8) INSERT NEW HAIR GRAFTS
Now that placement and direction of hairs are set, our team will insert hairs.

These medical issues can impact your procedure, but we can control for them if we know ahead of time. 

We recommend holding all alcohol and drugs for 48 prior to your procedure and for 10 days afterwards.

If you are taking any of the following medications or supplements, please try to stop them 10 days prior to your procedure. If you are on other medications, review them with Dr. Vinay on you pre-procedure call.

Prescription medications

• warfarin (Coumadin)
• enoxaparin (Lovenox)
• clopidogrel (Plavix)
• ticlopidine (Ticlid)
• dipyridamole (Persantine)
• minoxidil
• finasteride

Over-the-counter medications

• Aspirin (Bayer, Ecotrin, Excedrin, etc)
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs: Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Toradol, etc)
• Minoxidil

Supplements

• Dong Quai
• Echinacea
• Ephedra
• Feverfew
• Fish Oil Omega‐3 Fatty acids
• Garlic
• Ginko Biloba
• Ginger
• Ginseng
• Green Tea
• Kava Kava
• Licorice
• St. John’s Wort
• Valerian
• Vitamin E (large doses)
• Vitamin C (large doses)

PAIN
For almost all, pain is minimal. Usually, by the next day all you need is Tylenol.

ACTIVITY | EXERCISE | SEX
You can start light activity on Day 2, but no sweating or straining. On Day 5, you can sweat, but still no straining. On Day 10, sweating and moderate straining is fine. At 3 weeks, anything goes.

SHOWERING
You can shower the next day, but don’t get your hair wet. On Day 2, you’ll use soap and water to wash your new hair. The rest of our hairs, you can wash normally. On Day 5, you’ll start shampooing your new hairs lightly. On Day 10, you can shower normally.

WORK
You’ll have a dressing on for 2 days, but you’ll feel fine to work the next day. Review the activity restrictions to determine when you can safely work.

SUN
Minimize sun exposure for 5 days. On Day 5, you can wear a cap if you are in the sun. At 3 weeks, all is good, but sunscreen is best.

WEARING HATS
You can wear a cap starting Day 5, but make sure the brim doesn’t touch your new hair. At 3 weeks, anything goes.

SWELLING
Swelling occurs in about one-half of people but is only noticeable when hairs are placed in the front. If you have swelling, it typically peaks at day 4-5 and is gone by day 8-10.

BRUISING
It is very rare to have a bruise.

INFECTION
Infections are rare, but we place everyone on antibiotics.