Sun Exposure after Hair Transplant

I am trying to schedule a hair transplant during my vacation time toward the end of the year and I was wondering how long after the hair transplant do I have to wait to go out in the sun without my head being covered? Would it be more than two weeks?

Thanks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by J_B_Davis

I am trying to schedule a hair transplant during my vacation time toward the end of the year and I was wondering how long after the hair transplant do I have to wait to go out in the sun without my head being covered? Would it be more than two weeks?

Thanks.

---

Hey JB,

I wouldn’t suggest getting any direct sunlight on the recipient area for at least four to six months after a hair transplant procedure. If it were me, I would avoid getting any sun on my scalp until the transplant reached full maturity.

Some complain of scalp hypersensitivity to the sun for many months after their hair transplant. I have been in contact with a couple guys who believe that they caused permanent discoloration of their scalps because they exposed their heads to direct sunlight too soon after their procedure.

I don't think getting a sun tan is worth risking the financial or emotional investment it takes to undergo surgical hair restoration.

Hope this helps!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by J_B_Davis

I am trying to schedule a hair transplant during my vacation time toward the end of the year and I was wondering how long after the hair transplant do I have to wait to go out in the sun without my head being covered? Would it be more than two weeks?

Thanks.

---

JB,

Glad to see you received some helpful, practical replies. This question comes up quite a bit.

I just wanted to make a distinction. It's not that you can never expose your head to sunlight post-op, it's more how and the duration. I think it's a good idea to cover one's head if one decides to be in the direct sunlight for more than momentary, say five minutes or so. It's a good idea to cover your head whether you have HT surgery or not. That's why you hear the medical professionals state to never allow ANY skin to direct exposure to harmful UV rays without using adequate sun block products or in the case of the scalp, a hat.

Let's say it's a bright sunny day in July and you decide to step out your front door to get your mail at the end of the driveway (100 feet) and come right back. Do you need to cover your head? Not really IMHO. But let's say you are going to cut your grass which is obviously going to expose your scalp much longer. WEAR A HAT.

Dr. Feller, I have also heard that immdediate over-exposure to UV rays can prevent the transplanted follicles from establishing to their new blood supply and they can subsequently perish from this. Do you agree?

I get this question several times a week. Probably because I live and practice medicine in Florida. In the past I have always told patients not to allow any direct sun exposure to the scalpt until they can look in the mirror and not see any redness or discoloration from the procedure. Any time you expose already abnormally pigmented skin to direct sunlight you taking a risk that permanant changes will occur. Meaning there is a chance that there could be some degree of permanant redness. However, after having a similar experience with a patient that Dr. Feller had I now suggest to patients that they wait an additional 1-2 months to insure that the pigment of the skin immediatly surrounding the newly grafted tissue will repond in a similar fashion to the adjacent tissue.

Good informative post and very helpful.

Dr Feller you said that what you noticed was that while the skin around the transplants became VERY red, the sites where the grafts were implanted were totally WHITE. This meant that the skin could darken to somewhat protect itself, but the skin of the grafts had not regained this protective ability yet.

Could this be due to the skin where the grafts are placed is scar tissue however small and this tissue reacts differently to sun exposure.I may be totally wrong of course.

Thanks bm.

You should not get excessive sun on it until the hair grows. You don't have to bother for short intervals such as walking across the parking lot to your car but if you are going to sit out at a ball game or work in the yard or polish the car it must be protected. A serious sun burn may stop the new hair from growing. A suntan on the scalp may not look good. You won't be able to see the grafts but if you get a suntan there are tiny pieces of skin around the grafts which have never been exposed to sunlight, they sit in the skin on the to of your head which has probably had more sunlight than any other part of your body. When you get a suntan you will be able to see the grafts. the grafted area will take a mottled appearance. Later as time goes on the new skin will become used to the sunlight and this will not happen.

You can protect the grafted area in several ways. Of course you can wear a cap. Many people have hair that they can comb over the grafts to protect from the sun. Or you can use sunscreen. You should be putting sunscreen on your face; just continue it over your head if you don't want to wear a cap. For example, if you go to the beach and want to go in the water, put a heavy coating of waterproof sunscreen on your face and head.

Thank you Dr. Feller, Dr. Charles, Gillenator, Dr. Straub and Spencer!

I appreciate all of you taking time to provide your thoughtful answers.

Thanks Dr Feller for explaining that,maybe this thread should be a sticky as its very informative.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dr. Feller

"Dr. Feller, I have also heard that immdediate over-exposure to UV rays can prevent the transplanted follicles from establishing to their new blood supply and they can subsequently perish from this. Do you agree?"

I've never heard that Gil.
I doubt it's true.

Dr. F

---

Thanks, I received an e-mail from a guy who went to S. Florida immediately post-op from a 2300 strip and went out on a launch for four hours without his head covered, bad sunburn throughout recipient area and subsequently had virtually no yield. He went to a well known reputable surgeon so it was not a question of the surgeon's skills, and this was his second HT. The first he had was 1500 grafts with good re-growth.

He did not have the pics from when he first got sunburn, he did not contact me until 15 months post-op. He thinks it was from the sunburn because he said he had some blistering on his scalp the next day and lots of pain. He said he had some existing hair in the recipient area so he did not know he had that intense suburn until they came into shore and he went inside.

I don't know what else it could be other than his newly transplanted follicles were damaged, his exisitng hair and the hair from his first HT are still there. He says he feels looks the same if not a little worse than his pre-op pics which he did e-maill to me along with his 15 month post-op pics and I have to agree with him that he did not gain anything in visual coverage.

When I saw this thread, it reminded me of his case.

I am fortunate I found this particular thread,and Im a little upset because my HT doctor didnt mention a single thing about sun exposure in both his verbal and written post op instructions,and considering that I work outdoors for a living,I would think that information should of been provided.Im only a month and a half post op now so I dont think I was careless enough in the sun to do any damage yet, but there were several days I was outdoors with no hat.I only wore a hat most of those past days because of the cold weather here in NJ so I guess I lucked out.I would like to pose a little more specific question for everyone.. you,ve all agreed that no "direct sun" on the scalp is good,except for short periods like 10 minutes or less.What about days that are overcast with no sun, or rainy days?There are still UV rays present through clouds correct?and sometimes it can be very bright outdoors even without the sun. And what about when Im driving in my car, or work truck, too risky?If I go in the pool with my kids,Ill probably use sun screen although I hate any creams, or gels in my hair. What level SPF would be safe?
Thank you again guys for raising this topic and answering it thoroughly, you saved me a lot of grief in an area I was completely ingnorant.

I may have a different assessment of this whole sun exposure issue. Practicing in south Florida (and NYC) for the past 15 years, I often encourage patients to obtain a bit of sun exposure once 8 weeks has transpired. I think it is a matter of how much sun, and discretion needs to be followed in terms of avoiding a sunburn which I agree can theoretically interfere with hair growth, although I must admit I have seen very little of this, unless the sunburn is associated with scarring due to prolonged (years, not months) of exposure. This approach is consistent with my less restrictive regimen on exercise and hair washing- two activities that I allow patients to resume in as soon as 6 days post-procedure, for they do not seem to interfere with the final outcome.
A greater obstacle to hair growth is the wearing of hair pieces- for this is clearly associated with delayed and perhaps permanently impaired growth. There are changes to the scalp skin architecture that occurs with the wearing of a hairpiece- thinning and almost a shineyness to the skin- that is associated with poorer growth. In fact, in those patients who have worn a hairpiece for years, after their hair transplant I recommend not only that they minimize the amount of time the hairpiece is worn, but I also advise that they take some sun to promote circulation.

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS
www.foundhair.com
Miami and NYC

Thank you Dr. Feller, that was very helpful information and there are too many who are unaware it. Thanks Dr. Epstein for addressing stifled growth from wearing hair systems. I used to wear them myself.

[QUOTE=Skeptic1st;2355]I am fortunate I found this particular thread,and Im a little upset because my HT doctor didnt mention a single thing about sun exposure in both his verbal and written post op instructions,and considering that I work outdoors for a living,I would think that information should of been provided.Im only a month and a half post op now so I dont think I was careless enough in the sun to do any damage yet, but there were several days I was outdoors with no hat.I only wore a hat most of those past days because of the cold weather here in NJ so I guess I lucked out.I would like to pose a little more specific question for everyone.. you,ve all agreed that no "direct sun" on the scalp is good,except for short periods like 10 minutes or less.What about days that are overcast with no sun, or rainy days?There are still UV rays present through clouds correct?and sometimes it can be very bright outdoors even without the sun. And what about when Im driving in my car, or work truck, too risky?If I go in the pool with my kids,Ill probably use sun screen although I hate any creams, or gels in my hair. What level SPF would be safe?

Skeptic1st,

Yes indeed there can still be strong UV present even with a cloud covering, and you'll hear weather people and derms warn about it. I am not sure what you are referring to about being in the car or truck because you are under cover when you are driving right? Lastly, use the sunblock with the highest block rating because the higher rating, the more protection. If you're in the pool, you will need to reapply it more often. Read the labeling of the product before you buy it and use it.

Thanks for the clarification Gil, your advice..."Post op...wear a hat or sunblock anytime outdoors regardless if its full sun or cloudy and overcast.
The reason I was curious about protection even when in a vehicle because I thought of in-direct sunlight and direct sunlight or UV rays through your drivers window(but I agree with you,not often on top of your head).Like I said, Im am outdoors or in a vehicle at least 10 hours everyday.

I know it sounds anal and maybe Im over concerned,but I really dont want to do any thing that could jeapordize the new growth, and Im someone who will play it way safe for this short period until my new hair comes in.
Dale

I cannot say that I completely agree with Dr. Straub. The problem with wearing sunscreen on the scalp and no hat is that you never know if you have enough coverage and adequate levels of block. In addition, our scalps tend to sweat with constant sun on them and the perspiration washes or diminishes the protection. With a hat, you are covered.

IMHO, spending periods in direct sun post-op beyond 5-7 minutes is taking a risk without wearing a hat. The sunscreen/block is great for other parts of the body, and even then, the consumer is advised to re-apply when in the sun for extended periods.

I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, I was a victim of a sunburn and lost grafts as a result. After my sunburn 4 months post op, I noticed my new grafts start to shed. I thought maybe this was shock loss. I was away on vacation and when I came back home roughly 5 1/2 months post op, I was shocked by how thin my recipient area was, compared to when I left for my trip and when my new hairs were growing out. Things never really improved after that. I wasn't fully made aware of the damage sun could do to my scalp and my grafts. Temperatures in the 100+ degree range with extremely high UV are hair killers. I learned it the hard way and had to make up for it with another procedure, which ate up more of my donor :(

interesting post. what happens for people who live in warm sunny climates and who do not work in an office like me ? for example i am going to have a surgery soon. of course after the surgery i will wear a hat or something. when i go to work i go to my customers of my company, meaning i go with the car but i might spen 30-40 minutes in the sun.

whould that be a problem ?

Well I would still wear a hat when you go to work. The sun hitting you from the car isn't that bad. But if you're out in the sun for 30-40 minutes (outdoors walking)... especially if you're in Greece as your profile states.. you should cover up in my opinion. It's just not worth irisking the hairs.

cant wear a hat there i have to wear a suit. yes in greece. i guess i will be trying to park the car in the shade lol

I agree with gil that the easiest and most effective way to protect against the sun is to wear a hat. I also agree that using sunscreen requires the patient to use repeated applications and some judgment relative to the time of exposure and the strength of the sunblock. Wearing a hat does not require this judgment. However I do not like to prohibit my patients from going into the pool or the ocean throughout a long hot summer. I have recommended heavy application of a strong waterproof sun block to my California surfers and frequent reapplication. I have never known of a growth problem among those who followed my advice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Scorpian

I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, I was a victim of a sunburn and lost grafts as a result. After my sunburn 4 months post op, I noticed my new grafts start to shed. I thought maybe this was shock loss. I was away on vacation and when I came back home roughly 5 1/2 months post op, I was shocked by how thin my recipient area was, compared to when I left for my trip and when my new hairs were growing out. Things never really improved after that. I wasn't fully made aware of the damage sun could do to my scalp and my grafts. Temperatures in the 100+ degree range with extremely high UV are hair killers. I learned it the hard way and had to make up for it with another procedure, which ate up more of my donor :(

---

Scorpian,

Has your new procedure grown out yet?

I also have this white dots after sun exposure, how do I get rid of them?

I use some cream or laser?

Thanx in advance

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chrissy

I also have this white dots after sun exposure, how do I get rid of them?

I use some cream or laser?

Thanx in advance

---

Chrissy,

You really can't get rid of the white dots however the issue is the darker tanned skin between the dots. You have to wait until the scalp surface loses it's tan and then not expose your scalp to the sun.

The white dots are scar tissue that have little to no blood flow in them. That's why they appear white compared to the pinker tissue that has blood flow.

I had a HT about 3 months ago and due to the timing it has been very difficult to stay out of the sun. I have been wearing a hat almost daily but this isn't a huge adjustment because I've been wearing a hat almost daily for 10 years now since I started thinning.

I do notice that after wearing a hat, the recipient area does turn a pink color and I'm not sure if it's because of the heat, perspiration or if it's receiving UV rays through my hat. My scalp is definitely sensitive and still is 3 months post operation. At night I do apply vitamin E oil and by morning it seems to settle the pink coloration considerably.

I am planning a vacation to a sunny destination in a few months and I'm just hopeful that my scalp can handle the sun.

Hope this helps.

There is a lot of good advice already on this thread. Common sense can help significantly decrease sun complications and hyperpigmentation. Meaning, if you are going on vacation shortly after a procedure (hair, face, extremity) first wear a zinc oxide containing sun block and replenish it frequently. Second, wear a hat, not a visor, but something to keep direct light off of your procedure site. Third, sit in the shade..beach umbrella or cabana. Fourth, take breaks from the sun. Don't try to get "bronze" the first day (in fact you shouldn't at all) but use moderation in your out door exposure.

I have done more than 3000 face lifts on folks, many who have either gone on vacation shortly after the procedure, or simply had the procedure in the summer and continued their normal routine. With RARE exception, I have not had much in the way of hyperpigmentation issues if folks will just exercise a bit of common sense.

In fact, we have had a number of men get hair work done and then take off to the beach for a week. Now up here in VA, its not as bright as Florida, but so far, we have had no problems as the men did what I mentioned above. Ask your doctor what his particular instructions are and follow them.

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

And any patients having larger FUE sessions done wiill need to further recognize that they are more susceptable to the "white dot" syndrome and may not be able to shave their scalps in the summer months. And I am referring specifically to the donor zones (occipital areas) of the scalp when there is a much wider contrasts between tanned areas and the obvious circular extraction sites. Many FUE patients who's surgeon utilized 1mm plus sized punches can appreciate what I am saying.

And be careful to those former open-donor patients who had many of the former punch-out grafts done from the 70's through the 90's era. Some docs are suggesting to extract from the parietal areas when there is little to no donor left in the occipital area. And although much of that hair is still classified as terminal hair, meaning that it is DHT resistant, be careful in that area. That area has a higher visual impact than the back of one's head so you ceratinly would not want the "white dot" dilemma showing around your ears!

There's much to consider when deciding where to retrieve one's donor sources and to what extent as it is all limited and not an endless supply.

I always and I mean always feel the most for the repair patients who send me their pics and have obviously over-depleted donor zones back-to-sides. There's not much if any that can be done when you run out of donor.

Hope I am not getting too off topic on this thread!

Hi Chrissy,

May I ask if you are seeing the white dotting in the donor area, recipient area, or is the dotting also on the body? Depending on your response, you may want to have medical treatment, use a treatment that you can do own your own, or do nothing at all. There are quite a few options that may be very effective in solving this problem.

I was exposed to sun light walking in the city after two months and two weekas after my HT, no sun burn though but some additional redness maybe. Should I get steroid shots in my case? Thanks.

You have to wait at least 6 months after hair transplantation before exposing your scalp to the sun. ]

In my opinion however, it is always best to wear sunblock as too much sun (especially the ultra violet rays) on any part of the skin is bad for you.

One of my friend hair transplant was over a year ago and his hair is still thinner and sun can get through to his scalp, He always wear a hat when out in the sun for longer periods of time.

Proceed with caution.

I often encourage patients to obtain a bit of sun exposure once 8 weeks has transpired.

Is there a reason why you do that? Will sun exposure facilitate blood circulation?

There are other good threads here on this subject

Hey TennisPlayer,

You should probably do nothing at all. The only way to determine how severe the sun's effects on you would be to evaluate the fully matured results at a later time in the future. A sunburn could easily kill the grafts, so you can only hope that the UVB rays didn't adversely affect your scalp. Keep a white hat and a thick sunblock on stand-by so you don't find yourself in a not-so-good situation. Keep'em covered until they grow because they are your investment and a trophy to show someone's hard work.:cool:






This advice is not medical advice

I experienced a thermal burn on my head a year ago. The skin was red, oozing puss, and irritable for a couple months. I used bio oil and still do occasionally which has healed it. The pigment has returned but from time to time it feels slightly itchy and a bit dry. Do you think this would affect the results if I were to have a hair transplant? The hair around seems to be in good order..

I have discovered a new hat after hair loss and found it to be great and want to recommend it all who need to cover their head or provide protection from sun.
The hat is made of organic cotton so it is super soft and comfortable. It is also antibacterial and hypoallergenic. It is also stylish with embroidery and comes is adjustable sizes. It is called recovercap and you can find it on line at recovercap.com.

And what about the exposure to very low temperatures?, typically found in non tropical latitudes during winter.
There is a lot of advice about avoiding sun exposure after surgery for several months from all doctors but i still didnt find a single recomendation about being exposed to freezeing temperatures (below OºC) during postop. And i write and ask about this because these tempertures also burn the skin, and the recipient skin is even much more sensible and unprotected which probably means that could be burnt with a lower time of exposure and not so low temperature than the rest of skin will need to be burnt. Correct me please if im wrong.
I had the situation that 25 days after my transplant i had a walk of about 10 minutes from my office to my car (without hat because i always try to avoid it unless there is sun), the outside temperature was -2ºC, was windy and i could realised that i had some light disconfort in my recepient area and that inmidiatly after my skin seems to be lightly more red, all this was gone after a couple of hours so i thought that because the symptons were very temporary and light most probably nothing wrong had happened, and decided not to search for medical advise. Am i right with my considerations?, any suggestions?. It would be useful for all of us to have some clear advice also about exposure to low temperatures which are not exclusive from North Pole.
Thanks a lot before hand for your attention and best regrowth to all!.

Hi, I am in the UK and the sunlight here in the mornings like about 9am -10am is very mild. I walk about 30 mins everyday to my work and most of the time its rainy and cold but sometimes sunny but I never feel any heat of sun on my head.
So, do i still need to cover my head from sun?
This is my 4th week of surgery and i have some redness on my head, i am so much worried if its due to this sunlight. I researched on internet a week ago, about this redness after surgery, and people discussed it as a normal thing. What would u guys say? please guide me i am so worried.

Thanks

Hi, I am in the UK and the sunlight here in the mornings like about 9am -10am is very mild. I walk about 30 mins everyday to my work and most of the time its rainy and cold but sometimes sunny but I never feel any heat of sun on my head.
So, do i still need to cover my head from sun?
This is my 4th week of surgery and i have some redness on my head, i am so much worried if its due to this sunlight. I researched on internet a week ago, about this redness after surgery, and people discussed it as a normal thing. What would u guys say? please guide me i am so worried.

Thanks

Dexter,

Even though you may not feel the heat on your scalp, exposing it to ultra-viiolet rays that soon post-op can potentially damage your grafts. Any exposure to the sun's rays for more than say 10 minutes is not good. This is true even if there is a cloud cover.

There are some good posts on this subject in this thread.

Hi,

After almost more than 10 days of exposure to mild sunlight i started wearing cap from today, I am so much worried and wonder how much area i might have damaged. Please can anyone tell me the symptoms of follicle damage due to sunlight ?

I have some redness on my transplanted area as well as on the donar area, and i've lost 90% of transplanted hair already in 4 weeks of my surgery.
There are two strange white hair kind of skin, which i can feel like a peeled tiny thin skin (like hair) that i can feel with touch of my finger.

Please tell me any cure to restore my my hair follicles If possible.

Can you post any pics of the areas you are concerned with? It is really difficult to give you any feedback without seeing the area. It would also be best for you to be examined by a reputable HT doctor as well.