Modern technological advancements in hair transplant surgery have changed and improved dramatically in the last few years. Among many of these surgical developments are: no scaring, no stitches, a more natural look, less downtime, no pain, etc. Also, the future of hair restoration looks extremely promising with the possible addition of hair follicle cloning. The question is, if new advancements have made the procedure easier, why don’t we see a greater number of people seeking hair restoration? After all, just a few weeks of downtime offers a permanent solution!

I believe one of the reasons people shy away from having a hair restoration procedure is because they don’t want anyone to know that they’ve had it done. Wouldn’t everyone like to think their great looks are attributed to genetics only? Unfortunately, not all of us have the genetics of Brad Pitt or Beyonce! The post procedure appearance of a hair transplant surgery is something that is not easily hidden, however, there are several ways to make a hair transplant procedure less obvious.

The best resource for questions regarding hair restoration is still the surgeon and the team involved in the procedure. So what should you do if you are concerned about concealing the procedure after surgery? Here are some ways to help your friends and family from knowing :

1. Distraction – One of the easiest of all techniques is none other than distraction. Before you get the hair transplant surgery done, draw attention away from your hair, and the best way is by growing a beard or wearing a hat. Even styling glasses can be added as a method of distraction. Your friends and family will notice something new about your appearance and not focus on your hair.

2. Longer hair – Having long hair can help hide any scabs and areas where the follicles are harvested. You may want to consider beginning the process of growing your hair several weeks before your procedure. If you already have long hair, learn to style it in such a way that it will cover up any scabs and areas that are showing. You can wear your hair in a ponytail or swept back away from your face. The longer the hair the better the chance you have of hiding the procedure.

3. Camouflaging (Concealer) – This option works well for people with short hair. Hair transplants can be fully hidden with the help of a nano-fiber product that blends in with natural hair. The two brands that I recommend are Toppik (Spender Forrest, Inc.) and DermMatch (DermMatch, Inc.). Toppik is applied to the hair to increase visual density, whereas DermMatch is applied to the scalp to decrease the visibility of the naked scalp.

4. Change the way you part your hair – Change the way you part your hair to cover the front where the hair transplant was done. This is not the best option for patients with shorter hair styles.

5. Use makeup to hide any redness – Makeup can be used to conceal the redness around the implantation sites post surgery. The redness will heal in just a couple of weeks so you will only need to use it for a short time.

6. Wash your hair frequently – Washing your hair lessens the development of scabs on the implantation site and it expedites healing. I recommend keeping the area hydrated with saline water, and 72 hours post procedure begin pouring small cups of water with baby shampoo mixed in. Direct contact with water from the showerhead is allowed only 7 days post procedure.

7. Keep head elevated during sleep – If you keep your head elevated while sleeping (30 to 40 degree angle), it will help to lessen swelling. This is one of the great advantages of selecting the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) procedure vs. the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation). Because most of our patients choose the FUE procedure they have little, if any, swelling post procedure. In addition, adding a Medrol Dose Pack to the after care protocol can also decrease swelling significantly.

8. Take a week or two off from work to fully recover – Even though performing light activities post procedure is not a restriction, the ideal scenario and best way to get better from the surgery is with rest and no stress. This will allow your hair transplants to heal faster. How about timing your recovery with a short, relaxing vacation with the family?

9. Hairpieces and Wigs – Unlike the old thick, synthetic, and poorly shaped “rug” that looked unnatural, today’s thin, laced hair replacement pieces are made of natural hair and almost undetectable. Best to avoid jumping in the pool or riding rollercoasters while using, for obvious reasons!!! Lol

10. Tell the truth – Sometimes patients find the effort and inconvenience of trying to “cover” a transplant procedure overwhelming. Another option is to start mentioning your intentions and preparing your friends, family and coworkers for your exciting new change ahead of time. There is nothing wrong with trying to improve your appearance, as proven by the billions of dollars spent annually on self –improvement and beauty products. Cosmetic surgery is definitely more accepted and utilized by every age group and demographic. Always avoid lying, everyone deserves to feel as good about their appearance as possible!

If your reason for not pursuing a hair restoration procedure is because you don’t want anyone to know, please be aware that you definitely have some options to help you hide it. The great news about going through a hair transplant procedure is once it heals, it will look just like your natural hair and no one will be able to tell!

Estetigraft Hair Restoration Center is located in Palm beach, Florida, and is part of the Estetica Institute Plastic Surgery Center family. For more information please contact us at 561-776-9555 or at our site estetigraft.com.