Working Out and Physical Activity After a Hair Transplant
Dr. Matthew Lopresti
Working out and exercising is a big part of my life. It boosts my energy, increases my health and drives my motivation. Overall, being physically fit gives me a better sense of well being.
Many of our patients who live an active lifestyle are concerned about what they can and can’t do after their hair transplant procedure. I often hear questions like when can I resume my daily physical activities? When can I resume working out at the gym? These are definitely questions that I would ask if I were a patient.
The success of your hair transplant not only comes from the skill and experience of the surgeon that is performing your transplant, but it comes in large part, from you carefully following your post-surgical instructions.
It is important to refrain from strenuous activity after your procedure to allow your hair grafts to heal properly and to decrease the possibility that excessive bleeding or trauma, which could dislodge them. Any increase in activity will lead to an increase in heart rate, which will raise your blood pressure. This can cause an increased chance of recipient bleeding and dislodgement.
Patients should refrain from strenuous activity after hair transplant surgery—whether they choose the traditional harvest method or the Follicular Unit Excision technique (heavy weightlifting, vigorous household or outside yard work, excessive jogging/running/biking) for 10 days. On occasion, we ask a patient to refrain from vigorous activities longer, depending on our clinical judgment of that patient’s situation.
As far as light activity such as walking or yoga or light exercise, they are fine to do after the fourth post-operative day; if, however, you notice an increase in bleeding during these activities, then you should cut back on the intensity of the exercise.
If you ever have any questions about what you can or cannot do after your hair restoration procedure, please ask Dr. Leonard or myself for medical guidance.
Dr. Matthew Lopresti
Hair Transplant Surgeon