How Long Does the Donor Site Take to Heal After a Hair Transplant?
There are two surgical methods of donor-area harvesting for hair transplants: The Traditional (Strip) Technique and the Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) Technique.
With the strip method, stitches are in place, which are removed between ten and fourteen days after the procedure. In most patients it appears as a fine line about the width of a pencil line and is virtually undetectable. Following a strip method hair transplant, our patients are given detailed post-operative instructions to aid healing and recovery.
Linear scar hidden by existing hair
FUE donor area day after surgery
With the FUE method, there are no stitches; however, the donor area is shaved down to the skin, which shows the surgical sites from this technique. These tiny holes heal within about five days and appear as pink dots. After approximately two weeks, these marks become hidden as the remaining donor hair grows among them.
With both harvesting methods we ask patients to shampoo both the donor area and the recipient sites twice daily to keep the areas clean and in the best possible condition for effective healing.
Dr. Robert Leonard, Founder