Did I Harm My Hair Transplant by Smoking after Surgery?

I am someone whom you will call a sporadic smoker. I always smoke when I drink and party. (On an average, once in 2 weeks drinker). Otherwise there is no real pattern. It could be 1 smoke a day for 4 days and nothing at all for the next 2 weeks, 5 smokes a day for 2 months and nothing at all for 3 months.

I stopped smoking a month before the surgery and 2 months and a week after it. Same with the drinks too. I partied yesterday for the first time since the surgery and was smashed out of my wits. 10 ish drinks and about 6-7 cigs. I have no addiction issues as you may have understood by now from my pattern. My thought process was just on the lines of should I make the best of this break and quit forever or just go back to how I used to be. I had completely forgotten I had a surgery. I had completely forgotten that it is ideal if I didn’t smoke until I saw the new hair. That was my plan.

Smoking constricts the blood vessels and inhibits the supply of oxygen to the cells. This can impact post-surgical healing. Having said that, some guys never quit or even reduce their smoking and still obtain excellent results. It’s one of those things where many factors come into play.

No one will be able to successfully predict if or how it might affect hair growth. I don’t smoke but when it comes to anything that could potentially harm the outcome of a hair transplant (or any other surgery for that matter), I like to err on the side of caution.

In your particular case, I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. You quit smoking during the most important pre-op and healing stages. After 2 months and with very little smoking, I’m sure you’re grafts are just fine.

David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator