How Long After Hair Transplant Surgery Can Patients Dye Their Hair?

This question comes from a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums: 

Before hair transplant surgery I used to dye my hair with permanent dye every few months. I underwent the procedure several weeks ago, and I’m now wondering how long I need to wait before starting to dye my hair again?

There are several factors to consider before dying your hair after hair transplantation. First, you want to make sure you’ve allowed sufficient time for the new follicular unit grafts to fully anchor and implant. Normally, this takes between 7-10 days, and after this time, gently manipulating the scalp or touching the implanted areas should be completely safe.

However, many permanent dyes contain harsh chemicals like peroxide, and these ingredients may cause too much irritation on the newly implanted grafts and still sensitive post-operative scalp. Because of this, most hair restoration clinics recommend the following: first, that patients wait 4-8 weeks after the hair transplant procedure before dying their hair; and second, that patients use less harsh, non-permanent dyes for the first several sessions after beginning to dye again.

Also, keep in mind that you should always follow your clinic’s specific post-operative instructions as closely as possible, and if the physician recommends waiting longer, you should follow their advice!

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Blake Bloxham – formerly “Future_HT_Doc”

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

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