What Type of Pillow Should I Sleep with After Hair Transplant Surgery?

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

After a recent follicular unit transplantation (FUT) procedure, I’ve decided to sleep with a pillow that elevates the back of my head and minimizes pressure or tension on the sutured donor area. I think I may investigate travel or neck pillows. Any suggestions?

Although minimizing friction and tension on the sutured donor area is a wise decision, you can probably do this with limited time and money spent shopping for a new pillow. According to hair transplantation experts, it’s ideal to keep your head elevated around 15 – 20 degrees to avoid excessive contact with the sutured region and minimize potential post-operative swelling in the forehead. Certain hair transplant patients report success using travel-like, “neck” pillows filled with air, beans (like in a bean bag), or foam. These types of pillows should be reasonably inexpensive and available just about anywhere. Additionally, other hair loss experts, such as Coalition surgeon Dr. Glenn Charles, say that simply putting a towel over a regular pillow should be sufficient if the patient doesn’t want to buy or utilize a neck pillow. Regardless, it’s probably best to ask your hair transplant surgeon for a list of post-operative instructions and follow the suggestions for sleeping post-hair transplant operation.

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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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