When can you exercise, swim or go to a Turkish bath after a hair transplant?

When can I get back to these activities?

There is no number of days that applies to everyone, but the general order is clear. You can usually return to light activity such as walking after the first few days. Heavy exercise, sports that make you sweat a lot and contact sports need a longer wait. As for pools, the sea, saunas and Turkish baths, we ask you to put them off until the recipient area has healed. We state the timing that applies to you in your written aftercare instructions.

It is not surprising to see different timings in different sources. Recommendations can differ from clinic to clinic, and how quickly people heal also varies from person to person. That is why you should go by your own instructions, not by a number of days written for someone else.

Why do you need to wait?

In the first few days, the grafts (small pieces of tissue carrying one or a few hairs) have not yet anchored firmly in the small channels they were placed in. The small wounds in the recipient area and in the donor area (the area the grafts are taken from) are also still closing. During this period, four things matter most.

Higher blood pressure and pulse

When you lift something heavy, strain or exert yourself hard, your blood pressure and pulse rise temporarily. In the early period, this can lead to throbbing, bleeding and more swelling in the recipient area. Bending forward and positions in which your head drops below the level of your heart can have a similar effect.

Sweating and heat

Sweat can irritate the healing skin and the area around the scabs. The heat and steam of a sauna or Turkish bath can increase both sweating and swelling. We explain the causes of itching and redness in our article on itching, redness and pimples after a hair transplant.

Infection

Infection is uncommon after a hair transplant. Even so, pools, hot tubs, sea and lake water, and shared spaces such as Turkish baths and saunas can harbor germs; going into these places before the small wounds have closed can increase the risk of infection. Chlorine in pools and salt in the sea can also irritate healing skin.

Knocks and friction

While the grafts have not yet anchored firmly, heading a ball, colliding with an opponent or falling can dislodge or damage them. Headwear such as helmets, caps and sweatbands can also press and rub on the recipient area.

In what order can you return to each activity?

The table below shows the order that is commonly followed, without giving a number of days; your own recovery may go faster or slower. Even if your scabs have come off, that alone may not mean the period we call “until the recipient area has healed” is over; we state this period in your instructions as well.

Planning a Turkish bath or a beach vacation

In a Turkish bath, the treatments matter as much as the heat and steam. A scrub with an exfoliating mitt or a foam massage on the head or the nape of the neck rubs directly against the recipient area and the donor area; hot water poured from a bowl and a towel wrapped tightly around the head can also strain healing skin. Ask us when these can be done, too.

If you are planning a summer vacation, choose your dates knowing that you will not be able to swim in the sea in the first few weeks and that you will need to protect the recipient area from direct sun. Stay in the shade at the beach, and ask us first about hats and sunscreen. We explain how to choose a date in our article on which season to choose for a hair transplant.

What should you keep in mind when you start exercising again?

• Increase the pace, duration and weight gradually.
• If you notice throbbing, bleeding or marked swelling in the recipient area, stop and rest; if it does not settle, contact us.
• When you sweat, do not rub or wipe the recipient area; only dab it lightly with a clean towel.
• At the gym, make sure shared towels, mats and equipment do not touch the recipient area.
• Outdoors, protect the recipient area from direct sun.
• After exercise, wash your hair as described in your instructions.

In the weeks after the procedure, some of the transplanted hair or the hair around it may fall out temporarily; this is called shock loss. It also happens in people who do not exercise, so noticing it around the time you go back to exercise does not, on its own, show that exercise is the cause. We explain the details in our article on shock loss; if you have any concerns, ask us.

How do we plan your return together?

If you exercise regularly, play on a team or swim often, tell us during the examination. We plan the procedure date together, taking your training and match schedule or your vacation plans into account. Whether you are suitable for a hair transplant, and the plan that suits you, are determined during the examination.

After the procedure, we give you written aftercare instructions; these are what you should follow for exercise, pools, the sea and Turkish baths. We cover the other details of aftercare on the hair transplant aftercare page, and work that involves physical effort or a helmet in our article on returning to work after a hair transplant.

When should you contact us?

If you notice any of the following, contact us without waiting for your follow-up appointment:

• Bleeding during or after exercise that does not stop or keeps coming back
• Bleeding, pain or a graft that looks dislodged after a knock to the recipient area
• Increasing pain, redness or swelling
• Discharge, pus or a bad smell in the recipient area or the donor area
• Fever
• Painful or growing pimple-like bumps in the recipient area

In an emergency, or if you cannot reach us, go to the nearest healthcare facility without delay. How quickly you heal, and the results, vary from person to person.