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Post Operative Hair Care - Salt Water Soaks

Maximising Healing After Surgery

Dr. Ziering has developed the following post-operative instructions. Please read and follow them carefully, they are intended to help you maximize the results of your hair transplant surgery.

Making Salt Water Soak

  • You will need gauze, table salt, 1 gallon distilled water, spray bottle.
  • Mix a gallon of distilled water with 10 tablespoons of salt.
  • Soak gauze with salt solution and place on grafts, apply even pressure to grafted area for 5 minutes.
  • These soaks are applied 5 times a day, 5 minutes at a time, for 5 days.
  • The soaks help remove crusting and promote healing.

Day After Surgery:

  • Spray the grafted area with the salt water solution every hour throughout the day while awake.

Shampooing:

  • On the day following your procedure, you will begin shampooing your hair using baby shampoo.
  • Do NOT touch or allow the shower stream to hit the grafts directly for 5 days.
  • To wash grafted area, pour a small amount of shampoo into a clean cup and fill cup with water to create a soapy solution.
  • Pour the soapy solution over the grafted area. Then fill the cup with plain water and pour over the grafted area until all of the soap is rinsed out.
  • You can wash ungrafted and sutured areas in a normal fashion.
  • On the 6th day following your procedure you will begin to wash your hair in a normal fashion by gently massaging all areas and rinsing underneath the showerhead.
  • On this day (day 6), you may begin to apply conditioner to the grafted area 15 minutes before shampooing.
  • This will help the crusts and scabs to soften and fall off.

Day 2-5:

  • Shampoo hair once every morning using the cup method described above.
  • Apply the salt water soaks application to the grafted area 5 times throughout the day.
  • Continue spraying the grafted area with the salt water solution every hour throughout the day while awake.
  • DISCONTINUE salt water soak gauze applications and spray after day 5.

Day 6-10:

  • Shampoo hair once in the morning, but discontinue the cup method and begin shampooing in normal fashion.
  • On day 6, you can begin using conditioner as described above.