Early healing
Month 1 of 18
Day 2 after a hair transplant: Swelling may start
Swelling usually starts on the forehead around now and can move down towards the eyes over the next days. It's fluid from surgery settling with gravity, not a problem with the grafts. Many people have their first gentle wash today or tomorrow.
What you can do now
On day 2
What's typical
- Puffy forehead
- Small crusts forming around each graft
- Itching starting as the skin dries
Call your clinic if you notice
- Swelling around the eyes with blurred vision, or any trouble breathing.
- Bleeding that keeps going after 15 minutes of gentle, steady pressure.
- Fever, pus, a bad smell, or redness and warmth that spread.
In the GraftKeeper app, Check a symptom walks you through what to do.
Not yet reviewed by a doctor — verify with your clinic.
Sources
- Hair transplantNHS, 2023
- A hair transplant can give you permanent, natural-looking resultsAmerican Academy of Dermatology, 2026
- Hair transplantation surgeryIndian Journal of Plastic Surgery, 2008
- Complications in Hair TransplantationJournal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2018
- Hair Transplantation: Preventing Post-operative OedemaJournal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2010