How does HBOT help with hair transplant recovery?
Learn the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as post-op care for hair transplant surgery
Hair loss is more widespread than you might think. Globally, 35 million men and 21 million women suffer from hair loss with over 650,000 of them choosing to undergo a hair transplant as treatment. [1]
Hair transplants are not only an effective treatment for hair loss, but they often provide the recipient with increased self-confidence due to the change in their appearance.
The procedure is often effective, but it can be quite costly, so it’s important to do whatever you can post-op to ensure you have the best results. Many hair transplant surgeons are now recommending hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a form of effective adjuvant therapy after hair transplant surgery.
What is a hair transplant?
A hair transplant is a cosmetic procedure done by a plastic or dermatological surgeon that moves existing hair to a bald area of the body, most commonly the head. There are two main hair transplant techniques: follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE). Both FUT and FUE hair transplant procedures require the same post-op care and results; they’re just different surgical processes.
The most common people who receive a hair transplant are:
- Men with male pattern baldness
- Women with thinning hair, and
- Anyone who has lost hair from a burn or scalp injury. [2]
It’s common for multiple follow-up surgeries to be required to achieve a full head of hair which have to occur several months apart for each transplant to completely heal.
What are the complications associated with a hair transplant?
There are minor side effects that can occur in the weeks following a hair transplant procedure including:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Swelling of the scalp
- Bruising around the eyes, and
- Folliculitis (inflammation or infection of the hair follicles). [2]
What is recovery after hair transplant like?
In the days after the procedure, post care after hair transplant often requires you to take:
- Pain medication
- Antibiotics to reduce your risk of infection, and
- Anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling. [2]
Aching, tightness, throbbing, and tenderness may occur the day after surgery which are controlled with the medications listed above. Most people can easily return to work several days after surgery, but the healing process is still ongoing.
Within a few weeks of surgery, the transplanted areas of hair will fall out, but hair restoration and new growth will follow within a few months.
How can hyperbaric oxygen therapy help with hair transplant recovery?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been scientifically proven to be an effective form of adjunct therapy with hair transplantation surgery due to its hyper oxygenation of the body on the micro-circular level.
An independent study found that HBOT is able to minimize post surgical follicle shedding and leads to less folliculitis and itching, which provides evidence for HBOT to act as an adjuvant therapy for hair transplant surgery. [3]
HBOT has been shown to help patients post-hair transplant by:
- Decreasing pain
- Lowering swelling
- Minimizing bruising, and
- Increasing overall transplant results without having to undergo multiple revisional surgeries.
How we can help
At Hyperbaric Healing Treatment Center, we’ve seen great success in treating patients for hair transplant care after surgery. Our patients will undergo one treatment within 72 hours pre-surgery and one to five treatments post-surgery.
“Hair transplant surgery is one of the first cosmetic procedures I’ve treated,” shares Erika Jordan, founder of Hyperbaric Healing Treatment Center. “Over 14 years ago, it was very controversial to treat a surgery patient without any major complications. In the area I worked, there was a well-respected hair transplant surgeon who highly encouraged his patients to book hyperbarics with their cosmetic procedures to maximize their results and reduce/eliminate the possibility of post-surgical complications.”
“Since then I have treated many men and women who undergo this procedure,” continues Jordan. “Hair transplant surgery can be very costly, so it’s important to do whatever you can to have the best results. One of the biggest concerns with hair transplant is making sure the hair takes post-surgery. With surgery on the head, it’s super important to have adequate blood flow on the micro-circular level. If a patient has a history of poor healing, smoking, previous surgeries at that site, or more, surgeons nowadays highly recommend them adding HBOT.”
We’d like to share the story of one of our patients who used HBOT for hair transplant recovery:
“Hyperbaric Healing Treatment Center of Orlando is the BEST!!! I used them for my post-surgical healing and have had amazing results. I feel so much better from all of the extra oxygen to my body. I have been to other hyperbaric oxygen facilities for treatment and none compare in the quality of the equipment or service.
Ms. Jordan and the entire staff are so nice and make the oxygen therapy session so enjoyable. I watch Netflix and the session goes by so fast I wish I could stay longer. I’ve used hyperbaric treatment in California, Arizona, and Florida, and so far, this place is by far the best! It’s worth every penny.”
— Louis M., via Google Reviews
Want to learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for hair transplant recovery?
Our trained, caring team of hyperbaric specialists are ready to answer any questions you may have! We welcome you to contact us today.
See what our patients have to say about us by joining us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!
Sources:
1: Business Insider | Every 13th man has a hair transplant according to Bookimed study
