Taking care of your scalp is extremely important after a hair transplant to achieve the best possible results. This requires allowing yourself a few days off work and limit certain actions including sexual activity.
Hair transplant experts usually advise people to avoid sex for at least 7 to 10 days after a hair transplant. The period of sex avoidance may extend up to two to three weeks to give the grafts adequate time to anchor into the scalp so they can produce new healthy hair.
This article is aimed at providing clarity on why and how long should you avoid having sex after your hair transplant. We will also discuss whether sex can compromise the results of your hair transplant and whether activities such as masturbation are safe after this procedure.
Can I Have Sex After a Hair Transplant?
It is not safe to have sex for around 7 to 10 days after a hair transplant. Also, if the donor and recipient areas of your hair transplant are still healing or haven’t fully scabbed, you might need to hold off sex for a few more weeks.
Hence, in general, it’s a good idea to wait at least 2 weeks before having sex to allow enough time for the grafts to anchor to improve their chance of survival.
Why should I avoid sex after a hair transplant?
There are 6 main reasons why you must avoid sex for a two weeks after a hair transplant.
Being aware of these reasons is essential to ensure you can make informed decisions to improve the results and avoid a potential failed hair transplant.
Fragility of grafts
It is possible for the patients or their partners to unknowingly touch or knock the fragile recipient or donor areas, causing bleeding. This might ruin the implanted hair follicles.
This is one of the reasons why normal sexual activity should be avoided until 2 weeks after the hair transplant.
Bleeding
Sexual activity, like any other form of exercise, can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to rise. This elevation is often short-lived as your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal within a few minutes after sex. [1]
However, when your hair grafts are still healing, this temporary rise in blood pressure can cause the wounds to bleed or even rupture, which might compromise the results of your hair transplant. [2]
Infections
Frequent touching of the scalp and tugging at the hair during sex can irritate the transplanted hair follicles and increase the risk of infections. This may damage the hair grafts resulting in their rejection.
Dislodgment
Protecting your grafts is the most critical part of your hair transplant aftercare for two weeks. This requires you to be careful while putting on or taking off clothes, avoid hitting your head on any objects, and refrain from sex, as your grafts may move or become dislodged.
Increased sweating
During sex, you are likely to sweat more from the scalp. This excessive sweating can pose a risk of dislodgment of the grafts and infection at the site of the transplant. The increased sweating can also make it more likely for you to nudge or dislodge the grafts while wiping away the perspiration.
These undesirable consequences can be prevented by avoiding sex after a hair transplant until completed healing has occurred.
Fatigue
Taking adequate rest is important to promote healing and speed up your recovery during your transplant downtime. However, sexual acuity can tire you out keeping you from getting the benefits of rest. This might slow down the healing and delay your recovery.
This is another reason why your hair care expert would advise you to wait to have sex until the grafts have completely healed.
How long after a hair transplant can I have sex?
In general, you can safely have sex about 2 weeks after a hair transplant once the transplanted hair grafts and donor and recipient areas are fully healed and any pain, discomfort, or itching in the treatment sites have subsided. In some people, this might take a longer time, necessitating them to wait further before they can safely have sex.
You can talk to our hair care experts if you have any further questions about how long after a hair transplant you can have sex.
Which precautions can I take before having sex?
Here are some precautions you should take when having sex after your hair transplant:
Taking these precautions will help minimize damage to the hair grafts and improve the chances of successful outcomes.
Sex After Hair Transplant: FAQs
A hair transplant surgery itself does not impact a person’s sexuality or lower sex drive. On the contrary, you might notice an improvement in your sex drive after this procedure, possibly due to the positive changes in your appearance and increase in self-confidence.
No, a hair transplant is not known to affect the sperm quality. It is also not known to affect sperm count and sperm motility in men.
Yes, research suggests that sildenafil citrate, which is the generic name or primary ingredient of Viagra, can help promote hair growth. It can facilitate the transition of hair follicles into their growth phase and improve the blood supply to the follicles. [3]
However, this drug is contraindicated for people with certain medical conditions, such as those with a history of heart attacks. You can talk to your hair care expert or your physician to know whether you can safely use Viagra after a hair transplant. [4]
Masturbation is generally safe to practice 10 days after a hair transplant and is not likely to affect your recovery after this procedure in the same way as sex does. It is also considered a comparatively safer option than sex in the first 7 to 10 days after a hair transplant.
However, it might still be a good idea to avoid masturbation at least 10 days after your surgery as it can increase your blood pressure and heart rate and interfere with the rest needed for successful recovery.
We have learned that resuming rigorous sexual activity too soon could jeopardize the healing and survival of the fragile hair follicles transplanted into your scalp. However, sex isn’t the only activity you need to avoid for a few weeks following a hair transplant.
Your doctor might also advise you to take other precautions such as:
- Avoid alcohol intake for at least 10 days after the procedure.
- Avoid vigorous physical activity, including exercise or sport, for at least 2 weeks.
- Wait at least 3 to 4 weeks to get a haircut.
- Avoid lingering in the sun for too long for about 2 months. Wear a hat or a scarf to protect your scalp while stepping out in the sun.
- Avoid swimming for about four weeks.
- Avoid sunbeds, steam rooms, and saunas for at least one month.
- Avoid Botox, dermal fillers, and facelifts for at least 3 months.
Taking care of your hair grafts is important, as it can play a key role in determining the procedure’s success. Avoiding sex for about 2 weeks and taking other precautions as discussed above will help you get the desired results and support your recovery.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18635976/
- https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/hair-transplantation-and-restoration/recovery
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30292404/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30292404/
