Hair loss is a common problem that can have a variety of causes. In addition to factors such as stress and genetic predisposition, a healthy and balanced diet also has a substantial effect on hair loss. Although every individual experiences a certain amount of hair loss daily, if this amount exceeds the normal limits, permanent hair loss may occur. Today, people experiencing such a situation frequently prefer a hair transplant operation. It would be correct to say that there are precautions to be taken before and after the operation, depending on the operation.
At this point, we can say that paying attention to eating and drinking habits in daily routine life and consuming the right foods in meals will provide convenience to people before the operation. One of the most critical issues here is to stay away from harmful habits. The first of these habits is alcohol.
How Long Before a Hair Transplant Should I Stop Drinking Alcohol?
Especially at Dr Serkan Aygin Clinic, our general advice is to stop alcohol consumption at least seven days before the hair transplant operation. The blood-thinning effect of alcohol brings the possibility of experiencing problems during the operation. One of the most important reasons for this is the increase in the frequency and amount of bleeding in the channels opened during hair transplantation. In this process, it will be beneficial to follow expert advice.
Alcohol intake is also not recommended after hair transplantation. Not consuming alcohol within a certain period will contribute to the faster healing of skin wounds that occur during hair transplantation. In this sense, the use of alcohol and cigarettes is not recommended for those who want to have a successful operation process. In addition to its effects on the operation area after the procedure, alcohol use after hair transplantation may also cause changes in the effect of anesthesia.
In this sense, alcohol can cause different damages during the hair transplantation process. Since paying attention to eating and drinking habits as per expert recommendations has a direct effect on improving the process, it is very useful to follow these recommendations. For this reason, necessary inferences should be made by analyzing the process and the direct and side effects of alcohol and cigarettes correctly.
What are the Harmful Effects of Alcohol Use Before Hair Transplantation?
Alcohol use also causes certain harm to the body in daily routine. Consumption of alcohol before hair transplantation may cause problems during the operation due to its blood-thinning effect. Thinning the blood accelerates blood flow. At this point, anomalies may occur in the body during the operation.
Alcohol intake can reduce the effect of anesthesia, used during the operation. Accordingly, the possibility of the sensation to return early in the operation process and the person to feel pain may increase. Or it may necessitate more anesthesia during the operation. At this point, excess anesthetic entering the body may bring undesirable side effects. In addition to this effect, alcohol intake before surgery can increase the feeling of pain.
Studies have shown that individuals who drink alcohol before the operation feel more pain than those who do not. In addition, a channel opening process takes place during hair transplantation. This channel opening process makes a small-scale medical wound in the area determined for the placement of hair follicles. The blood-thinning feature of alcohol may cause bleeding during this channel opening stage of the procedure to be more frequent and intense. Indeed, this situation highly affects both the success of the operation and the recovery period of the person.
Influence of Alcohol on Hair Transplantation
In light of all these reasons, experts do not recommend alcohol consumption during the hair transplantation process due to alcohol effect on hair transplant. One of the most critical points for those who want to have a successful operation is not to use alcohol before and after hair transplantation. Otherwise, the operation may not yield the desired success, or the person may encounter physical complications during the process.
It is possible to assume that not only alcohol but also cigarettes can lead to similar results. In this sense, individuals considering a hair transplantation process can adopt a much healthier time by putting their bad habits aside before and after the operation and keeping up with a regular life routine. It would be correct to say that this behavior will increase the chance of success of the surgery, and provide a certain decrease in the feeling of pain.
Can I Drink Alcohol After Hair Transplantation?
During the hair transplantation process, certain measures are beneficial to follow before and after the operation. Individuals who have had a successful operation should pay attention to certain points after the operation. For example, the hair transplantation area should not be touched for a while. For this reason, the use of hats, etc., are not recommended.
The most correct answer to the question of why is alcohol prohibited after hair transplantation, just as before the operation, is that, though not prohibited, it is not recommended as it can cause serious harm. It is thought that due to its blood-thinning properties, alcohol consumption immediately after hair transplantation can increase the feeling of pain and negatively affect the healing process.
Alcohol affects the body’s hydration needs and can lead to dry skin. This may cause newly transplanted hair follicles to not get enough nutrients from the skin. In this case, newly transplanted hair follicles cannot show sufficient growth. The question of whether to drink alcohol after hair transplantation is also important for the process. Another answer to the question of whether alcohol is harmful after hair transplantation is that alcohol disrupts the routine blood circulation system by dilating the vessels. As a result, the body cannot provide the blood circulation needed by the roots used in hair transplantation.
At this point, alcohol consumption can completely overturn the success of the operation in the process. Experts answer the question of when can alcohol be consumed after hair transplantation as not to drink alcohol during the two-week recovery period. At this point, although the minimum duration of the procedure is seven days, taking a break from alcohol consumption for two weeks increases your probability of obtaining healthy growing roots.
In this sense, following the instructions after hair transplantation is of great importance for those who want to achieve a good result. Indeed, evaluation of the post-hair transplant process has shown that following the expert recommendations before and after the operation contributes positively to obtaining the desired result.
Requirements for a Successful Process
There are critical rules to be followed before and after hair transplantation. The first of these rules is not to consume alcohol for a total of four weeks before and after hair transplantation . However, requirements after hair transplantation are not limited to stopping the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes. According to expert advice, it is also crucial not to touch the hair transplant area and not to use apparel such as hats.
In addition, consuming foods with high nutritional value will accelerate the healing process of the wounds formed during the hair transplantation process and will form the basis for the healthy growth of the planted roots. The pillow used during the process is also very important. It will be beneficial to use a small hard pillow to avoid contact with the planting area. Besides, the selection of clothing products and the dressing process are among the issues to be considered after hair transplantation.
