Soon after getting beard implants, many patients ask the same question, “how long does it take to recover from beard transplant.”
As with any surgery, even the less invasive ones, you’ll need some time to recover. And it won’t be possible for you to jump right back into your routine after the procedure.
That’s because certain things can harm the results of your procedure. Also, hair growth after a beard transplant isn’t exactly linear.
That’s why it’s important to be aware of the beard transplant recovery timeline, so you know what to expect.
How Long Does It Take To Recover From Beard Transplant?
You can return to work 2 to 3 days after a beard transplant. Although, usually, patients are advised a week’s rest.
Keep in mind that it can take about 2 weeks for the grafts on your face to take root. Also, you’ll experience some side effects during the early stages of recovery, such as:
- Scabbing
- Itchiness
- Redness
- Swelling
These can also take a few days to a couple of weeks to go away. However, at any point, if you feel like something’s not right, make sure to get in touch with your surgeon.
Beard Transplant Recovery Timeline
Here’s a timeline of how you’ll recover and when your beard hair will start growing after the transplant.
Post Op: 1 Week
Soon after the beard transplant, you’ll have dried blood crusts on the face. Also, the donor area on the back of your head will be bandaged for a few days.
After two days, you can start washing both your beard and donor areas. For this, use the foam and shampoo provided to you as follows:
- Gently dab foam onto your beard area and leave it on for 30 minutes.
- Rinse the foam with lukewarm water.
- Apply shampoo to your beard and donor areas and wash it immediately after.
- Pat yourself dry.
Early on, you’ll also be on a diet of soft foods for about 3 days so that you don’t experience a lot of pain. Also, make sure to avoid salty food for the first few days not to increase the swelling.
Once the swelling has subsided (which can take 3-4 days), you can get back to your normal diet.
Other than that, you’ll notice scabs forming on your face as well. These should fall off after 2 weeks though.
Post Op: 1 Month
It’s unlikely that your beard hair will grow just a month after surgery. Many people experience what’s known as “shock loss” around this time.
Your beard hair will fall off, and it will look quite uneven and patchy. However, rest assured that it’s only temporary.
Other than that, you might also have some acne and bumps on your face, but this should also go away with time.
By the 1-month mark, you can ease back into most of your routine activities, however.
For instance, you can start doing the heavy lifting and cardio again. You can also get back into a swimming pool.
Post Op: 3 Months
Usually, patients start to notice beard hair growth 3 months after the surgery.
And it’s around this time that you can start using a trimmer to groom your beard.
Keep in mind the growth might not be even at this stage. Your beard hair has just started to grow, so it might still look patchy.
It’s not a sign of a failed beard transplant. However, 3 months after the surgery, most of your side effects should have subsided.
Post Op: 6 Months
Around 70% of your beard hair will have grown after 6 months. With time, you’ll also notice the growth of thicker beard hair.
Additionally, the density of hair in the beard region will continue to increase so that the patchiness won’t be visible anymore.
You can also use a razor to groom your beard 6 months after the beard implant surgery.
Post Op: 12-18 Months
A year after the beard transplant, most people can see the final results of their surgery. However, everyone heals differently, so it can take around 18 months for some people to grow a full, thick beard.
The results will look natural, and it will be as if you never had a patchy beard, to begin with.
To assess your own results, it’s always a good idea to compare your facial hair before and after the surgery.
Conclusion
Just like with any surgery, you’ll have to take some rest after a beard transplant. However, the downtime isn’t too long. Just make sure to ease into things so that you don’t harm the grafts on your face.
Your surgeon will give you aftercare instructions. Make sure to follow them for the best results. And if you’re experiencing any problems during the beard transplant recovery, make sure to get in touch with your doctor immediately.
