There’s nothing wrong with wanting to cover the greys or try out a new hair colour soon after your hair restoration. It’s just that your scalp isn’t ready for that change yet, even though you are. That’s why it’s very common for people to ask: when can I dye my hair after a hair transplant?
Some people aren’t even sure if they can dye their hair after a transplant. The good news is that there’s no need to throw away any hair colour you own. But it can be months before you can start using them again.
When Can I Dye My Hair After a FUE Hair Transplant?
You’re advised against dyeing your hair for at least 6 months after an FUE hair transplant to avoid irritating the scalp. The wounds in the donor and recipient areas need to heal before you can put on any hair dye or henna.
It is well-known that the chemicals used in hair dyes can damage and weaken your hair. If you have frequent colouring sessions, you might even experience hair loss. So, in general, hair dyes can compromise your scalp health.
The following chemicals, for instance, can irritate and damage your scalp and hair:
- Ammonia
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Lead acetate
- Para-phenylenediamine (PPD)
- Toluene
- Resorcinol
- Parabens
It’s not just the chemicals that can harm the results of your hair transplant. When you brush or spread hair dye on hair grafts that have not yet taken root, you can easily dislodge them. And that would have an effect on your overall hair density.
When the scalp is irritated, the recovery period is unnecessarily prolonged, and complications are more likely to arise. That is why you need to hold off on dyeing your hair after surgery. Allow the skin of your scalp to heal and the grafts to take root (which can take about 2 weeks).
Can I Dye My Donor Area After a Hair Transplant?
As with the recipient area, you shouldn’t dye your donor area for 6 months after the hair transplant. Even though no incisions are made in the donor area, it will still have small, circular wounds from where the grafts were extracted using a punch tool.
These wounds will also take time to heal. So, you shouldn’t consider putting hair dye in the area. It can end up irritating the skin and delay recovery.
Things To Consider After Your Hair Transplant
As far as the colour of your hair or dyeing is concerned, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. These are as follows:
You Will Have Shock Loss
You may start growing your hair 3-4 months after the surgery. Before that, you may experience what’s known as shock loss. Hair growth after the surgery can take time, so it’s better not to further stress the hair by dyeing it.
Surgery Will Not Change Your Hair Colour
You’ll hear some people say that a hair transplant turned their hair white. But you should know that this surgery will not change your natural hair colour in any way. The colour of the graft will remain the same as it was in the donor area.
If your hair appears greyer than usual, it may be because you had grey hair on the back or sides of your head. Even if this happens, you shouldn’t rush into dyeing your hair as you don’t want to risk losing your hair permanently again.
Excessive Dyeing Can Cause Hair To Fall Out
Even though the results of a hair transplant are permanent, keep in mind dyeing your hair too much can damage it and result in thinning. The chemicals in hair dyes can cause structural damage to the shaft of the hair.
It can strip moisture from your hair, leaving it dry, brittle, and straw-like. So, your hair will become prone to breakage. Therefore, while you can dye your hair after a transplant, don’t do it too much.
Can I Dye My Hair Before A Hair Transplant?
You may be tempted to dye your hair before the surgery since you’re advised not to do so afterwards. While you certainly can do that, don’t dye your hair 2 weeks before the surgery. If you’ve already dyed your hair, that shouldn’t be a problem but do not do so a couple of weeks before the surgery.
The reason for this is that the dye will slightly tint the skin of your scalp, which will make it difficult for your surgeon to clearly see the donor and recipient areas. Your surgeon needs to have a clear visual of the follicles in your donor area that are going to be extracted.
Similarly, the medical team has to be very careful when making incisions and implanting the grafts. So, it’s not ideal for the colour of your skin to blend with that of the hair follicles.
Another reason why you shouldn’t dye your hair before surgery is that it may irritate your scalp, especially if you have sensitive skin. Your scalp health should not be compromised before the surgery takes place, as it could cause problems later on. It’s best to hold off on dyeing your hair if you are unsure about how the chemicals will react with your skin.
Conclusion
You can dye your hair after a hair transplant, but you need to wait for a few months before doing that. That’s because your scalp has gone through something big, and it needs some time to recover.
The chemicals in hair dyes will certainly not help you recover quickly (or even on time). In the event that something goes wrong with the results of your hair transplant after you dye your hair, you should contact your surgeon.
