Exercise After a Hair Transplant: How Long Till I Can Work Out After a Hair Transplant?

After a hair transplant, patients are instructed to avoid strenuous exercise for at least two weeks because this significantly reduces the risk of infections or complications from sweat and exposure to contaminants.

When it comes to exercise after a hair transplant, we understand that many of our patients want to get back in the gym or back on the pitch as soon as possible. We’ve performed hair transplants for countless football and rugby stars, so we know just how important it is for them to get moving again.

If you’re having a hair transplant procedure, you’re probably wondering what limitations you’ll need to abide by during the healing and recovery process. The truth is that in the two weeks following your hair transplant surgery, you will need to avoid activities including sports, exercise and drinking alcohol.

In this article, we’re going to give you our advice when it comes to exercising post-surgery: what we recommend, what we would advise against, and how to safely get started without interrupting the healing process of your hair transplant.

Why Can’t I Exercise After a Hair Transplant?

Patients should wait at least 14 days before beginning any form of exercise, as working out too early can cause irritation, infection, delayed healing, and even dislodging of the delicate new grafts. This applies to all types of heavy lifting, swimming and strenuous workouts. [2]

1. Sweat-induced scalp irritation

When you exercise, you’re likely to sweat, which can increase the risk of irritating your scalp. Don’t forget that your incisions are small wounds on your scalp, so sweating will increase your risk of irritating them and prolonging the healing process.

2. Infection

If you go to a gym during the healing process, you’re likely to encounter dirt, bacteria, and other nasty germs that can end up causing an infection in one (or more) of your hair grafts.

Gyms aren’t exactly the cleanest of places – especially if you’re lying down to do mat work and your head ends up touching the floor. If you develop an infection, it will prolong your healing process and potentially dislodge several of your hair grafts.

3. Dislodging hair grafts

In the first few days following your hair transplant, you’re going to want to limit excessive movements as much as possible to protect the new follicles during the initial healing phase.

Hair grafts are incredibly delicate and can be dislodged much more easily than you might imagine: jumping, running, or doing high-intensity movements will only increase your chances of dislodging your hair grafts and negatively impacting your results.

4. Straining during movements

You may think that doing small or slow movements (such as weight-lifting) might be better than jumping or performing cardio, but this simply isn’t true because increased blood flow and straining can all complicate your post-hair transplant recovery.

When you perform weight-lifting movements or even muscular exercises such as squats and lunges, your body naturally strains to support itself during the movement. When you strain, you increase pressure in your head – this can cause your hair grafts to literally pop out and become dislodged.

In all circumstances, we highly recommend avoiding exercise for the first 14 days following your hair transplant.

What type of exercise can I do after a hair transplant?

The table below provides a quick summary of what you can and can’t do, such as light movement during week one, with more detailed explanations to follow.

Light movement for 7 days after your procedure

While we still don’t recommend any strenuous exercise during this period, light movements (such as leisurely walking) are permitted, so long as you prevent your scalp from coming into direct contact with sunlight: sweat induced by sun exposure can irritate your scalp.

Moderate workouts from 14 days after your hair transplant

Once it’s been 14 days after your surgical procedure, you can begin picking up more strenuous exercise once again, and you don’t need to be as cautious as you once were about sweating. You can do weightlifting, go to the gym and perform cardio exercises, including swimming and partake in any contact sports.

Reasons to Be Cautious About Post-Hair Transplant Exercise

While the above advice is a general guide, don’t forget that every hair transplant experience is different. You may find that your scalp is healing more slowly than normal, or that you develop scalp irritation at some point during your recovery period. If this is the case, it’s important that you contact us directly.

KSL Clinic says, ‘Exercising is important for overall health and well-being, but taking a short break after a hair transplant is key to helping your scalp and follicles recover well – and will ensure you see the results of your procedure sooner rather than later.’

What Hair Restoration Professionals Advise About Working Out After a Hair Transplant

While it might be tempting to sneak in a quick gym session or go for a quick run before you’re advised to do so, we highly recommend waiting out the recovery period. The fewer complications you have during the recovery period, the quicker you’ll be able to resume sports, exercise, and your daily gym sessions.

Plus, you’re not just risking infection if you disregard these guidelines: you’re also putting at risk the results of your hair transplant altogether. If hair grafts become dislodged or an infection interferes with the hair re-growth process, you might end up with patchy, uneven hair, or thinner regrowth.

It’s simple: if you’re going to be investing a lot of money into your image and appearance, you want to get the best results possible. Fight the temptation to exercise; instead, plan your post-recovery exercise regimen.