Drinking Alcohol After FUE Hair Transplant Surgery
One of the most popular options for hair loss treatment today is the follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplant technique. The team at True & Dorin Medical Group have achieved excellent results, helping patients here and in Long Island, NY achieve a full and healthy head of hair. The best results mean proper aftercare, which also means avoiding alcohol after the procedure.
Dr. Robert H. True and Dr. Robert J. Dorin would like to consider the effects of drinking alcohol after FUE. We’ll note potential complications and give you a general timeframe of when you can have some beer, wine, cocktails, or spirits again.
How Alcohol Affects the Healing Process
After undergoing any sort of surgical procedure, patients are told to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. This is because alcohol will slow down the healing process and weaken the immune system. Adding an extra day or a handful of days to the recovery process may not seem bad, but slower healing times makes a number of post-op complications far more likely.
Complications from Drinking Too Soon After FUE
There are three primary complications from drinking too soon after undergoing surgery. These complications are as follows:
- Increased Risk of Infection - Alcohol can have a negative impact on your immune system. Combined with a slower healing time, that leads to a higher chance of post-surgical infection, which can lead to poor FUE outcomes.
- Increased Risk of Bleeding - With slower healing times from alcohol consumption, patients must also be wary of increased bleeding as they are healing from surgery. This can also lead to hair graft failure and poor FUE outcomes.
- Increased Risk of Making Poor Decisions - Alcohol has been known to impair people’s ability to make good decisions. You may take unnecessary chances after having a few drinks, or you could make bad choices when it comes to proper post-op care of your scalp.
Avoid Alcohol Prior to FUE
Healing begins before surgery starts. This is why our surgeons tell patients from NYC and Long Island to avoid drinking alcohol for about two weeks before their hair transplant surgery. This allows the body to be free from alcohol and ready for the surgery and the healing process.
When Can I Have a Drink Again After FUE?
Patients should avoid having alcoholic beverages for at least 48 hours after their FUE has been performed. This should allow the scalp a decent amount of time to heal in those crucial first few days after a surgical procedure.
Avoid Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Even after the first 48 hours have passed, it’s important that patients avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Binge drinking can have negative effects on the scalp as it is still in the process of healing.
It’s best to abstain from alcohol consumption entirely for several days after surgery. After that point, patients will be able to resume many of the activities they did prior to surgery. During the follow-up visits with your hair transplant surgeon, you can discuss various do’s and don’ts for hair transplant patients.
Learn More About Hair Restoration Surgery
If you live in New York City or Long Island and would like to learn more about FUE and other options to treat hair loss, be sure to contact our team of hair restoration surgeons. The team at True & Dorin Medical Group can be reached by phone at (212) 826-2525.