There are several things to consider before swimming in water after undergoing a FUT or FUE hair transplant:
– chlorine in swimming pools can potentially damage grafts while wounds close properly. It is therefore advisable to wait until the crusts disappear. For this reason, most practitioners recommend avoiding chlorinated water for two to six weeks after the procedure.
– seawater contains salt, which can promote healing, but also, depending on the location, many pollutants that can cause infections. So, as a precaution, it would be better to respect the same deadline as for the pool and wait for the scabs to fall.
In both cases, but it is not always easy, the risks can be reduced by not putting the head underwater.
– the sun: it is important to avoid exposure, during swimming, to ultraviolet (UV) rays which interfere with the healing process and can cause, depending on skin types, exposure time and other factors, the appearance of a hypertrophic and/or pigmented scar (with a dark brown or, on the contrary, white coloration, which then reflects a depigmentation).
These effects can last several months, even several years, or they are simply not irreparable.
In fact, the more recent the scar is, the higher its reactivity to the sun.
It is therefore important to be particularly careful in the first few weeks, when the scar is still red, and to ensure that it is hidden.
Wearing a bathing cap is therefore recommended in the months following a hair transplant.
– Extraction activity and method: in the case of a FUT, it is important to be even more careful because of the size and location of the scar with regard to the swimming movements performed, especially if they go beyond a simple leisure activity. Indeed, tensions can be significant on the neck and widen the scar. The resumption of a sporting activity must be gradual in order to ensure that healing does not suffer and to suspend training immediately in the event of tightness or other unpleasant sensations.
