Eyebrow Transplant Patient Instructions

Pre-Operative Instructions

• Ten days prior to your procedure: do not take aspirin, vitamin E, gingko biloba, or any multivitamins (as these contain vitamin E). Many medications also contain aspirin, so please be sure to read all medication labels. You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol).
• Three days prior to your procedure: do not take any anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. Ibuprofen), do not drink any alcohol, and do not over-expose to the sun.
• Make arrangements for transportation from the office after your procedure if you will be receiving any sedation. The type of sedation you receive will be decided upon by you and the doctor, but many patients choose to take an oral sedative to make the procedure more relaxing and comfortable. Procedures typically take four to eight hours, sometimes a bit longer or shorter, depending on the number of grafts.
• If you are traveling from out of town, please make the necessary arrangements for your hotel, flights, and transportation. Our office is here to assist you with your accommodations.
• If you have gray scalp hair and you color it, make sure it gets colored within three days prior to your procedure to permit better visualization of the hairs. You will be able to color your hair again two weeks later.
• Your hair in the donor area (back and possibly sides of the head) will be trimmed quite short to permit the extraction of hairs. Depending upon the number of grafts being transplanted, this may involve trimming a small area on the back and/or sides of the scalp that that can easily be covered up by surrounding hair, or require sharing the entire back and sides of your head in the case of a larger procedure (800 or more FUE grafts). You should plan accordingly and discuss this with your doctor as to what is recommended for you. The hair on the rest of your head can be any length.
• If you are having the No-Shave FUE technique, your hairs in the donor area (back and possibly sides of the head) will not be trimmed, and we recommend you let your hairs grow out to as long a length as you feel comfortable with.
• If you are also having BHT (body hair transplants using the beard, chest, abdomen and other areas of the body) being done, you must refer to the specialized instructions.
• For best healing, please refrain from smoking for at least one week before and one week after your procedure.
• Taking vitamin C 1000 to 2000 mg a day for one week prior to your procedure may help with healing. To reduce bruising, vitamin K, 100 micrograms a day can be taken starting five days before surgery and continuing for two days after.

Post-Operative Instructions

Medications: These are the medications that will be given to you by the office. If you are not able to take any of them (i.e. due to allergies) please let us know before your procedure. This will allow us to properly call in a different prescription to your local pharmacy.

• Cefadroxil – antibiotic to prevent infection. Take one pill twice a day for three days.
• Percocet – strong pain pill should you need it for the first day or two.

These are the medications that are available over the counter that will help you during recovery.

• Tylenol – mild pain pill. Take one to two pills every four to six hours as needed for any discomfort.
• Antibiotic ointment – Apply to the scalp donor area twice a day for the first five days after your procedure.

Caring for the Transplants

• For the first five days, avoid getting your eyebrows wet. Wash your face gently with a wash cloth, avoiding eyebrows. At five days, eyebrows may be splashed with water and cleansed by pressing soap into eyebrows and again splashed with water. Avoid rubbing.
• On the sixth day, you may resume normal face washing and the eyebrows may be gently rubbed at this time. The tiny crusts where each graft was placed will fall off at around three to four days. If there is any discomfort or bleeding, stop and begin to rub again two days later.
• Most of the transplanted hairs will fall off over the next two weeks. This is normal and the hairs will start to grow typically in four months.
• Once they begin to regrow, you will need to trim the hairs two or three times a month, as needed. Hair gel or eyebrow gel may be needed occasionally to train a few of the hairs to grow flat along the forehead in the ideal direction.
• Most patients are presentable five days after without any obvious signs of having had a procedure other than that they will have new hairs and possible some bruising.
• Do not apply ice to eyebrow area, only to the eyes as needed for swelling.
• Avoid excessive sun exposure for the first three weeks after your procedure.