Question #2
How Soon Can I Go Back To Work?
This question is one we get often and, fortunately, the answer is sooner than you may think. Some variable factors do need to be taken into account. Your profession is one such variable, but the typical amount of time needed away from work after a hair-transplant procedure is one to three days. Some really common hair-styling techniques can help to significantly conceal any obvious signs of having had the procedure performed. This will be reviewed thoroughly at your consultation.
It should be noted that more time away from work may be required if your work requires strenuous activity. Working out—and anything that is comparably strenuous—should be avoided for at least the first couple of weeks to ensure that your transplanted hairs take a firm hold in your scalp. If you would like more information on this subject, please contact us at (317) 522-2995.
This question has 188 responses
It took me one week to get back to work.
Brian Deakins October 28, 2021
One week.
Gregg October 28, 2021
I was back to work quickly after the procedure.
J.H. October 19, 2021
You can typically go back to work within a week of your procedure.
Rohil Daya July 24, 2021
I returned after 3 days.
Tyler Ames June 23, 2021
I was able to work from home during the process.
Joe Harter May 25, 2021
Roughly about 2 weeks.
Will Johnson May 4, 2021
I took a week off work to rest and recover following the surgery. The pain is minimal with the exception of a headache following the procedure.
David Schrumpf April 27, 2021
I was back to work in 10 days.
Josh Mullins March 17, 2021
If able to wear a hat or covering, within 2 weeks
Seth Puckett March 3, 2021
2-3 weeks afterwards if you have a traditional job. If you work from home, you could theoretically return to work after a few days.
Ryan Denney February 23, 2021
For most people, relatively quickly. My procedure was a little more aggressive, therefore I extended my time away from work.
C.W. February 18, 2021
Back in the office in 2 weeks.
Kurt Vetters January 14, 2021
I went back to work after 3 to 4 days.
Dr. K.A. June 24, 2020
I went back to work in less than a week.
K.R.November 22, 2019
I recall doing the procedure on a Wednesday and being back the following Monday.
Michael O’Hara November 5, 2019
I went back to work I’d say after 7 days.
Blake Elliott October 11, 2019
I had the procedure on a Wednesday and went back to work the following Tuesday.
E.W. October 3, 2019
I personally took 5 days off.
Darrin Danhauer October 2, 2019
I went to work on the following Monday (3 days).
Bill Lyons September 10, 2019
I was back to work within a day or two.
Jeff Long September 9, 2019
Next day!
Peter Bitar August 22, 2019
I would take at least a week off.
MEO August 16, 2019
About a week.
J.W. August 14, 2019
1-2 weeks. I did a level 14 and chose to take an additional week for healing.
J.S. July 31, 2019
This may depend on your job role/description, but being in sales – I was back out in the field at about 3 weeks or so.
Nick Yonts June 28, 2019
I was able to be back to work by the second week. Minimal recovery but I felt better the second week.
Steven Smith June 17, 2019
I was able to be back to work in a clean environment in 3 days.
Ray Anderson March 12, 2019
I went back to work three days after my procedure.
J.K. January 29, 2019
For me I was back to work the next day.
Kevin Link January 25, 2019
I have a physical job so I went back to work after several days and wore a hat to keep the dust out of my scalp
Jim Colson December 22, 2018
One week is about right i think.
G.P. November 3, 2018
I was able to go back to work within a week with a hat on.
Jay P. September 29, 2018
My job is very flexible so I was able to take a full week off.
J.S.September 7, 2018
I worked remote for one day and then went back to work.
B.A. August 2, 2018
You could go back to work within 48 hours depending on the type of job you have. For me, I took 72 hours and I was back to work, which is more typical with my amount of hair loss and procedure type.
Joe Bergen April 21, 2018
Within the week easily. I actually drove home, 60 miles, the next morning.
Steve M. April 4, 2018
I went back to work 2-3 days afterwards. I still had some of the very small scabs but i wasnt worried if people were going to ask, which they didnt.
J.C. April 4, 2018
I had the procedure completed on Monday and was back in the office the following Monday. I was on my computer working from home a couple days after the procedure.
Jeff Williams April 3, 2018
I have an active job so I took just over a week. I did have a little swelling, which they said can happen, around the forehead for a few days afterwards.
Jeff Cook March 6, 2018
Within a couple of days (i.e. weekend “off”). There is very little discomfort after the procedure.
Dan Way March 2, 2018
I took 3 days off after the procedure and had 2 days off over the weekend. I felt fine the day after the procedure but my job requires lifting.
James Canady March 1, 2018
I am a Physician and self employed so i didnt have a lot of time to take off. I did it on a Friday and was back at my clinic on the following Monday.
Jean-Paul Etienne January 5, 2018
I work in broadcasting and was actually between jobs at the time. I had a 2 week window and it worked out great for me.
Alec Stephens December 27, 2017
I was actually able to take a week off work and went to Florida, at which time I wore a hat and was able to go right back to work after I returned.
Mike November 10, 2017
I had my procedure on a Friday and went back to work on the following Monday. For some the amount of time may be dependent on the type of job they have.
Randy P. October 13, 2017
For me i took a week off after my 2nd procedure. i had the time to take and i wanted to make sure i did all i could to protect my investment.
Ryan Hussy October 13, 2017
It depends on people’s health and hair transplant conditions. Typically you should be fine to go out within couple of days.
Anand October 9, 2017
I saw clients the day after my transplant. It was so great to be able to go right back to work.
Kevin September 26, 2017
That really depends on you. If you work in a place such as an office you’re golden to go back to work the next day. I work in a place where I have to operate a vehicle and have the chance to bump my head so I took a long weekend then went back to work. I just had to be careful so as not to bump my head. I was able to wear a ball cap to work to provide protection from the sun and other things.
Ian August 19, 2017
This may vary from person to person so its hard to give a specific time frame. I had my procedure done on a Friday afternoon and went back to work the following Thursday. I probably could have gone back a little sooner but I had the time to take it easy.
Jim July 17, 2017
I was able to get back to work 3-5 days after I had the procedure done.
Justin Anderson July 8, 2017
I had the procedure on Thursday and was back to work on Monday.
Tom Brakken June 15, 2017
I was ready to go back to my daily routine the following day with mild discomfort that Tylenol was able to keep under control. The suture area was tender if pressed, but other than that, I was good to go. I recommend following post-operative instructions to the letter. I know it helped my recovery!
Richard May 2, 2017
Everyone is different, based on if you are keeping this private or not. I wanted to keep this very private and went back to work 1 – 2 weeks later.
LF February 28, 2017
I had the procedure on a Friday and was back to work the next Monday. There is some swelling that naturally occurs but it subsides within about 48 hours. Opt for the platelet rich plasma for faster healing times!
J Brown January 23, 2017
I am a physician, and I was able to return to work after a week. I wore a hat for the first week, upon returning. I feel like I could have gone back to work after 3 days if I really wanted to.
Craig November 22, 2016
A person could go back to work within a couple of days. I personally didn’t want to go back to work until I knew no one could tell I had a procedure. I do a lot of public speaking in my profession. I was back in front of an audience in 10 days and no one knew I had anything done.
Brian November 12, 2016
I had my procedure on Thursday. Was off work on Friday and back in the office Monday morning. Everything went just as Darren said it would!
Chris January 25, 2016
Mine was done on Sunday……………..back in the office on Tuesday
Jan January 20, 2016
I had my procedure on a Friday morning, and I was back at school by Sunday. I had some swelling, but I was able to wear a hat for a few days then comb some hair over the surgical area so no one knew I had any work done.
Greg Barrow January 2, 2016
I had my 2nd procedure done in late August 2015. I’m retired, but like anybody, I wanted my recovery to move as quickly as possible. I decided to have Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) on the 2nd procedure. Best call ever! Knowing what I do now, if it had been available when I had the first procedure, I would have gladly paid for it then too. For me, the difference was dramatic. If a faster recovery is important to you…you want this.
Kevin October 15, 2015
It truly depends on what you do for a living and to what extent you want people to know what you’ve done.
Billy September 15, 2015
Back on your feet within a week.
Chris Katris September 9, 2015
I had my procedure on a Sunday and went back to work on Thursday.
ErikApril 10, 2015
It really depends on what profession you are in. If you can wear a baseball cap you could go back to work after a few days. I took off 2 weeks because I had a level 12 procedure and my scalp was noticeable red. Although I had no pain I cannot wear a baseball cap at my current job. The only discomfort that I had was tightness in the back of my scalp. Darren had explained this prior to the procedure and went away after about a month. I was completely honest with people about the procedure, because a lot of guys have looked into getting it done.
CameronApril 9, 2015
Just a few days and you should be fine to go back to work. If you can, I’d recommend growing out the surrounding hair so that you can cover up the newly operated area.
Ryan March 18, 2015
The following day after he procedure you have to take it easy, there is a follow up apt for them to wash the scalp. But other than that pretty simple. Had procedure on Saturday, took off Monday. And was back to work Tuesday.
Mike M.March 9, 2015
I am a teacher and did it over Christmas Break!
Ryan Fields December 20, 2014
I had the procedure done Friday and in all actuality I would have been fine going back to work well within a week. However I had a had a large procedure and I had some time to take so I waited a week. It could honestly range from a few days to maybe a week.
Eric November 14, 2014
I had my procedure on a Tuesday, and I took the rest of the week off. Although, I stopped by the office on Friday for a couple of hours to check in on my team. I could have gone back sooner, but I used the procedure as excuse for a little vacation!
Nick H.November 12, 2014
I was 63 years old and retired when I had the procedure done. I know I could have gone back to work. There was little if any discomfort and after two days I was doing what I always did. By following the directions of the ladies in the office I had absolutely no problems. Everything happened as they said it would.
CliffNovember 10, 2014
It’s amazing how quickly I was able to return to work after my PAI procedure. After my first procedure I went back to work after a three day weekend. After my second procedure I decided to give it a little more time, but I was feeling great after two days. I highly recommend the staff at PAI, from prepping to procedure, they are the best!
Joe L.November 4, 2014
I took a vacation week, cause I just needed time off from work. This is no big deal the results are incredible dont wait go for it!!!!!
Jeff Youker October 28, 2014
I was back at work within the next day. I wore a loose hat so no one could see what I had done. Pain was very minimal.
Nick September 4, 2014
I had my procedure on a Friday and was back in the office on Monday. I was pain free the whole time. If your hair is short on top then you will be able to tell a procedure was done for the first few days, but the couple days of having small scabs is totally worth it.
Jake J. June 18, 2014
the 1st time I went back to work in 3 days and the 2nd I took the whole week off.I would recommend at least 5-7 days.
Richard J May 28, 2014
I got my procedure on the 20th of December, and that gave me enough time to recover due to the holidays. I had a level 10 done, so it was noticeable for about a week.
Cody B May 20, 2014
I followed the doctors instructions and relaxed with my head elevated for 48hrs then returned to work that following Monday.
Darren GreenApril 28, 2014
I had the full replacement done on a Thursday, and was back to work on Monday, with the help of some of the Toppix concealment powder. I have an office job so could not wear a hat. Depending on the amount of replacement and your type of job, you may want to have 5-6 days off before going back to work.
Dave L. March 24, 2014
Being a student, I had mine done during the summer because I was afraid I would miss a lot of class if I did it during the school year. That being said, I only needed 4 days or so of rest before I was able to be up and moving and back to normal.
James B. February 7, 2014
I feel that most can return to work within a few days. However, in my case I felt better after about 5 days. I was off work so there really wasn’t any impact to my work schedule.
Rick O January 16, 2014
I think it depends on what you do for a living. For me it was easy, I took one day off and then afterwards wore a hat for the next couple days and there was no problem whatsoever.
Nick December 3, 2013
My procedure was on a Saturday and I went back into school the following Monday. It was not a big deal to me, and no one around asked any questions. I had slight discomfort the night after the procedure, but the next day or so I was feeling all back to normal.
Luke E November 20, 2013
Being retired I was able to avoid being seen more easily. I think PAI can do a better job of explaining to a candidate what the appearance can look like so one can plan accordingly. I don’t mean this as a criticism but rather constructive suggestions. There was a significant alteration of my appearance but it goes away quickly. I simply was not prepared for this and was discouraged as a result. Now I am delighted with what I have and it was all worth it many times over.
Phil G November 6, 2013
I work in a professional office and cannot wear a hat to work. I did the procedure on a Wednesday and went back to work the following Tuesday. Personally I came clean and just told people what I did. It wasn’t a big deal. I started using Toppix and that really helped a lot. If I had to do it again, first of all, I most definitely would. Second, I would have done the procedure on Wednesday, then taken some of the following week off. Don’t let the temporary inconvenience of the post procedure look put you off. You’ll get through it and then be simply amazed.
Mario September 26, 2013
I had mine done on a friday and flew overseas for my job on the tuesday post procedure. I was able to wear a cap. Airport security even let me keep my cap on once I showed him briefly what I had done. I had some light temporary numbness for a little while but that has gone and the area where the hair was taken is literally invisible.
Andy August 29, 2013
Okay, so, my body typically has a difficult time recovering from even the most minor procedure. I slept sitting up on my couch for a few days because I was fearful I would roll over on my head in the night and damage the transplanted area. That was not easy to do, but I got through it. Also, I had some swelling after the procedure which was a bit unnerving, but PAI assured me that would go away, and it did. I was able to work the entire time, though. Other than some interrupted sleep, I was able to keep going a day or two after the procedure.
Preston L. June 24, 2013
I was back at work in a week. PAI team did a good job providing instructions and explaining on what to expect (day by day) after the procedure. The instructions came out very handy.
Vik June 24, 2013
I have a physical job that requires heavy lifting and standing on my feet for long periods of time. I took a week off, because I didn’t want to do anything to compromise the grafts or cause complications. Though I felt okay soon after the surgery, I’m glad I gave myself time to heal. By the time I went back to work ten days later, the scabs were completely gone. I had no trouble hiding the fact that I had undergone hair transplant surgery.
Kathryn May 19, 2013
I work two jobs and I can’t afford too much down time. I was back to work on the forth day after the procedure. Both of my jobs I wear a hat as part of my uniform. No one noticed at all. That’s the part I love the most.
Tracy Thomas April 30, 2013
I work in communications and have to be in the field subjected to the elements daily. Fortunately for me I was back to work dawning my hardhat within a week. Most of my work was to the front hair line and top which allowed me to wear my safety gear.
Jim Winders April 13, 2013
I am particularly sensitive to anesthesia and medication but the only side effects I had were very mild. I was fine after a week or so. I’m sure this was atypical.
Jack C. March 15, 2013
I had a large area done on the back of my head. Swelling was not a concern and I could have gone back to an office job in a few days. I planned my procedure around a long weekend. Talk to Darren at PAI, and he will tell you exactly what to expect and what to do about work , which will depend on what you do for a living, etc. Do just what PAI tells you and everything will go great for you and you will be very happy and amazed with the great results you will see in just a few months.
Larry Y. February 21, 2013
I had a level 12 performed on a Monday. I took the medication only on Tuesday and by Thursday evening, I felt 100%. The pain level was minimal. I was away from work for 10 days and I wore a hat after primarily because I felt self conscience. I chose to wear mine because I experienced a little of “shock loss” and my scalp was a little pink. At work, I told people that I had a minor procedure and that is why I was wearing the hat. Nobody questioned or said anything to me about it.
Shaun N February 7, 2013
I had my transplant on a Monday morning and stayed home from Monday to Friday. Physically, I was probably strong enough to show up at my office by Thursday, but the little crusts from the grafts were still visible, and I didn’t want people to see them.
Adam Schwartz December 25, 2012
Couple of days. Ideally more. Darren and team does outstanding job in share details (day by day) on what to expect after the procedure. Things work out exactly as per these instructions.
R SharmaDecember 24, 2012
This answer depends on the individual. I was very conscientious about my appearance and didn’t want to answer a bunch of questions about it. If you are similar to me, I’d take a few days off. I had the procedure done on a Saturday and worked from home most of that following week. I did return to work on Friday. With me it did take 7 to 9 days for the procedure to not be visible at all.
Jon October 3, 2012
I had over 6000 hairs transplanted on May 26th. The new hair was trasnplanted from my hair line back to the beginning of the crown. I know each person is different but for me persoanlly, because I am in front of a LOT of people every day, I did have some challenges with covering the impact of the procedure in the intial week or so after it. However, now I’m at month 4 post procedure and my hair couldn’t look any better. It has come in so nice and still has 8 more months to grow………..best decision I have ever made.
Scott October 2, 2012
My opinion on this is that this differs depending on if you want to discuss it with other people or not. It depends on how much hair you have to start with but I think that if you go back to work within the first week people may notice a redness or some indicator that something happened to the top of your head. This may not be the case for everyone but it would have been for me. If you don’t care about people noticing, I’d say you could go back sooner.
Kevin August 13, 2012
I took the day of the procedure off from work. I took the morning of the following day off, so that I could go back to PAI for my checkup and shampoo. But I did go into work the following afternoon of my procedure. I went about my regular work functions as normal from the afternoon on in the professional office environment that I work. I still dealt with all my responsibilities of customer, bosses, and vendors as nothing had happened. Thank you PAI for such a great job… Brian G.
Brian G August 13, 2012
I work from home so work wasn’t an issue for me. It really depends on your hair type and how large of a procedure you have. I had a lot of hair loss so I had a level 12, and transplanted over 6000 hairs in that one procedure. My skin and hair color is very fair so I did wear a hat for a little while so as to mask the light redness on my scalp.
David August 10, 2012
I was off for summer vacation, but I was able to style my hair so it wasn’t very noticable.
Diane July 16, 2012
Unfortunately, there is a short period of time where the procedure is noticable. I had mine done in the winter. It takes about 7-10 days before it isn’t noticeable at all. I didn’t have any issues with activity though…just don’t push it as that is not healthy for the grafts. All in all, that short period of time is forgotten about when you see the results and you won’t regret it!
Steve July 3, 2012
Personally I took a couple of days. I did have some redness up there for a liittle while but i was able to cover that up. I was also able to wear a ball cap right after the procedure so the interuption to my regular schedule was minimal.
Jack Trudeau June 20, 2012
I had the procedure on Thursday and took Friday off. I returned to work on Monday wearing a baseball cap for a few days. When people at work asked me about the hat I just told them that I had a minor medical procedure done to my scalp but it was not serious. The hair grows back so gradual nobody ever noticed. It is amazing how gradual it comes back. I even forgot how much hair loss I had until I saw the ‘before’ photos taken by Darren.
Mark H June 20, 2012
I had the procedure on Friday and was back to work on monday. No problem.
Mike McConnell May 3, 2012
I had the largest procedure done on a Friday and returned to work on Monday with some discomfort. However, I had the benefit of working from a home office. If I had to “go to work”, I would have needed a few more days before returning. I had some discomfort for a few days and some of the little scabs up there. Wore a ball cap for about 7 days until scabs and redness subsided. The suture line gave me some mild discomfort and was glad to get the sutures out at 10 days. After that, it was clear sailing. For me, it was well worth the slight discomfort and wearing a hat to get 6000+ new hairs!
Dale February 29, 2012
I went back to work about 3-4 days after the procedure. I did have a little discomort in that 3-4 day timeframe after the procedure, nothing major, but i wanted to take a little time out so took the 3 or 4 days from work. My routine was completely back to normal in about 6 – 10 days after the procedure.
Tuhin S. January 10, 2012
Depending on the individual circumstances , I would tell folks to give themselves 5 – 7 days but you could return to work a little sooner if necessary. Using “Toppik” helps.
Jason W December 1, 2011
My procedure was on a Wednesday and I returned to work on Friday!
Matt H. September 22, 2011
I had the procedure done on Friday and went back to work Monday. There was a little redness but nothing dramatic. I was amazed!
Mike McConnell August 18, 2011
I had my procedure on a Thursday and went back to work on Monday. I was told my hair might be a little thinner for a little while right after the procedure and i did notice that but not so much so that I was concerned about going back to work.
Bob G August 14, 2011
I had the week off after the procedure, however it was Christmas week. All my family was in town and never noticed that I had anything done. I am in the medical field and could have gone back to work after3 days. I have to admit, it was a little more painful than I had thought, although I only took the pain medication for the first two days. What bothered me the most was the initial discomfort from from the donor area.
Kathy G July 7, 2011
I had the highest level of transplant and they transplanted a LOT of hair! I did have a little swelling that was evident around day 3 or 4 , but after a week I was out and about and pretty much back to my normal duties. No one suspected anything out of the ordinary.
John CJune 29, 2011
I’m in sales and this was my number one concern (even over pain). I have to present in front of people and was concerned about how long I would take to get rid of the scabbing/redness. I’m glad to say that it only took a little over a week before there were really no visible signs that I had the procedure done. As far as returning to normal activity, I did that within the first couple of days (minus working out). No problems at all.
Todd June 6, 2011
The procedure was easy to camoflauge afterwards. I definitely followed the basic instructions that I was given. Little post procedure attention was needed in the first few days but nothing that was too intense.
Judy May 14, 2011
Ice and rest are your two best friends in the first 2 days after the procedure. The more hair you have transplanted the more time it will take to recover. With that said, I had a the biggest level 12 and I was almost back to normal activity within a week. The best advice I can give, listen to the PAI team and follow their advice to the letter and you’ll be more than fine.
J. Daniel March 29, 2011
I was fortunate in that I had my procedure right before going on Spring Break. I experienced some puffiness around my eyes and forehead, but nothing devastating. I was still able to enjoy myself in Florida, after having my procedure, just 5 days prior. I would like to add, as the front man for a band, I performed for a crowd of nearly 700 people, just 3 days after my procedure, with no ill effects.
John SMarch 25, 2011
This was not really a concern for me because I was retired so I didn’t have to plan around it. I did have some redness and a some small little crusts up there for a few days afterward but I was able to cover them with my existing hair.
Louise G. January 11, 2011
I felt well enough to go back within a few days, but had taken the week off as a precaution. Since my transplant area was right across the front, I mainly didn’t want to disturb other folks. My hair dresser created a cut and style that helped disguise the transplant area, which worked well, and I don’t think too many people noticed. Wearing a hat or scarf in the office would have brought more attention to something being different, so I just used my new hair style to the best of my ability and feel it worked very well. I was completely honest with folks about the procedure, because most were very interested. Most people don’t realize how common hair transplantation is, so it’s unique and interesting to most.
Donna E. January 4, 2011
I had my procedure done on a Tuesday and did a boardroom presentation on the following Monday. I did have to use toppik though to cover the redness.I did have some very mild redness for the next few weeks but it was very easy to cover and no one ever noticed it.
Craig BDecember 31, 2010
I had my procedure on Thurs. Had the entire family over for my kids birthday party on sat. and went back to work Mon. However, experienced a little swelling Mon. afternoon in my forehead so took it easy for the next few days. I think if I were to do it again, I would schedule a vacation week and just relax during recovery. I had almost a level 12…..I would do it again tomorrow without hesitation. The results are very much worth a few days of discomfort.
Jerad A. December 31, 2010
I think it depends on how much hair loss you have had and how many grafts you have placed. I had the procedure on Thurs. and went to work on Monday. I had some redness and bumps which were visible, but I had significant loss from the front of my forehead back. If my loss had been from the crown, no one would have seen anything. As it was, I wore the head scarf, “du rag” and told people that I had some minor surgery done and that the doctor wanted the stitches to be covered. Not a lie and that explained the scarf. Once I took it off, no one said a thing.
LarryDecember 30, 2010
I had a level 12 done so it was a week for me. I wore a hat quite a bit for the first few weeks. There was no pain at all during the day, just a little uncomfortable sleeping the first few nights. I’m glad I made the decision to do it.
RichDecember 30, 2010
My procedure was on a Thursday and I planned to take Friday off too so I had three full days of recovery before I went back to work. I have long hair, so I was able to cover up the spot so it was less noticeable. No one said anything about it, which made me happy!
Amran December 28, 2010
