HAIR TRANSPLANT FORUM

How much sun is too much? Can I walk in the parking lot from my car to the mall? What if I'm in the shade or inside my car? It's been 9 months since my CIT and not all the grafts are out yet...at least I hope not. I know I was suppose to stay out of the sun and wear a hat 6 months post op, but are my dormant grafts still at risk?

Your grafts should be fine at this point, but it certainly doesn't hurt being cautious until your transplant has reached full maturity. A few minutes of incidental sun exposure (i.e. walking to the car, getting the mail) should not be any cause for concern but I would suggest your remain vigilant about protecting your scalp during longer periods of sun exposure. Probably the easiest and most effective way to protect your scalp is to wear a hat whenever possible- including if you are going to be in the car for a prolonged period of time.

I agree with Emilie, after 6 months the grafts are secure and there shouldn't be any problem to get some sun, it is always good to be safe and ware a har or add some sunscreen.

Thanks guys! Appreciate the responses.

So can sun exposure kill your new transplanted hair???

Yes, as the newly transplanted hair moves towards the surface, it's possible that excessive sun exposure could be harmful to the grafts. I spoke to Dr. Cole about this issue today and he said that he actually had a patient who went out on his boat about 3 month post-op, and did not cover his head or wear sunscreen all day. He ended up with an extremely bad (I believe he said 3rd degree) sunburn and ultimately did not see any growth. This is obviously a worst-case scenario but it's a good cautionary reminder of why post-op instructions explicitly tell patients to be cautious in the sun. To play it completely safe, I would advise avoiding direct and prolonged sun exposure to the scalp for 12-15 months post-op, or until the transplanted hair has completely come in.