Is Facial Swelling and Bruising Normal after Hair Transplant Surgery?

This question, asked by a member of our [tag]Hair Loss[/tag] Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Raymond Konior of Chicago, IL.

I recently had [tag]hair transplant[/tag] surgery and I was advised by my [tag]hair restoration[/tag] physician to wear a headband for 3-5 days. I wore it for only about 3 days.

The bad effect is that my forehead and my eyes started swelling but it was painless. Now, this morning I noticed that my left eyelid has turned purple and it looks as if it has even wrinkled. I am so worried about this.

Will this turn black and stay for weeks before it goes away? I’m just hoping it will not leave any permanent mark.

No need to worry. You have some bruising that has migrated down into your eyelid region. It is not uncommon for fluids to move downward, away from the surgical site and finally settle in the upper eyelid.

I would expect the swelling to resolve over the next few days, but the bruise may take a bit longer to fully clear. The purple color may transition into a yellow-tinge color as the blood is metabolized.

You can use a concealer over the area if the discoloration bothers you, but rest assured that this is temporary.

Dr. Raymond Konior

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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