Did Drinking Alcohol Cause The Scalp Redness From My Hair Transplant Surgery To Return?

This interesting question comes from a member of our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums:

A few months ago I underwent a successful [tag]hair transplant[/tag] procedure and was satisfied with the results. However, like many surgical patients, the [tag]scalp redness[/tag] in the recipient region (where the incisions were made and the [tag]follicular unit grafts[/tag] were placed) of my head took several months to fully subside. After the redness finally went away, I decided to go out and have some drinks with a few friends. Unfortunately, I awoke the next morning and found that redness in the transplanted area of my scalp had returned! Is it possible that alcohol caused the redness to return?

Most [tag]hair restoration[/tag] clinics recommend avoiding alcohol for 48 hours after the [tag]hair transplant surgery[/tag], but do not address the subject any further. However, it’s interesting to point out that you are not the only [tag]hair loss[/tag] patient to experience this phenomenon, and there may be a valid explanation.

Dr. William Lindsey, a recommended hair transplant surgeon and trained facial plastic surgeon, states that he’s seen this situation twice in his practice, and both situations involved either consuming alcohol or aerobic exercise. At face value, these two activities seem unrelated, but both possess a common factor – widened blood vessels and increased blood flow to the procedural areas.

Alcohol, as a chemical, causes vasodilation (or a widening/opening of blood vessels) in the human body. When blood vessels in and around the newly transplanted region widen, blood rushes to the area and the redness from the hair transplant surgery returns. Since each patient is unique, it’s unclear how long the transplanted region will remain red. However, it is probable that the alcohol consumption caused the second round of scalp redness.

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Blake – aka Future_HT_Doc

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

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