Recovery Timeline · Day 2
Day 2: Peak Swelling Begins & Graft Protection
Day 2 often brings the most noticeable forehead swelling of the whole recovery — it can drift toward your brows and even your eyelids. It looks alarming and is almost always harmless. Grafts are still fragile; the first gentle wash is usually tomorrow.
What to expect
- Forehead and brow swelling at or near its peak
- Scabs hardening around each graft
- Donor area starting to itch as it heals
- Tiredness — your body is doing real repair work
How to care for it
- Continue cold packs on the forehead only, 10–15 minutes at a time
- Keep the 45° sleeping position
- Gentle walks are fine; nothing that raises your heart rate significantly
- No washing yet unless your clinic gave you a specific day-2 protocol — many start day 3
Is this normal?
- Normal Swelling moving down to eyebrows or eyelids
- Normal Tingling or mild "pins and needles" in the scalp
- Normal Crusting fully covering the recipient area
- Ask your clinic One eye swelling dramatically more than the other with pain
Contact your clinic promptly if you notice
- Fever, spreading redness, or pus — same-day call to your clinic
Frequently asked questions
Why is my forehead swollen after a hair transplant?
The tumescence fluid injected during surgery plus normal inflammatory response drains downward with gravity. It typically appears days 2–4, moves through the brow area, and resolves within about a week. Elevation and forehead cold packs speed it along.
Is it normal for swelling to reach my eyes?
Yes — gravity pulls the fluid down, and some patients briefly look like they’ve been in a fight. It resolves on its own in a few days. Painless, symmetric swelling is the normal pattern.
Going through Day 2 right now?
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