Recovery Timeline · Day 7
Day 7 (1 Week): Progress Check & Scab Shedding
One week in, you’ve cleared the highest-risk period. Normal at day 7: pink recipient area, scabs actively shedding, donor area healed enough to be comfortable, and energy back to normal. Many clinics allow light cardio from this point — ask yours. Take a progress photo today; week-one shots are the classic comparison baseline.
What to expect
- Meaningful scab shedding — some patients lose most crusts this week
- Transplanted hairs beginning to shed with the scabs (the start of normal shock loss)
- Donor area redness fading; staples/sutures (FUT) may be removed around days 10–14
How to care for it
- Slightly firmer (still gentle) fingertip washing is often approved now to help scabs along
- Light walking/cardio if your clinic approves; still no heavy lifting or contact sports
- Photograph your progress in consistent lighting — you’ll want this later
Is this normal?
- Normal Lots of short hairs shedding in the wash
- Normal Patchy look as scabs come off unevenly
- Ask your clinic Any area still bleeding or oozing at one week
Contact your clinic promptly if you notice
- Persistent oozing, expanding redness, or fever at the one-week mark warrants a clinic call
Frequently asked questions
When can I exercise after a hair transplant?
Typical clinic guidance: light walking from days 3–7, light cardio from days 7–10, resistance training from days 10–14, and contact sports, swimming, and saunas from week 4+. Sweat, straining, and friction are the enemies — your own clinic’s timeline wins over any general rule.
What should a hair transplant look like after 1 week?
Pink skin with partially shed scabs, visible short transplanted hairs (some already shedding), and a donor area that’s healing but may still show dots (FUE) or a covered suture line (FUT). Redness fully fading takes several more weeks, especially in fair skin.
Going through Day 7 right now?
Track your recovery with guided photos and compare your Day 7 with real, day-matched journeys from the HairSync community.
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