One of the most popular cosmetic procedures today is eyebrow transplant. To ensure the best results from an eyebrow transplant, specialists provide recommendations to patients before and after the procedure to aid in faster recovery. However, some side effects or complications may still occur after the eyebrow transplant. Scabs that form after an eyebrow transplant are similar to those seen in hair transplants, and for this reason, considering certain factors to prevent complications that could affect the final aesthetic outcome is important.
Is it dangerous to have scabs after an eyebrow transplant?
As mentioned, scabs or crusts may form after an eyebrow transplant. This issue, if left untreated, can become a significant concern.
Experiencing some side effects after cosmetic procedures is inevitable. To minimize these side effects, you should follow the hygiene guidelines and recommendations prescribed by your doctor to eliminate potential complications, such as scabs forming on the skin. In fact, seeing scabs after an eyebrow transplant can be quite normal, but if they persist for more than 5 to 7 days, you must inform your doctor, as they could lead to an infection in the skin, resulting in an undesirable appearance. Therefore, it’s best to take your doctor’s recommendations seriously to reduce the likelihood of scabs forming after an eyebrow transplant and to promote faster healing if they do occur. In severe cases, scabs may even prevent the natural growth of eyebrows.
Why do scabs form after an eyebrow transplant?
Since different methods are used in eyebrow transplants, small incisions or skin tingling may occur in the areas where the transplant is performed. These incisions may turn into wounds after the transplant, and if hygiene guidelines are not followed, these wounds can form scabs on your skin, slowing down the healing process. Generally, the reason for scab formation after an eyebrow transplant is the damage caused during the procedure, specifically when incisions are made at the site where hair follicles are implanted. As these incisions or cavities where the follicles are placed begin to heal, scabs appear in the eyebrow transplant area. However, these scabs are very small and, with proper care as recommended by the medical team, they resolve relatively easily.
As mentioned, the scabs that form after an eyebrow transplant are not large and typically do not last long. They usually appear in the first few days after the procedure and may persist for up to 2 weeks, although they generally heal within 10 days with treatment at the clinic by the healthcare team.
What to do about scabs after an eyebrow transplant?
It’s important to know how to handle scabs when they appear after an eyebrow transplant to prevent potential complications that could affect the final result. It’s critical never to pick or harshly handle the scabs from an eyebrow transplant, as doing so may dislodge the implanted follicles, prevent hair growth in that area, or lead to infection, which could compromise the final outcome of the transplant. Initially, the scabs adhere strongly to the skin, but with proper post-procedure care over time, they soften until they fall off on their own.
If you notice scabs after a natural eyebrow transplant and they persist, you should inform your doctor. In very severe cases, scabs may cause skin bleeding, which can lead to blood infections. If an infection is not treated promptly and eliminated, it may spread across the skin and internal organs, creating conditions for infectious diseases and worsening health. To address this, specialists prescribe medications to reduce scabs and accelerate the healing process after an eyebrow transplant.
Post-eyebrow transplant care and preventing scab formation
To achieve effective and positive results from a natural eyebrow transplant, you must carefully follow post-transplant care instructions. Since an eyebrow transplant is an outpatient procedure, its results can vary among individuals. For a natural eyebrow transplant, you should only visit reputable, licensed clinics. The more skilled and specialized the doctor performing the transplant, the less you need to worry about post-procedure complications.
After an eyebrow transplant, there are significantly fewer side effects compared to other cosmetic surgeries that may appear on your skin. Most of these symptoms resolve on their own within the first week, and you shouldn’t be overly concerned about them. These side effects include: redness and swelling from the natural eyebrow transplant, scarring at the donor and recipient sites on the skin, bruising around the eyebrows, and finally, flaking of the skin under the eyebrows and scab formation due to wounds in the eyebrow area. In fact, all these symptoms are very temporary and last only a few days, and with proper post-eyebrow transplant care, they will disappear.
Post-natural eyebrow transplant care
An eyebrow transplant can significantly enhance your appearance, but if you do not pay attention to post-procedure care and fail to take your doctor’s recommendations seriously, the transplant can lead to numerous risks and complications. Below are the most important post-eyebrow transplant care tips:
✔ After a natural eyebrow transplant, ensure you get sufficient rest, as it significantly impacts the outcome of the transplant.
✔ Use antibiotics and other medications prescribed by your doctor on time to prevent infections caused by the eyebrow transplant.
✔ Avoid sleeping on your face or the area of the eyebrow where the transplant was performed.
✔ Refrain from picking at the wounds that form after the eyebrow transplant. This can cause bleeding, spread infection, lead to scab formation, and even disrupt the growth of transplanted follicles in the eyebrow.
✔ Avoid massaging or applying pressure to the transplanted area in the first few weeks after the procedure.
✔ Use vitamins and iron supplements to promote faster and better growth of eyebrow hair after the transplant.
Medications for treating scabs after eyebrow transplant
Scab formation on the skin can result from wounds. To prevent scabs and infections caused by an eyebrow transplant, you need to use the medications prescribed by your doctor. Many of these medications are antibiotics that prevent subcutaneous infections in the eyebrow area. Below are some examples of medications commonly prescribed to treat scabs after an eyebrow transplant:
- Liposomal ATP in normal saline as a spray, applied every 2 to 3 hours in the first few days after the eyebrow transplant.
- Use of antibiotics to prevent infections, as per the prescribed instructions.
- You may experience pain in the eyebrow area after the transplant; pain relievers will be prescribed for this purpose.
- Oral steroids, 40–60 mg per day, for the first week.
- Antibiotic ointments to prevent flaking of the eyebrow skin.
