Over 100,000 people travel internationally for hair transplants each year, and every one of them faces the same challenge: managing recovery at home, thousands of miles from the surgeon who performed the procedure. Post-op tracking with myhairline.ai creates a complete recovery record that both you and your international clinic can reference remotely.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical professional for treatment decisions.
Why Remote Post-Op Tracking Matters for Medical Tourists
Patients who get hair transplants in Turkey, India, Thailand, or Mexico typically spend 3 to 7 days at the clinic before flying home. That leaves 17.5 months of the critical recovery period without in-person access to their surgeon.
Local dermatologists can help with complications, but they rarely have the original surgical plan, graft count, or density targets. A structured tracking record fills that gap. It gives any reviewing doctor the context they need to evaluate your recovery accurately.
| Recovery Phase | Timeline | What Tracking Captures |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate post-op | Days 1 to 10 | Graft placement, redness, swelling |
| Shock loss phase | Weeks 2 to 6 | Temporary density decline |
| Dormancy | Months 2 to 4 | Minimal visible change |
| Early regrowth | Months 4 to 8 | New growth density per zone |
| Maturation | Months 8 to 18 | Final density and thickness |
Step 1: Establish Your Day-One Baseline
Take your first myhairline.ai scan within 48 hours of returning home. Photograph the same angles your clinic used during the procedure: frontal hairline, left temple, right temple, and vertex (if applicable).
This baseline scan captures:
- Initial graft placement density per zone
- Redness and healing state documentation
- Starting point for all future density comparisons
Consistency matters. Use the same lighting, same distance, and same angles every time you scan. Morning natural light near a window produces the most reliable results.
Step 2: Set a Scan Schedule That Matches Recovery Phases
Recovery from FUE or FUT follows a predictable timeline. Your scan schedule should align with each phase:
Weeks 1 to 4 (acute recovery): Scan every 3 to 5 days. This period captures initial healing and the start of shock loss. FUE recovery typically takes 7 to 10 days for the acute phase, while FUT recovery takes 10 to 14 days.
Weeks 4 to 12 (shock loss and dormancy): Scan weekly. Shock loss affects up to 50% of patients and peaks around weeks 2 to 4. Weekly scans document the lowest density point and confirm when it stabilizes.
Months 3 to 6 (early regrowth): Scan every two weeks. This is when new growth becomes visible. Your density readings should start climbing above the shock loss baseline.
Months 6 to 18 (maturation): Scan monthly. Density continues increasing through month 12 to 15, with final results at month 18.
Step 3: Document Zone-Specific Density Changes
Hair transplant surgeons place different graft densities in different zones. A natural hairline requires 35 to 45 follicular units per square centimeter (FU/cm2), while the crown needs 50 to 70 FU/cm2 for full cosmetic coverage.
Track each zone independently:
- Hairline zone: The first 1 to 2 cm of the new hairline. This area receives the densest grafting and should show the earliest regrowth.
- Mid-scalp zone: The transition area. Density here should be consistent with your surgeon's plan.
- Crown zone: Often the last area to show full results. Crown grafts may take 12 to 18 months for complete maturation.
Graft survival rates for FUE, FUT, and DHI procedures all sit between 90% and 95%. If your density readings at month 12 fall significantly below 90% of the planned density, that data supports a conversation with your surgeon about touch-up procedures.
Step 4: Build a Shareable Recovery Report
Your international clinic needs structured data, not casual selfies. myhairline.ai generates density trend reports that include:
- Density measurements per zone at each scan date
- Visual comparison images with consistent framing
- Percentage change from baseline at each milestone
- Growth rate calculations based on scan intervals
Export this report as a PDF and email it to your surgical team at scheduled check-in points: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-procedure.
Step 5: Know When to Escalate
Most recovery timelines proceed normally, but certain patterns in your density data warrant immediate professional attention:
Contact your surgeon if:
- Density drops more than 15% beyond the expected shock loss window
- No measurable regrowth appears by month 6
- Density distribution is significantly asymmetric compared to the surgical plan
- Any zone shows declining density after month 4
See a local dermatologist if:
- You notice signs of infection (redness, warmth, discharge)
- Persistent pain beyond the first two weeks
- Unusual scarring patterns at donor or recipient sites
Having 6 to 12 months of structured density data makes any local consultation more productive. The doctor can see your complete trajectory instead of guessing from a single visit.
Cost Context for Medical Tourism Procedures
Understanding your expected graft count and cost helps frame what your tracking data should show. Here are typical cost ranges by region:
| Region | Cost per Graft | 2,500 Grafts (Norwood 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | $1 to $2 | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| India | $0.50 to $1.50 | $1,250 to $3,750 |
| Thailand | $1.50 to $3 | $3,750 to $7,500 |
| Mexico | $2 to $4 | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| USA | $4 to $6 | $10,000 to $15,000 |
Patients who travel abroad for cost savings deserve the same quality of post-op documentation as those who stay local. Density tracking provides that documentation regardless of geography.
What Your Data Should Show at Key Milestones
Use these benchmarks to evaluate whether your recovery is on track:
- Month 1: Density at or below baseline (shock loss is normal)
- Month 3: Density stabilized, possibly slightly above baseline
- Month 6: Visible regrowth, density 40% to 60% of final target
- Month 9: Density 60% to 80% of final target
- Month 12: Density 80% to 95% of final target
- Month 18: Final density achieved
Your hair transplant progress tracker records these milestones automatically and flags deviations from expected growth curves.
Start Tracking Your Recovery Today
If you recently returned from a hair transplant abroad, or you are planning a medical tourism procedure, start building your baseline now. Visit myhairline.ai/analyze to take your first scan and begin documenting the recovery that your international clinic cannot observe in person.
For more information about tracking considerations specific to medical tourism patients, see our guide for international patients.