There may be blood stain on the pillow from the donor area if you have not kept any clean cover on the pillow you may directly spoil the pillow.

Although most swelling will go today some swelling will stay for another week to 10 days. 

Usually first head wash after 8 hours is desirable to keep good hygiene and also to reduce scab formation. When possible first wash is best done at the clinic the next morning. Use the spray bottle for using Mild Baby shampoo and thereafter for rinsing with the water in the morning and evening. Avoid rubbing or scrubbing in the grafted area (only use spay wash) for 10 days there after it is safe to scrub and rub in grafted area because the roots are well fixed by 10 days in the skin and there is no risk of dislodging them after 10 days as studies have shown (although the hairs in the grafts along with the scabs will be shed while washing and this is normal and you may also notice some sticky white soft substance under the dark scab along with the shedding hairs. This white substance is not root if you see them shedding after 10 days. This is a normal phenomenon and occurs with every patient.)

Stitch area need to scrubbed well from the first day by rubbing with your own clean hand other wise under the hair it may not remain clean and the remains of the blood scabs may invite infection and the overlying hair may get stuck to the stitches and difficult to comb and will give you lots of discomfort and tightness too.

Every time you wash some white grain like elevations area seen the grafted area this is because a small part of the graft or Follicle remains above the surface and with the water contact it tends to swell up temporarily and becomes more noticeable for an hour or so and thereafter it will again become less conspicuous. This may occur for first 10 days. This is normal.

You may be more aware about the tightness in the area of stitches and occasionally some numbness above the area of stitches. The numbness in the grafting area can also be experienced by some patients. The grafting area numbness will go by 3-4 weeks usually. The numbness above stitches may last at times take 3-6 months.

There is a mild scabbing if you have washed well on initial 2 days otherwise the scabs may be large and at times remain stubborn for 2-3 weeks.

Stitches tend to dissolve and the loops of the thread separate and shed after 20 days. It may be possible to get rid of the threads on the surface after 12 days by help of a doctor or a nurse. Removal after 12 days of the threads does help to give you a better scar.

Some scales or crusts dryness and itching in grafted and donor site scalp may be experienced. This need to be cleaned well to get rid of and one may use emollient like hair oil to make skin suppler. Poor or inadequate hygiene can lead to infection and pustule in grafted and stitch area as well.

The transplanted hairs (about 70% of them) will shed gradually during this period and about 30% may not shed at times) This is natural phenomenon and happens to every patient. Shedding of hair during this period does not mean that your newly transplanted roots are also shed or gone. By 10 days the roots get well fixed in the skin and they will re grow the hair after about 4 months.

Avoid exercise, Gym and swimming like activity for about 3 weeks to allow safe healing of the stitches.

Some people tend to have redness or darkness of the grafted area skin. They should avoid sun exposure by use of cap and use of sunscreen cream on the grafted area. Some times steroid cream is prescribed to reduce this redness.

One can have Hair cut, hair styling and hair treatment after 3 weeks.

One may start using Minoxidil after 10 days of transplant in the recipient area.

Most people start growing new hair from the transplanted roots by about 4 months the period up to 4 months is called panic period because patients tend to lose patience during that period and tend to keep calling the clinic because they have shed the transplanted hair and they do not see any growth during first 4 months. Well some people grow new hair by even 2 months and some may grow as late as 8 to 9 months. BHT hairs may grow even later than that at times.

Emergence of new hairs from the grafted site may show appearance of pimples which usually subside on their own. If you see pustules or infected pimples it is best to take help of Doctor who may prescribe you with a course of mild antibiotics.

Well initial hairs are thin, light coloured and less in number and it takes may be up to 6-9 months for all the hairs to grow from the transplanted roots. The initial baby hairs then grow in length and thickness and mature in their texture and colour and this may take about 12 to 18 months before you get the permanent final result of your transplant.

Some people may experience some hair fall and even some hair loss in the pre transplant existing hairs this is called Telogen Effluvium. This is more common in females than in males. Use of medications like Finasteride (only for males) and Minoxidil can help to control this hair loss.

The grafted hairs have grown to some length and most people get some appreciable result although the improvement usually continues till 12 to 18 months

This is the time when the skin on the donor area has become suppler and transplants have usually grown some length so it is possible to judge whether you need more transplant or not ( another session)

The full permanent result is achieved by 1 to 1 and a half year. The growth rate of the grafted hair is usually over 90 % in most patients although rare cases may have poor growth due to some unexplained reasons. It should also be known that it is not usually possible to get as much density as the nature gives or as much as you may had in your young age. Hair Transplant is will not make you look like a film star.