A clear washing timeline from the team at Paradise Medical Center Dermatology & Aesthetics in Westchester, Miami.
Call (786) 738-9515Most patients are cleared to wash their hair about 24 hours after a PRP hair treatment — lukewarm water, gentle shampoo, fingertips only.
Questions about your own scalp? Call the dermatology clinic at (786) 738-9515.
The standard instruction we give at Paradise Medical Center is to leave the scalp alone for the first 24 hours after your PRP session, then wash normally. That window lets the tiny injection channels close and lets any pinpoint bleeding or tenderness settle down.
There is no evidence that washing later than 24 hours produces a better result, and waiting several days is not necessary. What matters is being gentle, not being extreme. Your own provider may adjust this window if you had a larger treatment area, if microneedling was combined with PRP, or if your scalp is unusually reactive.
If your scalp feels oily, sweaty, or uncomfortable before the 24-hour mark, a brief rinse with plain lukewarm water at around 12 hours is generally low risk. Skip shampoo, skip scrubbing, and pat the scalp dry rather than rubbing it with a towel.
The reason we prefer 24 hours for a full shampoo is simple: shampoo means friction, product chemistry, and usually hotter water — three things that irritate a freshly injected scalp. A plain-water rinse avoids all three.
Yes. Showering the same day is fine as long as you keep the water off your scalp or keep it lukewarm and brief. Steam and very hot water increase blood flow to the scalp, which can worsen the redness and throbbing that some patients feel the first evening.
Avoid saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, and long hot showers for the first 48 hours. If your scalp is still visibly pink at 48 hours, keep the water cooler until that settles.
Use the mildest shampoo you own: fragrance-free, sulfate-free if possible, and nothing labeled clarifying, detoxifying, or exfoliating. Apply it with your fingertips in slow circles — never fingernails, never a scalp brush or silicone scrubber.
Rinse thoroughly, because leftover residue on an irritated scalp is a common cause of itching that patients mistake for a reaction to PRP itself. Skip dry shampoo for a few days; the propellants and starches sit on the scalp instead of rinsing away.
Medicated and anti-dandruff shampoos — Head & Shoulders, Nizoral, ketoconazole, salicylic acid, or coal tar formulas — are usually held for about 48 hours, then resumed as normal. Their active ingredients are fine for a healthy scalp but can sting on freshly treated skin.
If you use a medicated shampoo for a diagnosed condition such as seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis, tell us before your session so we can time your treatments together. See our dandruff and scalp treatment page for how we handle both at once.
Light combing with a wide-tooth comb is fine as soon as the scalp is no longer tender, which is usually the next day. Avoid tight ponytails, buns, braids, and anything that pulls at the roots for the first two to three days.
Hold off on heat styling, blow-drying on high, chemical relaxers, bleach, and permanent hair color for at least 72 hours — and ideally a week. More on that in our guide to sleeping, hats and haircuts after PRP.
Do not panic. Washing early does not rinse the platelet-rich plasma out of your scalp — the injections are placed below the skin surface, not on top of it. The realistic risk of early washing is irritation, not lost treatment.
Watch for spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus, or fever. Those are signs of infection rather than normal post-treatment tenderness, and they warrant a call to us right away at (786) 738-9515.
Yes — most patients wash normally about 24 hours after their PRP session, using lukewarm water and a gentle shampoo.
About 24 hours for a full shampoo. A plain lukewarm rinse is generally acceptable sooner if your scalp feels sweaty or uncomfortable.
Twenty-four hours is the standard instruction. Some providers allow a plain-water rinse at 12 hours.
A brief lukewarm rinse without shampoo is usually fine at 12 hours. Save shampoo, scrubbing, and hot water for the 24-hour mark.
Yes. Keep the water lukewarm and the shower short, and avoid saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs for 48 hours.
Hold medicated or anti-dandruff shampoos for about 48 hours, then resume as usual unless your provider tells you otherwise.
Light combing with a wide-tooth comb is fine once tenderness settles, usually the next day. Avoid tight styles that pull at the roots.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Teresa Moreno, DNP, founder of Paradise Medical Center. This article is patient education, not a substitute for an in-person evaluation. Always follow the specific instructions given to you at your appointment.
Paradise Medical Center Dermatology & Aesthetics — 8364 SW 8th St, Westchester, Miami, FL 33144.
Call (786) 738-9515