Background: Postoperative infections in hair transplant procedures can complicate recovery and affect outcomes. Although postoperative antibiotic therapy is standard in many surgeries, its impact on infection rates and wound healing in hair transplantation remains under-researched.

Objective: To evaluate the role of postoperative antibiotic use in infection rates, healing time  and graft survival in patients undergoing hair transplant surgery at Max Hair Transplant Clinic, Bangalore.

Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 200 patients undergoing hair transplant surgery. Participants were randomized into two groups: Group A received postoperative antibiotics for 5 days, while Group B received only for 2 days. Infection rates, healing time and graft survival were assessed and compared.

Results: Infection rates were 4% in Group A (antibiotics) compared to 12% in Group B (no antibiotics), with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.02). Healing time was shorter in Group A, with a mean of 2.4 weeks, versus 3.1 weeks in Group B (p = 0.01). Graft survival rates were similar, 88% for Group A and 85% for Group B (p = 0.18).

Conclusion: Postoperative antibiotics significantly reduce infection rates and promote faster healing. However, they do not significantly affect graft survival, emphasizing the importance of other surgical factors in determining graft success.