Hair Transplant - Is It a Painful Procedure?

Hair loss may not be a life threatening condition, but it can have a negative affect on a person’s self-image. For this reason, it is a good idea to explore hair transplant procedures for bald spots and thinning hair. This procedure involves harvesting hair follicles from one part of the scalp and transplanting them to another.

It can be performed either through follicular unit extraction or through follicular unit transplant procedures. The difference between the two lies in how the hair follicles are harvested. Follicular unit extraction is performed by harvesting individual hair follicles from various parts of the scalp while in a follicular unit transplant procedure, a strip of tissue with hair follicles is removed from the scalp and then divided into grafts.
When it comes to any procedure, “how much will it hurt?” Is the first question many people ask. Let’s take a look at the pain associated with this procedure.

The surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia and hence, most people do not feel anything during the procedure itself. However, in some cases, if the anesthesia begins to wear out in the middle of the procedure, it can be quite painful. Being put under local anesthesia involves injecting an anesthetic solution into the scalp to numb it. This can involve quite a few injections and can be a bit painful. The anesthetic’s expertise plays an important role in determining the amount of pain this generates.

The next thing you should know is that this procedure is a long procedure and a session can last anywhere between 6 to 8 hours. During this time, you need to sit upright with minimal movement. Though this is not painful, it can get uncomfortable. Your muscles may also protest at being in the same position for hours and get stiff.

After the procedure, your scalp may feel tender and there may be slight inflammation for a few days. Pain at this stage is generally minimal but most doctors prescribe painkillers to make the patient’s recovery more comfortable.

When it comes to pain, it is important to note that each individual has a different pain threshold. What seems mild to one person may be very painful to another. Hence, do not let yourself be too influenced by other people’s experience. Even if the procedure is a little uncomfortable, it’s effect on your self-confidence will make it well worth the effort. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.