Honestly, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. When you read about the procedure, it seems a tad gruesome – but the fact is, there’s no pain with the surgery, just a little discomfort. Think of it like getting a filling done at the dentist. You have anaesthetic so there’s no pain but you may not like being at the dentist. The discomfort comes from being in the chair for up to ten hours for the entire process to be completed, though you will get regular breaks.
Post-op, you might experience some mild pain but nothing that your standard painkillers can’t manage for a few days, just like with any minor surgical procedure.
Follicular unit grafting requires tiny incisions to the recipient area and any resultant scarring is generally invisible to the untrained eye. There will also be a small scar from the donor area at the back of your scalp, but it will be hidden under existing hair.
Hair growth is a slow process, even in a person who doesn’t experience hair loss. After you have the procedure, initial signs of growth can take anything from three to four months due to the hair’s natural growing cycle. Beyond that, it’s all gravy! As your hair starts to grow, the full effects will take around eight months. At one year post-op, you’ll see the full effect.
You’ll need a minimum of three weeks out of the loop – or you can wear a hat – due to the healing process, as the surgical area will be red and a little obvious. The area will be shaved down to provide an ideal surgical environment and to protect existing hairs.
After the procedure, the hair grows in very slowly but as time passes, you’ll probably have people asking if you’ve lost weight; they’ll notice ‘something’ but won’t be able to pinpoint the physical change in you, especially if you’ve only had minimal work done.
The hair follicles that are transplanted are genetically-resistant against baldness so they will, in theory, continue to grow over your lifetime. However.
This really depends on you. A useful approach is to build a solid foundation ahead of surgery by stablishing your hairloss through medical treatment, This will give you a sense of your hair's stability, and prevent against further loss. Consult your doctor as a first port of call.
You’ll generally only need to take it easy for a couple of days after the procedure. Take it easy while allowing your body to recover.
When work is done in areas where there is existing hair, you could possibly lose some of those hairs. It’s called ‘shock loss’ and happens especially if the hair is weak and miniaturizing (which is why you’re having the work done in the first place). If your hair is too weak, it may not return, but if it’s strong, then it’ll remain.