FUE Hair Transplant FAQS before during after

HAIR LOSS & HAIR TRANSPLANTS

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FUE Hair Transplants have become increasingly popular, they are spoken about a lot more and information about them is much easier to find which is ideal for potential patients to become more informed about the procedure.

We have put together a selection of our most frequently asked questions to help you make a more informed decision.

Before Treatment

Am I suitable for a FUE Hair Transplant?

Before booking in for a FUE Hair Transplant you will need to come in for a consultation with a patient advisor or a hair transplant surgeon. This is where we are able to determine if you are suitable for the procedure or not. The main factors that decide your suitability come down to age, history of hair loss, and the type of hair loss.

How many procedures will I need?

We always advise our patients that they may need more than one FUE Hair Transplant in their lifetime. This just comes down to changes in the future – it is not like a skin treatment where you may need more than one to see a difference. You will get results from a single treatment and you may not need another procedure until 10 years later, if at all.

Will I see instant results?

Although you will see a difference when you leave the clinic the final result can take up to a year. You will have some shedding after 3-6 weeks and then your hair will re-grow for a further 2-4 months. At 6 months you will notice a difference but your final results will take 12 months.

Will everyone be able to tell I have had the procedure?

Many patients undergoing a hair transplant are able to keep their procedure confidential with some strategic planning. We can work with you to create this plan which often includes you getting your hair cut short in the months before your procedure which makes the short hair required post-procedure is of no surprise to friends, family and co-workers. In some cases we may be able to offer you an Unshaven Hair Transplant which does not require you to shave your head, your suitability for this will need to be discussed at your initial consultation.

During Treatment

Will the procedure hurt?

You should not feel pain during the procedure. You will have a local anaesthetic injection at the start which will numb your head. You may have some feelings of pulling or tugging of the scalp but you should not feel pain. It is important however to expect some mild pain or discomfort after the procedure once the anaesthetic wears off but this will only be for a short time and you will be provided with painkillers.

What should I wear?

We suggest that you wear comfortable clothes as you will be sat and or laid down for the majority of the day. It is best that you wear a loose fitting top or loose button shirt. This is so you are easily able to remove it after the procedure without rubbing tight against the donor and newly transplanted hair areas of your head.

Should I bring a book/tablet to keep me entertained?

It is not a short procedure so we do recommend that our patients bring something to keep them entertained. Patients in the past have brought with them tablets that have movies or TV series to watch or some prefer to just listen to music. The majority of our clinics will have a TV screen but patients tend to prefer being able to control what they watch.

How long will the procedure take?

The length of the procedure will depend on how many hairs are required. Procedures generally take between 6-8 hours which will be a day spent in the clinic but sometimes if there are a larger number of hairs that need to be transplanted then we may suggest the treatment taking place over 2 days for the comfort of the patient.

After Treatment

How soon will I see the results?

Once the procedure is finished you will be able to see a visible different to your hairline at least. You will then need to be patient whilst you go through the recovery stages. Final results can take up to a year but you should be able to start seeing the results from 6 months.

How should I look after my new hair?

It is important to take care the first three days following your procedure. You must not touch the new grafts and this includes with your fingers and with a hat or helmet. You will be provided with a spray on solution that will need to be sprayed onto the area every half hour for the first three days. Your surgeon will run through your full aftercare advice after your procedure.

When will I be able to return to work?

You should be fine to return to work relatively quickly but many patients choose not too as your head will still be red for a few days after the procedure. We recommend a week, just to allow you to recover well and follow the aftercare advice accurately but ultimately it is your own choice and whatever you feel comfortable with.

Will I have scarring?

An FUE Hair Transplant leaves you with little to no scarring compared to the older FUT Strip Hair Transplant. The hair is extracted using a small punch method which will leave some micro small white dotted scars in your donor area but this will only be noticed if you keep this area of your head closely shaven. These scars do fade leaving you with a natural looking result.

Mr Michael Mouzakis answers many FUE Hair Transplant aftercare questions in his Hair Transplant FAQ Video series. Click here to watch.

Why Choose The Private Clinic?

You will be treated by highly experienced Doctors. Our Hair Transplant surgeons are specialised in FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) and treat hundreds of patients every year.
FUE is a minimally invasive treatment (meaning there is no cutting of a strip), and carried out under local anaesthetic – many patients either watch TV, or even fall asleep during the procedure.
You won’t require any stitches after your treatment. This means that the recovery time is also reduced when compared to the Strip surgery (FUT).
We use the finest instruments, resulting in as minimal trauma to your scalp as possible.
Thanks to our advanced skills and techniques, our team ensure that the donor area looks intact after the hair transplant procedure and you can keep your hair really short if you prefer without any obvious scarring.
Following treatment, there will be no linear scarring across the back of your head as seen with the strip method (FUT) – you’ll be free to wear your hair long or short.
We choose the best follicular unit (a group of hairs); this ensures that only the strongest, healthiest grafts are used for your hair transplant procedure.
Your results will look natural, with denser packing – the hair is implanted in the direction that matches your hair growth, and because we select healthy follicular units, the treated area will look densely filled.
Our surgeons are the only surgeons in the UK offering the Unshaven Hair Transplant (U-FUE) (the long-hair hair transplant), to those who prefer not to shave beforehand. At your consultation, we will be able to advise you on whether an unshaven procedure is suitable for you.
Scars resulting from injuries or previous surgeries can also be corrected. This could be a previous bad hair transplant or we can cover linear scars caused from FUT hair transplants.
The Private Clinic has a network of UK clinics and has been established for 35 years with a strong reputation for quality care; see our Trust Pilot 5 star rating here.
Find out more information in our hair transplant blogs
See our hair transplant before and after photos here
Read our extensive hair transplant FAQs
Hear from previous hair transplant patients in their patient stories or watch videos here