Does a Hair Transplant Hurt?

When anyone is contemplating surgery one of the most important questions on their mind is the pain. No one wants to go through the pain; this is understandable and one of the first questions we are often asked during a consultation is does a hair transplant hurt?

To ease your mind and remove any uncertainties, we explain how you will feel during the different stages of a hair transplant below including during the surgery, and your post-surgery recovery.

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During the Surgery – Local Anaesthetic Should Minimize Discomfort

Unlike many surgeries, hair transplants are performed under local anesthesia – you are fully awake during the entire process and no general anesthesia is used.

This is because a general anesthetic for something relatively non-invasive as a hair transplant would be considered overboard. There is no point in subjecting the patient to the potential side effects of general anaesthetic when a local anesthetic is just as effective in this scenario at keeping the patient comfortable.

This may cause some people to panic as the thought of undergoing surgery while awake is frightening. However, with hair transplants, there is no need for concern.

Administering the anesthetic

Local anesthetic is used to completely numb your scalp and both the donor site and transplant site. This means that you should feel no pain during the procedure.

However, there is initial discomfort with the administration of the anesthetic. This is a relatively quick process that involves injecting the solution into your scalp with a fine needle.

The discomfort and pain are minimum and will come and go in a flash. You may simply feel a little pain as the needle is inserted and a slight stinging sensation as the anesthetic is injected. We really can’t state how minor this is and some people don’t even feel a thing.

Read Next: Can Hair Be Transplanted from Body to Head?

Extracting and implanting the hairs

The local anesthetic is allowed to work its magic and numb your scalp completely to ensure you feel no pain during the hair transplant.

Depending on the surgery you opt for, a tool is then used to first extract hairs from your scalp. No pain should be felt here – you may just notice a tugging sensation as the hairs are extracted. The tugging or pulling sensation may feel a little strange, but it will be a numb sensation with no pain.

The same applies for when the extracted hairs are transplanted to their new location. You may feel a little motion and tugging on your scalp, but no pain. So is hair transplant painful? Certainly not.

The fantastic thing about loca aesthetics is that there are no potentially dangerous side effects that can be associated with general anesthetic and you don’t have to go through the process of waking up and feeling incredibly groggy for a period after the surgery.

After the Surgery – Tenderness and Swelling

When answering the question do hair implants hurt, we have to consider the recovery process and post-surgery too.

Immediately after your hair transplant surgery, you will most likely experience swelling, redness, and eventually scabbing. This is unavoidable due to the temporary trauma your scalp has been exposed to. The tools used to extract and implant your hair cut your scalp so some afterpain must be expected.

The great thing is, is that this is fleeting and should only last for 3-7 days. Furthermore, the swelling and tenderness can easily be managed with standard painkillers. Compared to the recovery process and potential pain of other surgeries, a hair transplant is incredibly forgiving and easy to cope with.

The hair transplant surgeon should explain the procedure, what to expect, and the recovery process in detail during your consultation. It is also vital to take your recovery seriously and to follow the recovery plan given. This will ensure you can appear on our Succesful Hair Transplants: Before and After page with a restored head of hair!

Long-Term Prognosis – Pain-Free!

Some surgeries result in long-term pain or complications so it’s important we lastly discuss the long-term prognosis for hair transplants. In a few words, it’s great!

After the initial recovery period, there should be no pain as your transplanted hair grows and flourishes. For all intents and purposes, your hair transplant is permanent and it should result in no side effects or complications.

Read Next: How Many Hair Transplants Can You Have?

A Hair Transplant is a Relatively Painless Procedure

Compared to other surgeries, hair transplants are relatively tame, and minimum discomfort and pain are experienced during the procedure. Although there may be a little discomfort as the local anesthetic is administered, the surgery itself should be a breeze.

Of course, you may experience some swelling and discomfort afterward as your scalp will be tender but this will only last for a few days and the recovery time of hair transplants is excellent.