Are hair restoration procedures really painful?
One of the biggest concerns hair transplant patients have is whether the procedure and recovery process will cause them significant pain. Although the traditional strip hair transplant method can cause discomfort both during and after surgery, the NeoGraft procedure is designed to make the process as comfortable as possible, and many of our patients are pleasantly surprised by the lack of discomfort throughout the procedure. Here’s what you can expect during NeoGraft surgery and the recovery process.
Discomfort during surgery
In order to prevent discomfort throughout the surgical process, patients are given local anesthetic to numb the entire scalp. This process only takes a very short time and afterwards there will be no risk of pain when the procedure gets started.
Hair restoration involves the removal of individual follicular units which are then inserted into the recipient area of the scalp. Since the scalp is numb, patients may only feel some small tugging sensations during this process but not any serious pain. NeoGraft uses incredibly small vacuum to remove follicular units from the scalp; no scalpels are involved in the procedure, and there is therefore no need for sutures. This is the least invasive method of performing hair restoration, and as a result there is no discomfort caused by large incisions.
Discomfort during recovery
Once the local anesthetic has worn off, patients may find that the scalp feels slightly tender within the first few hours after surgery. However, since FUE hair restoration is designed to be as gentle as possible on the scalp, the discomfort at this stage is nothing compared to that experienced with a strip hair transplant in which a large strip of the scalp is removed to harvest donor hairs. With FUE hair restoration it is normal for the scalp to appear a little red during the first few days after surgery, but patients can take anti-inflammatory medicine to manage this. It can also be helpful to apply ice packs to reduce swelling, but you should consult your surgeon before taking this step.
In order to allow the scalp to heal quickly, patients are encouraged to avoid touching the scalp as much as possible within the first days after surgery. It is also advised to avoid exposing the scalp to the sun, as the skin will be more sensitive than usual at this time.
Around five to seven days after the procedure, patients should find that any lasting redness has disappeared. At this stage the scalp will begin to scab, which may cause some itchiness, but your surgeon will advise how to soak and gently rub these scabs away.
Many patients who undergo NeoGraft FUE hair restoration return to work the day after the procedure and are capable of continuing with their daily routines as normal, which is a testament to the very low levels of discomfort caused by the surgery. This gentle, noninvasive nature is what makes NeoGraft the highest standard in hair restoration.
Contact us today for more information.