Are hair transplants painful?

The pioneering clinic of “Soft FUE” in Turkey says that hair transplants does not have to be painful. They may well know something that many other countries have still not discovered.

One of the most commonly asked questions about FUE hair implants, is: “Are hair implants painful?” Well, the short answer is NO, it does not have to be, but let’s discuss the entire issue of FUE hair transplants and then deal with pain in-depth:

People who have suffered hair loss and are interested in a follicular unit extraction hair transplant can benefit from free consultation which is carried out online. That way they can ask all the questions that they want about hair grafting. They can quickly get a feel for the experience of the clinic by having a 1:1 discussion by phone and presenting their case either via video or photo. In the case of the Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic, this interview is carried out by highly experienced clinic consultants

In Turkey, where FUE has been practiced for decades – one of the first countries where FUE started, it is very popular today. We will look into a method called “soft FUE” that is practiced by a pioneer in the field. Note that most FUE hair transplants are not covered by insurance since it is cosmetic surgery. Therefore, patients have to pay cash for the FUE procedure. They, therefore, expect great results with minimal inconvenience. This hair transplant procedure, when done right by an experienced doctor, like Dr. Serkan Aygin, will hardly suffer any inconvenience and patients are normally satisfied with the results. We gathered a wealth of information on FUE transplantation from this site: https://drserkanaygin.com/ – it is certainly a recommended resource.

Pain and Pain Management

With soft FUE, the patients of Dr. Serkan Aygin have a completely different experience than what mainstream patients may be talking about. At his clinic, the FUE procedure is pain-free since it is done under local anesthesia. The first part of the process is the disinfection of the donor area and the recipient area. This ensures that the micro-wounds created by the procedure do not result in infection.

The next stage is extraction of follicular units from the donor area that is done under needle-free local anesthetics. This may take between 1 hour and 1½ hours for 3,000 grafts. The exact duration of the surgery will depend on how many hair follicles are extracted. After this stage, the donor area is dressed with a bandage that will be kept in place for 1 to 2 days. The patient takes a break for a meal while the follicular units are separated and stored in moist conditions.

The fourth part of the process is the application of local anesthetic to the recipient area followed by the opening of channels for implantation. Dr. Serkan Aygin uses a sapphire blade but other surgeons may use different blades. The fifth stage is implantation. This is an intensive stage as great care has to be taken to plant the hair follicles one by one, each one in the right direction of growth.

Essentially, it is important to understand that there are two methods: (a) anesthesia delivered by injection and (b) by applying pressure. Some outdated methods caused pain. But now, with the more advanced methods that exclude the use of a needle, there is no pain. So since the local anesthetic is applied to each area, and there is no needle injection, it is safe to say that the patient does not feel any pain during FUE hair transplant.

Heart rhythm and vital signs are constantly monitored by an anesthesiologist, who is always present throughout the procedure.

There are of course other vital questions that people ask prior to the FUE procedure. Next, we will aim to address some of these so that you can be fully equipped to make a good decision on any next steps:

What to Expect After the Hair Transplantation?

Like any surgery, hair transplant surgery involves cuts but the cuts are very shallow. Then the whole head is covered in dressings. The patient is advised to stay at the hotel and not tour the city on the day of the surgery, and to sleep in the supine position with a travel pillow for support.

On the day following the hair transplant procedure, the patient is taken to the clinic again for evaluation and removal of the dressing. The doctor applies platelet-rich plasma to the injured areas to accelerate healing. If the patient has a special medical condition, like diabetes, the doctor may use hyperbaric oxygen to enhance healing. This is the point where the doctor’s team explains to the patient how to take care of the operation. Simulation and written documents are used to teach the patient how to wash the hair in the coming 15 days.

Taking Care of the Head After Hair Transplantation

The doctor’s team of health personnel stay in contact with the patient in the 15 days following surgery. They ask for photos from time to time during that time, and even afterward. Three days after the operation, the patient will start washing the hair with a recommended shampoo and lotion. The details of how to use the shampoo and lotion are supplied to the patient. This will remove all scabs by the end of 15 days. If scabs are still there, the patient is advised to continue washing with the shampoo and lotion and the scabs should be gone by the end of 20 days.

The donor area and the recipient area, and even the face, can swell a bit and have mild pain during the first week but this should subside in the second week. During the 3^rd and 4th week after surgery, the hair will begin to look normal. One month after surgery, the transplanted hair will begin to grow. From 6 to 12 months after surgery, the hair will continue to grow and become thicker. From 12 to 18 months the hair will look longer and thicker.

Dr. Aygin and his team in Turkey

People travel abroad for medical procedures these days. Some do it because they want increased privacy during cosmetic procedures, others do it to get more expertise at lower prices – and some simply do this for low prices and an adventure. As one patient from London said: “Whatever cause of my hair loss, stress or genetics – I worked hard and will treat myself to a luxurious experience in Turkey where some of the best Doctors can take care of the issue quickly”.

The reasons Turkey is a popular choice for FUE, include expertise, convenience, price and location. Expertise – because the country was early in FUE adoption, long before many western countries. Convenience – because of all-inclusive options where you have a driver, translator, luxury hotel and complete procedure with after-care from a world-leader in FUE transplantation. Location – because Istanbul is a major international air hub. Price – obviously because Turkey does not have a strong currency.

The reviews, before and after pics, and the quality of answers doctors from Turkey provide when quizzed about FUE, all indicate that Turkey should rank highly on your list of options.

Final scoop on Follicular Unit Extraction:

How easy is it now to do FUE? Well, schedule an online consultation. Fly in for a little tour of Istanbul or any city you choose – fly back home as a new person. Off course you will need to follow the after-care procedures and wait for your new hair to start growing in the recipient sites where donor hair was placed. It means there is no need to bother with hair wigs and lace-type human hair replacement systems that need to be refitted at a high price month after month. FUE uses your own natural hair.

Baldness is no longer mandatory. FUE is the most popular option in the world, with thousands of people who opted for it. These days, with soft FUE, it is even claimed to be “pain-free”, as opposed to the early days when doctors had to master the best methods to perform FUE.