The Procedure

FUE Hair transplantation is a minor procedure carried out under local anaesthetic. You will be perfectly awake and can chat with the surgeon during it. A local anaesthetic is injected into the donor area of the scalp (the anaesthetic does sting a little but is quite bearable and goes numb very quickly) and then the desired number of hairs are extracted one by one from it. They are carefully harvested in a spread pattern to minimize the visual decreasing of density in the donor area

Then, the balding area is also anaesthetised and numerous micro-incisions are made using a specially shaped micro-needle. The grafts are then placed into these incisions.

After the anaesthetic wears off at 3-4 hours the scalp will feel a bit tight and sore but this soon eases and returns to normal in a few hours. Simple paracetamol or co-codamol will help. Minimal swelling is sometimes observed and is completely normal. The operated areas of the scalp will appear slightly pinker than usual for a few days but this soon passes.

The tiny hair that is transplanted normally falls out within a couple of weeks. This is normal and due to “thermal shock”. The hair will then grow normally from the hair root and will be noticeable by approximately 3 months and carry on growing as fast and as long as your normal hair.

If the Doctor is transplanting into a thinning area, then this can occasionally cause temporary shedding of some existing nearby hair shafts. They then regrow.

In order for us to provide you with the highest quality medical care, the following instructions are important for you to follow:

If you are older than 45 years of age, we will require to receive your ECG (not older than two weeks) around two weeks before the date you’re booked for.

• 14 days before your scheduled procedure do NOT take Aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory medications (Ibuprofen, Nurofen etc.) as they will increase bleeding.
• 14 days before your scheduled do NOT take tricyclic antidepressants, MAO inhibitors (Isocarboxazid, Marplan, phenelzine (Nardil, Nardelzine) tranylcypromine (Parnate, Sicoton), Deprenyl, selegiline hydrochloride, 5 HTP, Amitriptyline, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Buropion, Buropion HCL, Fluoxetin, EFFEXOR® XR, etc.), beta blockers(Propanolol, etc..), blood thinners.
• 14 days before your scheduled procedure do NOT take any multivitamins including vitamin E and vitamin B, any food supplements and herbal products (Gingko, etc.) as they will increase bleeding.
• 7 days before your scheduled procedure STOP using Minoxidil (Regaine, Rogaine)
• 7 days before your scheduled procedure try to avoid any drinking of alcoholic beverages
• 24 hours before your scheduled procedure try to avoid any smoking of tobacco products as smoking will slow down healing.
• The morning of your procedure take a bath or shower and wash your hair thoroughly using regular shampoo. After shampooing, please rinse thoroughly and use a fresh clean towel to dry your hair.
• The morning of your procedure do NOT apply sprays or gels to your hair. If you wear a hairpiece or a hair system, please make sure it’s removed prior to your morning shower and not replaced before your procedure.
• The morning of your procedure eat something light for breakfast but do NOT drink any coffee or any other caffeinated beverages.
• The morning of your procedure you’re advised to wear a shirt that unbuttons or other clothing that is loose enough around the neck, to avoid accidentally touching your head while putting your clothes back on after the procedure.

When considering having a hair transplant done, you will also want to take into consideration the hair transplant post-op progress. This can be one of the most important factors in your decision to have a hair transplant.

Here at The Harley Street Hair Clinic, our patients receive thorough post operative instructions to ensure you get the best results from your procedure.

Following your hair replacement procedure, you will be also given medications, such as a mild steroid (anti-swelling), a painkiller and an antibiotic (anti-infection). You will be also instructed when and how often to take them.

FUE is a minimally invasive hair restoration technique, but you still have to expect a bit of redness which will occur both in the recipient area and the donor area. It will disappear in a couple of days, depending on the individual’s skin tone and healing process.

There is usually no pain after the procedure but you have to avoid touching and sweating excessively on your recipient site so it is best if you can take it easy for the first couple days after the procedure. Also, be prepared for special hair washing instructions and advice on shampoos to use for the first 2 weeks in order to speed up the healing process