One question that we are regularly asked by our patients is does a hair transplant hurt? The majority of HRBR patients are more than comfortable both during and after their hair transplant surgery but occasionally a patient says he / she had some discomfort or mild pain. A hair transplant procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic and over the counter pain medication is available for use afterwards should they be required. Many patients find that they do not need to take any pain killers at all after their hair transplant surgery.
Does a Hair Transplant Hurt – During Surgery
Hair transplant surgery is an extremely safe minor surgical operation which requires only local anaesthetic. Patients have reported that the process of administering the local anaesthetic can feel initially uncomfortable, but this does not last long. At HRBR, we have developed techniques to reduce this discomfort, and most patients tolerate this brief period very well.
The donor area (the back or sides of the scalp) as well as the recipient area (the bald or thinning area) are made numb with the local anaesthetic which alleviates any pain during the hair transplant treatment itself.
How long does pain last after a hair transplant?
Once the hair transplant procedure is over patients can expect to have some redness on their scalp where the hair was transplanted, and this area may feel a little tender for a few days. Over the counter pain medication can be used to manage this should it be required. The pain from the procedure is minimal and the benefits of the surgery far outweigh any mild discomfort that the patients may experience.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about hair transplant surgery and want to speak to our expert hair restoration doctors, contact us to make an appointment.
About the Author
DR Maurice Collins
Consultant Surgeon
MB, B.Ch, BAO, DLO, FRCSI, FRCS, FRCSEd.
Registered with the Medical Council of Ireland
Dr Collins is Medical Director and Team Principal of Hair Restoration Blackrock. He was educated at Belvedere College Dublin and did his undergraduate medical studies at University College Dublin. After graduating as a doctor he trained in General Surgery and received his Fellowship (FRCSI) in this specialty from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Find out more about DR Maurice Collins and our team of doctors and surgeons.
