Hair Transplant: How Does it Work?

A hair transplant is a procedure where healthy growing hair is harvested from the back up the head, followed by transplantation to balding areas on the top of the head. 

Transplanted hair starts growing in 3 to 4 months after a hair transplant.  At first, the new hairs are thin and wispy, but as time passes, each hair will get thicker in diameter and become easier to manage.  Once the hair reaches the length of your existing hair,  it should become more manageable.  You can expect it to grow at the same speed as native hair in surrounding areas.  Since the transplanted hair is the same color and texture as non-transplanted hair, you won't be able to distinguish the new hair from the old hair.  Although this hair is permanent, it's important to take care of it in order for it to look shiny and healthy.   Vitamins, supplements, shampoos and other hair growth modalities such as Laser Therapy  are helpful in order to help your new hair grow be the best that it can be.

No, your body will reject another person’s hair unless it is an identical twin!

You will experience some redness after the procedure.  Small scabs will form around the transplanted hairs.  They will remain for about 5 days until they start to fall off.  By the 10th day the scabs will be completely gone.

Doctors use a mild anesthesia to minimize discomfort during the procedure.  Afterwards, you will be prescribed a pain killer for discomfort in the harvesting area, however, many patients simply use Tylenol instead.

Yes, the hair is harvested from the “safe zone”. Transplanted hairs are genetically resistant to DHT and will retain their attributes after the move.

We can only speak for the doctors here at We Grow Hair.  A hair transplant requires the artistic skill of a well trained surgeon.  Angle,  direction and placement are extremely important in a hair transplant.  When done correctly, the newly transplanted hair will look completely natural.  Ten days after the procedure, no one will ever know you had it done.

You should plan to take at least 2 or 3 days to rest after your procedure.  Within the first week you can start wearing a clean loose fitting hat.  You can also use hair fibers to conceal the procedure.

Results from a hair transplant can be seen as early as 3 or 4 months!

This is an often debated issue among hair transplant surgeons, because it's difficult to predict future hair loss.  The younger the patient, the more risky the procedure.  At We Grow Hair, we recommend that you don't have a procedure before the age of 25.

It's difficult to give you a definitive answer without seeing you in person for a microscopic analysis, but generally, a good candidate is over 30 years old, in good health, has healthy donor hair, and is not completely bald.  

In clinics across the United States, a graft contains between 1-4 hairs. Most hair transplant clinics price their hair transplants by the graft. The problem with this approach is that since the numbers of hairs vary, patients don’t know how many hairs are being transplanted. Many clinics separate the tissue into  an unusually high number of 1 hair grafts in order to charge more.

The We Grow Hair Levels are measured by the number of hairs, not grafts, and the general area to be covered. This forthright approach is much less confusing to the patient. Generally, We Grow Hair Levels tend to be less expensive per hair than other approaches. 

The main difference between FUE and FUT is the way hair is harvested for a transplant.  Both have  advantages and disadvantages.  [FUE/FUT Comparison]

At We Grow Hair, one graft does not mean one hair.

High Density Hair Grafting (HD/HG): Our physician will harvest grafts containing 1 or more hairs, depending on the area of distribution (single hair grafts belong in the frontal hairline while a variety of graft sizes create density in the vertex and crown). Thus, 2,000 grafts could potentially yield up to 7-8 thousand hairs depending on your density. This number of grafts, well distributed, will produce a natural hairline and the desired density and coverage.

ARTAS: The physician will harvest grafts with robotic assistance.  typically a graft contains anywhere from 1- 6 hairs.  Thus, 2,300 grafts could potentially yield up to 5,300 hairs, depending on your density.

High Density Hair Grafting (HD/HG): One of the benefits of High Density Hair Grafting (HD/HG) is that more hair can be moved in each procedure, thereby minimizing the number of procedures needed to achieve the patient’s desired results. This procedure allows up to twice the hair volume when compared to traditional FUE or FUT hair transplants. Patients often find that only 1 or 2 procedures are required to meet their objectives even with significant hair loss.

ARTAS:   ARTAS is definitely suited for patients with less hair loss.  If you have limited hair loss, one procedure might meet your needs, however, for  those with advanced-stage hair loss, it may take several procedures to achieve the look you want.  There are limitations on how many FUE transplants you can have.

We like to see patients the day after, 10 to 12 days after, 4 to 6 months after and 12 months after.  None of these are required but are strongly recommended. If you live away from the office we can meet online or you can send pictures to update us on your hair growth progress.

We will also follow up with you periodically by phone, email or letter throughout the growth process to ensure best results. We strongly recommend patients consider a hair loss management (prevention routine) following the procedure to help maintain the non-transplanted hair. PAI offers FDA approved hair loss management options for hair loss prevention.

Generally, you can return to work within a day or two following your procedure depending on your type of work and comfort level. However, any strenuous exercising or lifting should not be attempted for 14 days after the procedure or until your sutures have been removed.  Some patients will decide to take a week off of work for esthetic reasons.  We can go over your specific situation with you when you visit the office for your evaluation / consultation.

At We Grow Hair, a licensed physician is always present for your hair transplant as well as several trained medical team members.