During a hair transplant, a surgeon moves hair from a hair-filled section of the head to a bald area. Transplants are mostly used to address baldness caused by genetics.

A hair transplant is a procedure in which a plastic or dermatological surgeon moves hair to a bald area of the head. The surgeon usually moves hair from the back or side of the head to the front or top of the head.

Hair transplants typically occur in a medical office under local anesthesia, while you remain awake and alert.

Pattern baldness, also called androgenic alopecia, in males and females is responsible for the majority of hair loss — about 50% in both populations. This comes down to genetics. The remaining cases are due to various factors, including:

  • diet
  • stress
  • illness
  • hormonal imbalance
  • medications

There are several types of hair transplant procedures. The two most common types are follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE).

During FUT, a surgeon cuts a strip of hair from the back of your scalp and extracts individual hair follicles. During FUE, a surgeon removes follicles directly from your scalp. In both surgeries, the follicles are implanted into balding parts of your scalp. There are several variations of both types.

Additionally, much less common earlier types of hair transplant have included “hair plugs” and synthetic hair transplants.

Receiving a hair transplant can improve your appearance and self-confidence. Candidates for a hair transplant include people:

  • with androgenic alopecia (pattern baldness)
  • with thinning hair
  • who has lost some hair from a burn or scalp injury

Hair replacement isn’t an effective option for:

  • males of females with a widespread pattern of hair loss throughout the scalp
  • people who don’t have enough “donor” hair sites from which to remove hair for transplant
  • people who form keloid scars (thick, fibrous scars) after injury or surgery
  • people whose hair loss is due to medication, such as chemotherapy
  • those who have certain types of scarring hair loss

Additionally, the following groups of people have been determined by research as not being suitable for a hair transplant procedure:

After thoroughly cleaning your scalp, a surgeon uses a small needle to numb an area of your head with local anesthetic.

In follicular unit transplantation (FUT):

  1. The surgeon will use a scalpel to cut out a strip of scalp skin from the back of your head. The incision is typically several inches long.
  2. This is then closed with stitches.
  3. The surgeon next separates the removed portion of scalp into small sections using a magnifying lens and surgical knife. When implanted, these sections are meant to help achieve natural-looking hair growth.

In follicular unit extraction (FUE):

  1. The surgeon will extract hundreds to thousands of individual hair follicles from the back or sides of your scalp.
  2. They will then make tiny holes with a blade or needle in the area of your scalp receiving the transplant. They gently place the follicles in these holes.
  3. Because this process is more time comsuming, it may take several appointments over several days.
  4. They will cover the surgical area with gauze or bandages for a few days during the procedure and after it’s completed.

A hair transplant session can take 4 hours or more. Your stitches will be removed about 10 days after surgery.

You may require up to three or four sessions to achieve the full head of hair you desire. Sessions may occur several months apart to allow each transplant to fully heal.

Your scalp may be sore, and you may need to take medications following hair transplant surgery, such as:

  • pain medication
  • antibiotics to reduce your risk of infection
  • anti-inflammatory medications to keep swelling down

Most people can return to work several days after surgery.

It’s typical for the transplanted hair to fall out 2 to 3 weeks after the procedure. This makes way for new hair growth. Most people will see some new hair growth 3 to 6 months after surgery.

Many doctors prescribe minoxidil (Rogaine) or the hair growth medication finasteride (Propecia) to improve hair regrowth. These medications also help slow or stop future hair loss.

Side effects from a hair transplant are usually minor and clear up within a few weeks.

They can include:

  • bleeding
  • infection
  • swelling of the scalp
  • bruising around the eyes
  • a crust that forms on the areas of the scalp where hair was removed or implanted
  • numbness or lack of sensation on the treated areas of the scalp
  • itching
  • inflammation or infection of the hair follicles, which is known as folliculitis
  • shock loss, or sudden but typically temporary loss of the transplanted hair
  • unnatural-looking tufts of hair

Typically, people who’ve had a hair transplant will continue to grow hair in the transplanted areas of the scalp.

The new hair may appear more or less dense, depending on:

  • scalp laxity, or how loose your scalp skin is
  • density of follicles in the transplanted zone
  • hair caliber or quality
  • hair curl

If you don’t take medication (such as minoxidil or finasteride) or undergo a low level of laser therapy, you may continue to experience hair loss in untreated areas of your scalp.

Discussing the expected outcome with your surgeon and developing realistic expectations is important.

A hair transplant is typically not painful. At the time of the procedure, the area of your scalp that the surgeon will be focusing on will be numbed with a local anesthetic. You may feel pressure or movement sensations.

But as with most post-surgery recovery, you’re likely to experience discomfort or pain at the incision points as your body starts to heal and recover. Your medical team will likely discuss the best ways to manage pain and other ways to minimize the risk of negative side effects or reactions.

A hair transplant can be a good option for people who can afford the high cost of the procedure and haven’t found success from treatments like minoxidil. Hair transplant surgery carries some risks. There’s also the possibility that your hair regrowth may be minimal.

If this is a procedure you’re interested in and the potential rewards outweigh the costs and risks, consider speaking with a dermatologist to see if this is a good option for you.

If you’re experiencing hair loss or hair thinning, there are treatment options available. But no single treatment is guaranteed to work, and the costs can stack up quickly, especially since hair loss treatments are rarely covered by insurance.

If you’ve spoken with a doctor about treatments or other hair regrowth treatments have been ineffective for you, consider looking into a hair transplant. If you’re a good candidate for a transplant and your medical team thinks you’re likely to see positive results, this may be a procedure worth considering.