Does a hair transplant hurt?
Not much — the worst part is the first few minutes of local anaesthetic, and after that you feel pressure rather than pain.
The anaesthetic injections sting or burn for a couple of minutes, comparable to dental numbing. Once the scalp is numb you feel pushing, tugging and vibration during extraction and placement, but not pain. Most people spend the hours watching something or sleeping.
Afterwards, expect two to three days of tight, sunburn-like soreness across both the donor and recipient areas, generally controlled with over-the-counter pain relief. Most patients report that sleeping upright for the first few nights is more irritating than the discomfort itself.
Itching during the first week or two as crusts heal is common and normal. Resisting the urge to scratch matters, because picking a crust can take a graft with it.
Reviewed by Dr Jawdat Abboud, MD. Educational content — not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for examination by a physician. Individual results vary.
Still deciding?
The assessment takes about two minutes and gives you a straight read on candidacy.