Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic, American Academy of Dermatology

• What is a hair transplant?
• Who is a good candidate (and who is not)
• How to prepare
• How a hair transplant is done, step by step
• Recovery timeline
• Results and how long they last
• Risks and complications
• Alternatives to a hair transplant
• Choosing a surgeon or clinic, at home or abroad
• When to call your doctor
• FAQ
• Sources

What is a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that moves healthy hair from one part of the body, usually the back of the scalp, to an area that has become thin or bald. It is also known as hair restoration or hair replacement surgery, and it is performed by dermatologists or plastic surgeons. The hair at the back and sides of the head tends to resist the type of loss seen in pattern baldness, so when it is relocated it generally keeps growing in its new place.

Source: Cleveland Clinic, NHS

Hair grows naturally in tiny clusters called follicular units, each holding one to three hairs and occasionally four or more. Modern surgery harvests and replants these units one by one, which is why today’s results can look far more natural than the older “plug” grafts. The surgeon makes very small cuts in the thinning area and places the grafts into them.

Source: Sharma & Ranjan, J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2019 (PMC), NHS

The two main techniques: FUT and FUE

• FUT (follicular unit transplantation, the “strip” method): a strip of hair-bearing scalp is removed from the back of the head and divided into grafts of 1 to 4 hairs. The wound is stitched, leaving a fine linear scar that is usually hidden unless the hair is cut very short.
• FUE (follicular unit extraction or excision): the donor area is shaved and individual follicular units are removed one at a time with a tiny punch, typically 0.7 to 1 mm wide. This leaves many small dot-like scars that are less noticeable, which suits people who like to wear their hair very short.

Source: NHS, Sharma & Ranjan, J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2019 (PMC), American Academy of Dermatology

Neither method is right for everyone. FUE takes longer and needs a larger donor area, while FUT can be preferred when follicles are hard to extract individually. Older approaches such as scalp reduction, flap surgery and tissue expansion are still used in selected cases, for example after burns or injuries.

Source: Sharma & Ranjan, J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2019 (PMC), Cleveland Clinic

Who is a good candidate (and who is not)

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, men and women of all races can be good candidates for a hair transplant. Two conditions matter most: you need enough healthy hair on the scalp to move to the thinning area, and the thinning area must still be able to grow hair. A dermatologist checks this with a scalp examination and sometimes a blood test or a scalp biopsy.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology

Cleveland Clinic describes the ideal candidate as someone in good general health, with realistic expectations and areas of thick hair growth left on the scalp. Surgery is usually considered for people who have already tried other hair loss treatments.

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Conditions it can help

The procedure is best suited to permanent, inherited hair loss, known as male or female pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). It can also restore hair lost to scars from injuries or burns.

Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic

When it may not be suitable

• Patchy hair loss (alopecia areata): the NHS says a hair transplant is usually not suitable for this condition, while Cleveland Clinic lists alopecia areata among the conditions that may be treated. The difference reflects that alopecia areata is an autoimmune problem in which hair often regrows or the disease stays active, so a specialist assessment is essential.
• Diffuse thinning across the whole scalp: some women have thinning everywhere, which can leave too little healthy donor hair to transplant.
• Young men with early loss: men in their 20s may be asked to wait and start hair loss medicine first, because the pattern of loss is still changing.
• Unrealistic expectations: a fuller head of hair is a realistic goal, but a complete head of hair may not be.

Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic, American Academy of Dermatology

How to prepare

Preparation starts with a consultation. The surgeon should take a full medical history, including any medicines, allergies, smoking and diabetes, and examine both the donor area and the area to be treated. Hidden medical issues can matter: a published case series describes a dangerous rise in blood pressure during surgery in a patient who had not mentioned he was taking propranolol.

Source: Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC)

Smoking and poorly controlled diabetes are linked to wound problems after surgery, so it makes sense to discuss stopping smoking and optimizing blood sugar with your doctor beforehand. You should also ask the surgeon which technique they recommend and why, how many grafts or sessions you are likely to need, and what follow-up is offered if problems arise.

Source: Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC), NHS

Because hair loss usually continues after surgery, your dermatologist may suggest starting a hair loss medicine before or alongside the transplant to protect the hair you still have.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology

How a hair transplant is done, step by step

1. Planning: the surgeon designs the new hairline and decides how many grafts are needed, keeping future hair loss in mind so the result still looks natural years later.
2. Anesthesia: the scalp is numbed with local anesthetic. Most people stay awake, and some receive a mild sedative.
3. Harvesting: grafts are taken either as a strip of scalp (FUT) or as individual follicular units (FUE).
4. Graft preparation: the grafts are sorted and kept in a cold storage solution until they are implanted. Research summarized in a 2019 review shows that grafts stay highly viable for about two hours outside the body, with survival falling the longer they wait.
5. Implantation: the surgeon makes tiny cuts in the thinning area and places each graft at the correct angle and direction.
6. Dressing: the scalp is bandaged and you receive home-care instructions.

Source: NHS, American Academy of Dermatology, Sharma & Ranjan, J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2019 (PMC)

A session usually takes 4 to 8 hours. Very large transplants may require you to come back the next day for a few more hours, and extensive bald areas may need two or more sessions on different days, often several months apart. A team of two or three people usually assists the doctor.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology, NHS, Cleveland Clinic

Most hair transplants are outpatient procedures, so you can go home the same day without an overnight stay.

Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic

Recovery timeline

Expect a tight, achy and swollen scalp for a few days, along with scabbing, itching and some numbness. Swelling can spread to the forehead or around the eyes. The grafts are fragile at first, so for the first two weeks you must treat the area very gently.

Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic, Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC)

Time after surgery	What usually happens
Day 1–5	Bandages come off (Cleveland Clinic says day 1; the NHS says days 2 to 5). Do not touch the grafts.
Day 2–6	Gentle hair washing begins: day 2 according to Cleveland Clinic, day 6 according to the NHS. Follow your own surgeon’s instructions.
Day 3 to 2 weeks	Return to work: Cleveland Clinic says days 3 to 5 for light activities; the NHS says people typically need 1 to 2 weeks off.
Day 10–14	Non-dissolving stitches are removed (mainly after FUT).
2–8 weeks	Transplanted hair sheds. This is normal and expected.
3–4 weeks onward	Exercise and sports can usually resume; the NHS advises reducing exercise for the first month to limit scarring.
Around 3 months	Hair may look thinner than before surgery; this is a normal phase.
About 4 months	New hair usually starts to appear.
6–18 months	Most people see results at 6 to 9 months; full results take up to 12 to 18 months.

Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic, American Academy of Dermatology

Results and how long they last

When done well, a hair transplant can give permanent, natural-looking results, although the final outcome depends heavily on the surgeon. The transplanted hair comes from areas that usually resist pattern baldness, which is why it tends to last.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic

The new hair does not stop the hair around it from thinning. Pattern hair loss can keep progressing in the untransplanted hair, so a dermatologist may recommend medicine to protect your result. In a large single-surgeon series of 2,896 patients, most of the people who were unhappy with their outcome were disappointed because of loss of their original, non-transplanted hair rather than failure of the grafts.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology, NHS, Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC)

Patience is part of the process. Some people need one or more touch-up sessions to achieve a natural, even look, and the full result can take a year or more to judge.

Source: Cleveland Clinic, NHS

Risks and complications

Hair transplant surgery is generally considered safe, and serious complications are uncommon. In the 2,896-patient series mentioned above, no significant or life-threatening complications were recorded, and the authors concluded that most complications are avoidable with careful planning and technique.

Source: Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC)

Common, usually temporary side effects

• Swelling, tightness, pain or throbbing
• Crusts, scabs and itching
• Numbness or reduced feeling in the scalp, usually settling within weeks
• Small pimple-like bumps (folliculitis), the most frequent minor problem in published series
• “Shock loss”: temporary shedding of existing hair near the treated area, usually 3 to 4 weeks after surgery, with regrowth within a few months

Source: Cleveland Clinic, NHS, Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC)

Less common complications

• Bleeding, infection or an allergic reaction to the anesthetic
• Grafts that fail to take, leading to poor growth
• Noticeable scarring, including a wide strip scar or pale dot scars after FUE
• Areas of skin damage (necrosis), more likely in smokers and people with diabetes
• An over-harvested, patchy donor area if too many grafts are taken
• An unnatural hairline when grafts are placed at the wrong angle or design

Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic, Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC), Sharma & Ranjan, J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2019 (PMC)

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) warns that many of the worst outcomes it sees, such as visible scarring, poor growth and depleted donor areas, come from clinics where unlicensed technicians perform the surgery.

Source: ISHRS

Alternatives to a hair transplant

Surgery is not the only option, and for many people medicine comes first. Starting treatment soon after noticing hair loss tends to give better results.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology

• Minoxidil: a non-prescription solution or foam applied to the scalp. Results can take months (2 to 4 months according to Cleveland Clinic, 6 to 12 months according to the AAD), and the benefit is lost when you stop.
• Finasteride: a prescription tablet for men that slowed further hair loss in about 80% to 90% of men taking it, according to the AAD. Results appear in about 6 months and fade after stopping.
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): injections of a concentrate from your own blood, given monthly at first and then every few months. It can be used alone or before a transplant but needs ongoing maintenance.
• Laser devices: home-use devices exist; some are FDA cleared, which involves less scrutiny than FDA approval.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic

Choosing a surgeon or clinic, at home or abroad

The skill and experience of the surgeon have the biggest influence on how your result looks. Choose a doctor who understands hair loss and performs hair transplants regularly. In the UK, the NHS advises checking that the clinic is registered with the Care Quality Commission, that the surgeon is registered with the General Medical Council, and whether the surgeon belongs to the British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology, NHS

Questions to ask

• What are your qualifications, and how many hair transplants have you performed?
• How many of your patients have had complications?
• Which technique do you recommend for me, and why?
• Who will make the incisions and harvest the grafts: you or a technician?
• What follow-up do you offer if something goes wrong?

Source: NHS, ISHRS

Hair transplant abroad

Many people travel to countries such as Turkey for hair restoration. The ISHRS reports that some clinics attracting patients from abroad have procedures performed mostly by technicians without medical licenses. Its advice is to confirm that a licensed physician will perform the surgery, ask about everyone’s training and role, check malpractice insurance, and be wary of advertising that promises very low prices or guaranteed results. Our guide to hair transplant in Turkey covers planning a trip in more detail, and specialised centres such as Hair Cultivate focus solely on hair restoration.

Source: ISHRS

Cost

Because it is cosmetic surgery, a hair transplant is not available on the NHS, and insurance rarely covers elective cosmetic procedures. In the UK, the NHS gives a range of about £1,000 to £30,000, depending on how much hair is lost, the technique used and the clinic.

Source: NHS, Cleveland Clinic

When to call your doctor

Some soreness, swelling and scabbing are normal after a hair transplant. Contact your clinic as soon as possible if you have severe pain or symptoms you did not expect.

Source: NHS

Source: Cleveland Clinic, Garg & Garg, Indian J Plast Surg 2021 (PMC)

If you are unhappy with the result or think the procedure was poorly performed, talk to your surgeon first. In the UK you can raise concerns with the Care Quality Commission or the General Medical Council.

Source: NHS

Related conditions

Further reading

Hair transplant: frequently asked questions

Sources

1. NHS — Hair transplant
2. Cleveland Clinic — Hair Transplant: How Does It Work, Success Rates
3. American Academy of Dermatology — A hair transplant can give you permanent, natural-looking results
4. American Academy of Dermatology — What is male pattern hair loss, and can it be treated?
5. Cleveland Clinic — Male Pattern Baldness (Androgenic Alopecia): Stages, Treatment
6. Cleveland Clinic — Hair Replacement Surgery
7. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery (PMC) — Complications of Hair Transplant Procedures—Causes and Management (Garg & Garg, 2021)
8. Journal of Maxillofacial & Oral Surgery (PMC) — Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Hair Transplant: Curves Ahead (Sharma & Ranjan, 2019)
9. ISHRS — Fight the FIGHT campaign against fraudulent hair restoration practices

This page is part of the Morepital medical reference. It is for general health education and does not replace a consultation with a qualified doctor. Last reviewed: October 2026.