Is a Hair Transplant Painful?
For a very long time, people have been trying to struggle with hair loss and baldness. To overcome them, various options are available, including hair transplant surgeries. Each year, many people undergo this type of cosmetic procedures to regain the thick hair they once had; and each year, other people start to consider having a hair transplant surgery. Those who consider it are usually curious about various things, such as prices, final outcome, recovery, and also the potential pain they may feel. Moreover, for people with low pain threshold, pain may be the most important concern. To better understand to process, it is important to examine before, during and after parts of the surgery.
Before the surgery, some precautions are taken to ensure that the patient is comfortable and secure. The numbness drug seems to be the only actual source of pain for a patient during a hair transplant. After the scalp has been prepped and numb, the person feels nothing for the rest of the day. The numbness of the head is divided into two parts: numbness in the donor site, where the hair will be taken, and numbness in the target zone, where the hair will be implanted. Prior to the actual surgery, the donor site is anesthetized. After the plan has been carefully delineated and the head has been cleansed and cut, the surgeon will freeze the donor site the prior to surgery. The surgeon will administer little quantities of medicine around the entire area using a local anesthetic. Although the numbness medicine requires roughly 10-15 minutes to fully come into effect, many people experience feeling numb in seconds to several minutes. Nothing more is observed in the donor area after that.
The receiving region, like the supplier area, should be anesthetized before the surgeon makes cuts and puts the transplants back into the head. The surgeon will administer the same local anesthetic into the target location, and the place will be numb in just few minutes. The surgeon and staff can work in the area without the person sensing anything once the anesthesia has taken effect. The numbness in the target area will be the patient’s last sensation of the day. The entire head is thereafter absolutely numb. The operation can now be conducted without causing any pain. While the person may wish to relax and have rest time to move and wander about to prevent the irritation of sitting for a while, the procedure itself will not cause any physical pain. If the patient begins to feel discomfort, he or she will inform the professionals, and the surgeon will provide further numbness medications.
On the other hand, there are more to know about the afterwards of the hair transplantation operation. As you may understood, when the anesthesia is administered, most patients suffer only minor discomfort. Nevertheless, while the scalp heals following the treatment, you may suffer some discomfort, but most patients report little to no pain both during and after a hair transplant surgery.
So, as you may guess, there may be a slight pain or at least discomfort or irritation. But, it is all depended on you. If you follow the instructions of your surgeon, there will be no pain afterwards a hair transplant surgery. On the opposite side, if you do not follow what your surgeon says, you may have some pain issues.
The elements that you should follow, if you do not want to feel pain or if you want a process in which you will be relieved and relaxed.
- It is critical that you sleep with your head raised for the first seven days after therapy to prevent the danger of swelling and pain. Some people discover that sleeping with their heads elevated is all they need for a few days. Keep in mind, however, that not everyone experiences pain after hair implantation. There is no reason why you cannot sleep normally if you do not feel a tiny pressure on your forehead.
- For the first two weeks after your hair transplant, avoid exposing your head to direct sunlight. If you must go outside at this time, do it for a short period of time.
- You must refrain from having intercourse for the first seven days following your hair transplant. Sex is frequently said to reduce blood pressure. While regular intercourse can help lower blood pressure in the long run, sex always boosts blood pressure and heart rate. Your heart rate, blood pressure, or both will almost certainly become too high for the health of your grafts. During intercourse, you also run the danger of sweating and contacting the treatment site. This can disrupt the normal production of scabs and raise the risk of infection and consequently pain.
On the other side; if you do not follow the instructions that your surgeon advices, you will feel pain.
Following a hair transplantation, you may have pain, if you:
- Rub your scalp or your new hair line on the pillow
- Do not drink enough water
- Do heavy exercise
- Have a sex
- Do not use the medicine that your surgeon advices
- Eat heavy meal
- Do not adhere to the bathing schedule.
- Do not use ice for 20 to 30 minutes right above your brows
- If you have dyed your hair within four weeks of your hair restoration
To sum up, thanks to anesthesia, patients will experience no pain during operation. Nevertheless, you may have discomfort after surgery, but one of the advantages of choosing the appropriate clinic is that you will receive proper pain relief counsel. Tablets might be prescribed by your doctor to alleviate the irritation and stiffness in your scalp. You can also purchase anti-infective drugs and ointments. You may also notice some redness on your scalp, but don’t worry because it will go away on its own in a few days. Overall, a hair transplant can be a little unpleasant, but if you select the correct clinic and follow your surgeon’s recommendations, you will be safe and sound.
How bad does a hair transplant hurt?
It is natural to be concerned about whether or not you may experience discomfort if you receive a hair transplant. However, the solution is ready for you. Hair transplantation is an outpatient procedure that can take anywhere from four to eight hours. While the process is highly convenient, it is still a surgical operation, therefore some discomfort is to be expected. The patient will be given a local anesthetic before the procedure and may feel a slight pricking sensation on the scalp, similar to the tip of a pen. The anesthetic quickly numbs the skin, removing any sensation during the procedure.
How long does the pain last after a hair transplant?
Pain after hair transplantation can be observed at different times depending on the hair transplantation method used. While the pains seen especially in the head and neck are generally observed for 3-4 days in the FUE method; In the FUT method, pain can last from 5-6 days to two weeks.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/does-hair-transplant-work#recovery