How painful is FUE really? Hair transplant procedures have to date often been regarded as tremendously painful or at least uncomfortable. This opinion is not unfounded: Up until recently, the strip method (or FUT) has been a popular method for hair restoration. This involves the surgical removal of a strip of scalp skin from the back of the head. The defect needs to be sutured closed and care needs to be taken not to strain the area. Patients report significant postoperative discomfort and the prolonged healing time limits the return to regular activities.
“How Painful is FUE Really?”
A newer method, known as FUE (follicular unit extraction) involves the extraction of individual follicles/grafts and placing them into required areas. As the follicles are extracted individually, there is no requirement to excise the skin. Follicles are extracted by means of a high speed rotating punch (sometimes we use a manual punch) under local anaesthetic. At The Hairfront, we only practice FUE. One of the reasons for this is that the procedure is virtually painless and the recovery time is shortened.
So, how painful is FUE exactly?
At the beginning of the procedure, a local anaesthetic is applied to the scalp, by our hair transplant surgeon, Dr. Lohlun. This is slightly uncomfortable, but as it is performed under sedation and takes approximately 5-10 minutes, it is very tolerable. From then onwards, our clients experience no pain and merely feel the pressure of the instruments on the scalp. Our clients are asleep for most of the procedure and find it to be a “very pleasant experience”.
The pain after the FUE ranges from zero pain to a sunburn type pain for a few days. This information comes directly from our clients and should you wish to talk to any of our many satisfied customers, please contact us at any time.
Here at The Hairfront, it is not only important for us to deliver a cutting edge service, but also ensure that our clients have the most comfortable experience before, during and after the procedure.