Does a hair transplant hurt? What do you feel during and after the procedure?

Does a hair transplant hurt?

A hair transplant is not entirely free of sensation; however, we perform the transplant under local anesthesia, and most patients are awake throughout the procedure. You feel a brief sting and burn as the anesthetic is injected. Once the area is numb, most people feel touch and pressure rather than pain. In the days after the anesthetic wears off, there may be aching, tenderness and tightness.

This experience is not the same for everyone; how much discomfort you feel varies from person to person. That is why, before the procedure, you discuss with your doctor how pain will be managed. We also ask you to tell us whenever you feel something during the procedure.

General anesthesia is usually not needed. Because you are awake, you can talk, and you can eat and drink something during the breaks.

What do you feel while the anesthetic is given?

With local anesthesia, a numbing medicine (a local anesthetic) is injected into and under the skin with fine needles. The medicine stops the nerves in that area from carrying signals for a while. However, it does not block every sensation to the same degree; the sense of touch and pressure may partly remain. So even if you do not feel sharp pain in the numbed area, you may notice that you are being touched or pressed.

One of the most noticeable sensations during the procedure comes while the anesthetic is being given. As the needle goes in and the medicine is injected, you feel a brief burning or tightness. The first injections are usually the most noticeable; as the area starts to go numb, you feel the following ones less. Injecting the medicine slowly and using a fine needle can reduce this sensation, but cannot eliminate it completely.

The anesthetic is given separately to the donor area, where the grafts will be taken from (usually the back and sides of the head), and to the recipient area. So you may feel this brief sensation several times during the day.

If you are afraid of needles, or have felt faint before during an injection or when giving blood, tell us in advance; we will plan together what precautions we can take.

If you have ever had an allergy or an unexpected reaction to a local anesthetic (for example, during dental treatment), if you have heart disease or another chronic condition, or if you take any medicines regularly, including blood thinners, be sure to mention this during the examination as well. How the anesthesia and pain management are planned may change based on this information. Do not stop taking any of your medicines on your own. We cover this topic in our article on chronic conditions and hair transplants.

What do you feel during the transplant?

Once the area is numb, most people describe pressure, touch or a slight pulling as the grafts are taken and placed.

Because the procedure can last for hours, the effect of the anesthetic may lessen over time. If you notice a sharp or increasing sensation, tell us straight away; if needed, we give you more anesthetic. Do not hesitate to say so; knowing what you feel helps us continue the procedure in a way that is more comfortable for you. Also let us know right away if you have palpitations, dizziness or nausea, or feel faint.

Over the course of the day, what tires you most is sometimes not pain but staying in the same position for a long time; you may feel stiffness in your neck, back or lower back. That is why we take breaks along the way. We describe how the day goes, step by step, in our article How long does a hair transplant take?

What do you feel in the days after the procedure?

The anesthetic starts to wear off in the hours after the procedure. During this time and in the first few days, you may feel aching, tenderness and tightness. This can be especially noticeable in the donor area, and it usually eases within days.

In the first few days, the swelling sometimes moves down to the forehead and around the eyes; it often eases within a few days. You may also have numbness or itching in the recipient and donor areas for a while. How long these last varies from person to person.

We list the medicines you will take after the procedure in your written aftercare instructions. If you want to take any other pain reliever, ask us first, because some pain relievers can increase the tendency to bleed.

You can find general information about the healing period on the hair transplant aftercare page, and details about itching and redness in our article on itching, redness and pimples after a hair transplant. In every case, follow the written instructions we give you.

Why is the experience different for each person?

Two people who have the same procedure can describe very different experiences. Some of the reasons are:

• Sensitivity to pain. The same stimulus can feel mild to one person and more uncomfortable to another.
• Anxiety and tiredness. Worry and lack of sleep can make pain feel more intense.
• The scope of the procedure. The larger the recipient and donor areas, the more places need to be numbed; if the procedure runs long, the anesthetic may need to be topped up. Tenderness in the following days can also vary accordingly.
• The course of healing. How long swelling and tenderness last differs from body to body.

Sleeping well the night before, following the instructions on what you can eat and drink on the day of the procedure, and asking in advance about anything on your mind can help you get through the day more comfortably. We explain what to keep in mind before the procedure in our article on preparing for a hair transplant.

When should you contact us?

Tenderness is expected to ease over the days after the procedure. If you notice any of the following, contact us without waiting for your follow-up appointment:

• Pain that gets worse instead of easing, or that does not go away despite the medicines you have been given
• Increasing redness or swelling
• Discharge, pus or a bad smell in the recipient area or the donor area
• Fever
• Bleeding that does not stop or keeps coming back
• Painful or growing pimple-like bumps in the recipient area

In an emergency, or if you cannot reach us, go to the nearest healthcare facility without delay.

This article provides general information. Whether you are suitable for a hair transplant and how the anesthesia will be planned for you are determined during the examination; both the experience of the procedure and the results vary from person to person.