You are here: Home » Surgical Solutions » Follicular Unit Hair Transplant » Surgery Day

What to Expect On Hair Transplant Surgery Day

A typical hair transplant surgery day is outlined below:

  • After being greeted, you will be asked to sign a Medical Consent Form which goes over the benefits and risks of the procedure and is documentation that we have discussed these with you, plus a separate Consent For Additional Grafts, which was created so patients who decide to do larger procedures on the day of surgery may do so. You will have a chance to talk to the surgeon prior to signing these forms if you have any questions.
  • Prior to beginning the procedures digital pre-operative photos are taken. This allows us to follow your progress after the procedure and becomes part of your confidential medical record.
  • You will be escorted to the procedure room to meet the surgeon, discuss your goals and expectations, draw a hairline, and go over the surgical plan. It is important that you and your surgeon agree on the short and long term surgical plan. These issues will be discussed prior to you receiving any sedatives which could impair your judgment. This is also an opportunity to ask any last minute questions.
  • Once the hairline has been drawn and the surgical plan decided upon, the hair just above the donor area (back of the head) is taped up. The hair to be removed is then trimmed. We tape up the hair to keep it out of the way during surgery. Later we will remove the tape and comb down the hair enabling us to conceal the suture line. This is the only preparation required before anaesthetic is given.
  • You will be offered a mild sedative to help you relax during the procedure – this is optional.
  • You will lie face down on a specially made pillow. Several injections of local anaesthesia are administered by a physician or registered nurse, to the donor area. While in this position the donor strip is removed by your surgeon and then sutured with non-absorbable sutures (entire process takes about 30-40 minutes including anaesthesia). After this, the suture line is rinsed and a clean dressing is applied. You are then able to move into a reclined sitting position.
  • For the next few hours you will be able to relax while the tissue is dissected under magnification by our surgical technicians into follicular units. The time it takes to separate the follicular units depends on session size, hair type, and colour.
  • Once an accurate count of your grafts has been reached, you will receive a series of injections to anaesthetize the front and top of your head. This is done with you in the reclined position. Once anaesthetized, the surgeon will artistically recreate a natural hair pattern by making small incision sites in the proper angle and direction. Making the sites takes 30 to 90 minutes depending on hair type and size of surgery.
  • After the sites are made, the grafts will be placed into them by highly trained technicians. After placement, your surgeon will perform a final check of grafts to ensure they have been placed in the correct angle and direction.
  • The entire process can take the better part of a day, depending on the numbers of grafts.  You will be able to relax and watch TV during site making and graft placement, or you can bring in a CD or MP3 player (small ear-only head phones) so you can listen to music if you prefer.
  • We will provide a light snack for you, and you can get up to use the bathroom as needed.
  • After completing the procedure and final surgeon’s check, our staff will review the post-operative instructions with you, including how to sleep, washing your grafts, things to avoid, and how to maintain your new investment. These will be given as written instructions as well.
  • All bandages will be removed prior to your return home. We recommend bringing in a clean loose fitting hat to wear home.
  • If you chose to have a sedative, we suggest you arrange transport home for yourself. For those who do not, you may drive home after the procedure.

While we encourage you to call if you have any questions, someone from our staff will call you within the first few days to ensure that you are doing well.  After your procedure your care is not over. We will see you at 10 days for suture removal, and then at 5, 10 and 15 months.

Digital pictures will be taken at each of these visits, as we follow your progress.  These are confidential and will not be shared without your consent.