Hair Transplant Surgery: Is it painful?

Aug 23, 2016 | By Dr. Sangay Bhutia (Hair Transplant Specialist in Delhi)

Hair transplant is a surgical procedure and as with any surgical procedure some amount of discomfort is bound to happen. It is the duty of the transplant surgeon to make the procedure as comfortable and pain as free as possible.

Re-operative period: One has to understand that the patients have their own apprehensions and tension regarding the surgery. This can also be due to the some needle fear. So, every possible step should be taken to reduce the procedure related anxiety which include proper communication and counselling about the steps of the procedure and if necessary doctor can give some anti-anxiety premedication.

Operative period or during the procedure: Every patient has different pain thresholds and it is very important to re-assure the patient Use of anaesthetic creams may reduce the pain caused by the prick of the local anaesthetic injections. Local anaesthesia should be used in proper dosage according to the weight of the patient and using proper technique so as to make the procedure comfortable for the patient.

There are different techniques of anesthetising the scalp like giving the nerve blocks, giving ring blocks or using tumescent solution which anesthetise large area and also hydro dissect the scalp so that it becomes easier to take out the grafts. Use of massager while infiltrating the local anaesthesia may help in making the process comfortable as also the use of ice packs before injecting the area.

If patient feel pain any time during the procedure then additional supplement of the anaesthetic agent may be given.

One can also take help of some relaxation methods like deep breathing pre-operatively or during the process of infiltrating local anaesthesia. This reduces the anxiety and increase some tolerance for pain also. During the procedure one can listening to a soulful pleasant music or watch their favourite show on TV, this also helps in distracting the mind as well as makes one calm and positive.

In order to make the post operative period comfortable, pain killers and anti-inflammatory medicines are prescribed for initial 3-4 days in case of FUE and may be longer in case of FUT. In terms of pain and procedure related discomfort, FUE is relatively pain free. In cases of FUT patient may experience some feeling of tightness in scalp. One should follow post-op instructions strictly.