Embarking on the journey of hair transplant procedures, a pertinent question arises: Do hair transplant hurt? Let’s delve into the nuances of hair transplant pain, exploring its causes and innovative solutions. Discover how the Comfort In system promises a virtually pain-free experience, paving the way for a seamless hair restoration adventure.
Is a hair transplant painful?
Hair transplant surgery is, after all, a surgical procedure. Therefore, you would expect there to be at least a degree of pain during the operation. However, the most modern operations can be pain free with the innovative Comfort In system. This makes a hair transplant pain free.
Pain during the hair transplant operation
Throughout the procedure, there are three stages which might result in slightly unpleasant to acute pain, depending on person:
- During the follicular unit extraction from the donor region
- During the insertion of the grafts in the recipient region
- During the injection of a local anaesthetic
To keep the entire hair transplant process as painless as possible, the best clinics will use the Comfort In system. A local anesthetic is injected into the scalp without a needle. This prevents the pain of an injection. and during the procedure the anaesthetic acts directly where the pain would otherwise occur.
The Comfort In pressure injector uses pressure to push the painkiller through the tissue of the epidermis. In this way it goes straight to the nerve endings and anesthetises them reliably.
The unpleasant feeling of pressure, which many people are familiar with from the dentist, does not occur with the pressure injector. This is because as soon as the anesthetic comes into contact with the skin, it is already having an effect. It immediately distributes in the tissue, making it a more effective way of alleviating this slight discomfort.
Anesthetised in this way, the patient experiences the procedure completely without pain. Both the removal of the follicular units from the donor region, and the implantation with a hollow needle into the recipient region, are thus completely painless.
Some patients even do without the local anesthetic and describe the pain as comparable to slowly pulling out a small tuft of hair.
Pain after hair transplantation
When the anesthetic wears off, there may be a little post operative pain. Some patients describe this as like the pain of a graze, or after you have mildly cut yourself. In fact, hair transplantation is a not very invasive procedure that does not go deeper than the skin. Therefore, one would not expect serious pain.
If the pain becomes too uncomfortable, a mild painkiller can easily alleviate it.
Older transplantation methods, like follicular unit transplantation (FUT), often caused pain in the donor area, feeling as if the skin was overly stretched. However, modern FUE hair transplant and DHI methods, such as Sapphire FUE and Sapphire DHI, eliminate this issue by transplanting individual hair follicles without removing skin strips, thereby avoiding pain.
In most cases, patients describe the sensation after the local anaesthetic has worn off as a tingling sensation.
The surgical procedure largely irritates nerve endings, causing this sensation. However, for most people this is a mild and short term experience.
Pain during healing
If the irritated scalp is handled carefully, there should be no pain during healing. The initial healing phrase lasts roughly 14 days.
In rare cases, scratching or excessive touching of the procedure sites can cause irritation of the skin. This can be somewhat painful.
Direct exposure to sunlight in the first weeks after surgery can also cause painful skin irritation.
Contact with impure substances or dirty fingernails can allow pathogens and germs to enter the healing wounds and lead to a painful infection. Inflammatory processes during infection can lead to redness and a burning sensation in the operated areas or form itchy or painful pimples.
To prevent pain due to irritation or infection, the affected skin areas should only come into contact with clean fabrics during the healing phase. For example, pillowcases and head coverings should always be freshly washed.
Appropriate ointments can help against itching and bacteria, which are recommended to patients by Cosmedica Hair Clinic according to their individual needs.
An allergic reaction during the healing phase can also lead to a painful rash. This can be prevented with suitable ointments or hypoallergenic fabric covers and headgear if the patient is prone to allergies.
Pain after the healing phase and during shedding
During shedding, when the hair follicles enter the resting phase after transplantation and shed the transplanted hair, itching of the scalp may occur.
Scratching can cause skin irritation or infection, which can also be painful. Simply rinsing off any hair that falls out with lukewarm water can avoid this. Cream or ointment can further reduce skin irritations.
A pain-free hair solution to hair loss
If you follow instructions carefully, the entire procedure, from the anesthetic to the new head of hair, is completely painless. Almost none of our patients feel any pain.
Pain can occur in rare cases, even in these situations it is very rarely serious, and is a short-term symptom.
If you feel uncomfortable or unsure, please feel free to contact us at any time. If you have any known allergies or intolerances to the painkiller or to any of the ingredients in the recommended care products, please let us know. We will be happy to recommend a hypoallergenic alternative.
FAQ
No, modern techniques like Comfort In ensure a comfortable experience, minimizing discomfort during the procedure and enhancing patient satisfaction. With advanced technology, pain during hair transplants is largely avoided.
Pain may arise from anesthesia injections and surgical processes, although techniques strive to reduce discomfort significantly through innovations like Comfort In, which ensures a pain-free experience.
Some individuals may experience mild discomfort post-surgery, typically manageable with mild pain relievers to facilitate a smoother recovery process and ensure patient comfort.
Yes, discomfort from scratching or infection may emerge, emphasizing the importance of adhering to proper post-operative care and hygiene practices to alleviate any discomfort effectively and promote optimal healing.
Itching during the shedding phase is common, yet controllable. Following post-operative care instructions diligently and utilizing soothing creams can effectively manage any discomfort experienced during this phase, ensuring a more comfortable recovery journey for the patient.
