A hair transplant procedure typically demands a lot of questions that needs to be addressed beforehand. Among the issues being constantly talked about is the amount of pain that will be experienced during the procedure.

Is it painful?

Each person has a pain tolerance different from the next person. This simply means that there are people who can handle pain better than others. Yes there is pain especially during the induction of anesthesia and most patients compare it to having an appointment with the dentist.
Where does the pain come from?

The process of transplanting hair begins with an injection of anesthesia to multiple sites. The donor area is injected first before the transplant area. When ask to rate the pain according to a pain scale of 0 to 10, with 10 as excruciating pain and 0 no pain at all, patients give the injections a score of 1-3. The minimal pain is very similar to having immunization shots. The pain lessens as the sites become numb caused by the first round of injections.

Once the whole area has been desensitized and tested by the doctor, he proceeds to remove the strip of hairs from the donor site and starts to inject another batch of anesthesia to the recipient area before the incision.

Both the effect of the anesthesia and the individual techniques of the surgeons will determine the level of pain and comfort throughout the procedure.

Is there pain after the surgery?

The most trying time of the whole hair transplant experience is the post- operative time wherein the anesthetic agents start to wear off. This commonly happens the night after the surgery and the day after that. A throbbing pain may be felt at the injection and the incision sites in both the donor and the recipient areas. This is a normal and an expected outcome so there is nothing much to worry about.

The surgeon also knows that this will happen so expect to be prescribed with pain medications to help control the pain. The strength of the pain killers will of course depend on your threshold for pain and should be taken according to the prescription of the doctor.

Should one be discouraged because of pain?

No, the pain felt during the surgery is very much worth it for the goals of the procedure. It is only a minimal phenomenon that should not be a cause of discouragement for those who really needs the transplant. If pain is such an issue, the surgeons will make sure to do everything that they can to address it in order for you to be at ease and at your most comfortable state during the operation. They will not promise you that there will be no pain during the injection and incision but instead reassure you that there are things that can be done to alleviate the pain and help you go through with the whole process.

Having a hair transplant may have some pain associated with it but it surely outweighs the benefit of regaining your self-confidence and positive self-outlook.

Author Bio: Michael Pavlos is the Patient Adviser to Dr Andrew Kim of Advance Beauty Cosmetic Surgery Clinic based in Sydney, Australia. Call 02 9280 3632 for a free consultation on Double Eyelid Surgery, Hair transplant, Asian Nose Jobs and Liposuction etc.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: hair surgery,hair transplants,restoration,hair loss