Pain and Discomfort Associated with Hair Restoration

I’ve received a number of questions related to the pain and discomfort a patient can expect to endure during the different stages of a hair transplantation procedure. Here are a few questions asked more recently:

“Is the actual hair restoration surgery painful?”

Was your head sensitive right after the hair transplant? If yes, how long was it sensitive for?”

Does your scalp feel any different now, several month after receiving the hair restoration surgery?”

“Aside from your head, did you experience any illness or other forms of discomfort after the hair transplantation?”

In an effort to effectively answer these questions, I will use what I call the Hair Restoration Surgery Pain and Discomfort Index (HRSPDI, for short). The HRSPDI is broken down into four different stages, which are rated on scale of 1-10 (1 being no discomfort at all, and 10 being an unbearable amount of discomfort). Keep in mind that Hair Restoration experiences vary among patients. Your experience might not be exactly like mine; it could be better or worse. There are a number of variables which might influence your personal experience with a hair restoration procedure.

During the Hair Restoration Procedure – HRSPDI Rating = 2 Basically, I did not feel any pain during the procedure. Granted, this was most likely because I was sedated the entire time. The reason I give this a rating of “2” is because a). After about 7 hours in the chair, I started to get a little stiff (although they always allowed me to get up and stretch, etc.); and b). There is a little discomfort around the suture/donor area. Every few hours the suture would start to get sore, and they would need to re-anaesthetize the length of the donor area. Not great, but overall really not too bad.

First Two Weeks After – HRSPDI Rating = 4.5

These first two weeks are when I experienced the most discomfort. I still did not feel any pain, particularly – although I did experience soreness along the suture line. When you get a hair transplant, you keep the suture in for the first 10 days after the procedure. This was a bit uncomfortable, especially at night when I was trying to sleep. After the suture came out, I felt much more comfortable.

There’s also a lot of itching during this stage – and you can’t touch the parts of your head where the restoration took place. In other words, Bosley tells you not to scratch, rub, or touch any of the new hair grafts for two weeks after the procedure. As you might guess, this is a “double whammy,” since it’s during this stage that there’s a nearly unbearable amount of itching. However, I was able to use a cold compress on my scalp to help curb the itching, which helped a great deal.

During this stage, in addition to not being able to touch any of the new grafts, you’re also not allowed to put your head directly underneath the spray of a shower head. This requires that you wash your hair with the “pouring method,” which I’ve described in earlier posts (see Day 3 After Bosley Hair Restoration, towards the bottom of the page). This isn’t great, either. It’s not painful at all, nor is it uncomfortable – it’s mainly just an inconvenience.

At the end of the first two week period, when I was able to comb my hair, scratch my scalp and shower normally, I experienced a sense of relief and pleasure that I hadn’t known in a long time. At least, not in relation to my hair!

One to Two Months After – HRSPDI Rating = 1.5

After that initial two week period, all I really experienced was continued itchiness. Of course, once you hit this stage you’re able to scratch the top of your head, which naturally makes it much easier.

Also, for probably the first month or so, my scalp had a continued sense of numbness and it felt a little “thick” – almost like it was covered with 1” rubber mat. Once I got into the second month, this feeling went away and my scalp went back to feeling normal.

Today, Nearly Five Months After My Bosley Hair Restoration - HRSPDI Rating = 1

Today, I have no discomfort whatsoever on my scalp or along the suture line.  I’m now simply enjoying watching my hair grow in!

During each of these phases, I experienced varying degrees of anxiety as a result of my impatience. Particularly during the first two weeks, I was frustrated by the inconveniences posed by not being able to touch my scalp. Now, in hindsight, it was a pretty easy ride. And of course, trading two weeks of relative discomfort for a lifetime of hair is an easy exchange to make.

And just to address the last question posed above, I did not experience any other side-effects, illness or other forms of discomfort due to my Bosley procedure.

I hope this is useful to anyone considering Hair Restoration.  Feel free to email me if you have more specific questions.

Comments

[Jon]

Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for all these entries. It is awesome that you are letting us all in to the process, and you do a great job of describing everything involved, so a huge thank you

[Bill]

Hi, I really am so close to going to Bosley in Philadelphia to meet with the doctor. I went years ago and was supposed to meet with the consultant and the doctor the same day. When I arrived only the consultant was there, even though I emphasized it and it was verified (the doctor being there)on the phone. I think if I would have meet with the Doctor that day I would have had the procedure done. I wanted to see someone who had the procedure and the consultant used every excuss in the book to deter me from that. Also he could not answer many of my questions and said the doctor could anwser them. I drove into the city(traffic was crazy and never bothered going back. Do you have any regrets? Did the procedure meet your expectations? Can the Doctor isolate an area or do they want to sparsley do your whole head? I am really hoping this works out as I am checking different Doctors in the Philly and South Jersey area for this. Thanks,
Bill