Dermatologists employ one of two methods to implant extracted hair follicles into the areas of baldness & thinning.

1. Slit incisions with microblades. We use specialised blades 0.1 mm in thickness including sapphire glass to make very tiny incisions under local anesthesia. Each incision is followed by manual implantation of the follicular unit. Each follicular unit will contain between 1 to 3 terminal hairs (up to 4).
2. Specialised hair implanters are used in some cases. These measure 0.7 to 1.2 mm in diameter. This allows the dermatologist to implant at the same time as incision. Both slit incision & implanters yield the same results. The implantation process takes between 90 to 180 minutes to perform, depending on the extent of hair loss & amount of follicular units transferred.

This procedure has the fastest heal times as the donor site is well hidden. In fact viewing from behind, no one can tell you had anything done, even an hour after the procedure. The recovery is focussed on the recipient site & there is no way to hide this (unless you wear a cap).

The donor site holes (0.8 to 1.1 mm) heal up within 2-3 days. Recipient site will have redness & swelling for 2-5 days. Scabs will form & fall out within 8 to 12 days.

Transplanted hair will fall out within 2-3 weeks. This is absolutely normal. New hair will start to grow at the 3-month mark.

3 to 6 months with full growth at 9-12 months. PRP & microneedling can potentially accelerate hair growth. Dermatologists recommend concurrent medical management to prevent further hair loss in other sites.

1-2 depending on your desired outcome. Unshaven FUE is limited by the amount of donor follicles you have. Careful consideration should be given to younger patients or those whose hair loss have not stabilized.

For giga-session of FUE, 2 sessions are planned. For a conservative approach, a subsequent session may be required many years after the first session.

Yes. FUE hair transplantation is the most permanent way to address balding. We transfer hair follicles from areas of the scalp (& body) that are resistant to the effects of hair loss.

The caveat is that the balding process is still active in the context of the remaining hair follicles in the recipient sites. This is why it is essential to be on medial therapy to prevent further hair loss.

It takes a lot more time to perform this procedure. This adds significant costs. As hair follicles are not clearly visible your dermatologist will slow down the extraction process.

Follicular implantation is the same process across all forms of hair transplantation, including unshaven, shaved FUE & follicular unit transplantation.

PRP or platelet rich plasma injections after FUE hair transplants can give an accelerated result. It works by providing hair with nourishment & growth factors.

A series of 3 sessions every month is recommended. Thereafter one treatment every 3 to 4 months for the first-year post FUE.

Dermatologists prescribe two scientifically proven, high value drugs to slow down hair loss. This combination will slow down hair loss in over 90% of patients.

Minoxidil is a drug that increases the lifespan of the hair follicle, extending the growth or anagen phase. Typically, 5% minoxidil lotion or foam should be applied daily. Studies have shown that twice a day application is ideal. This drug can be taken orally in a 1 to 2.5 mg pill.

Finasteride is a drug that inhibits the enzyme that produces DHT (dihydrotesterone). DHT induces follicular miniaturization, leading to permanent hair loss. This drug can be prescribed orally, or as a lotion, often in combination with minoxidil.

In some cases, your dermatologist may elect to use another enzyme blocker called dutasteride. Most will pulse this medication once or twice a week. Other proven ways to treat balding include PRP & microneedling. More on these topics in other pages.

Hair transplantation without shaving adds significant time to the procedure & subsequently higher costs.

Many clinics often do not offer unshaven treatments, as this form of hair transplantation adds many more hours to the procedure. If you could imagine the process of snipping one hair at a time, then manually extracting the hair follicle without damaging the underlying tissue. Do this for 1500 to 2500 hair follicles, then implanting the follicle one at a time. 

Regardless, if all important factors are sufficiently taken into account, then an unshaven FUE transplant can be an excellent option and opportunity for certain patients – especially if it is essential professionally or even privately to be able to be socially discrete following the treatment.