How long does it take for the donor area hair to be "significant" to blend in with current hair & when can I get full hair cut?

This is a fantastic question and one of the most asked that I get from my patients. As with most things in life, there's not one simple one-size-fits-all answer as many variables are in effect. However, the short and simple answer is that it's totally dependent on the length of your hair prior to the procedure.Blending is dependent on many factors, however by far the most important is the length of the hair surround the donor site. The shorter the hair adjacent to the donor site, the faster the shaved donor site area with regrow to a similar length and blend well. Although hair regrowth speed also varies from patient to patient, most patients with short hair along the side/back will see adequate blending of the donor area in 2-3 weeks. I therefore recommend that my patients cut their hair as short as possible prior to the procedure in order to minimize the time for good blending - and the shorter the hair, the quicker this occurs. An option for those who have longer hair to begin with and don't want to make a drastic change all at once, I suggest they start sooner and transition to the shorter hair over several weeks so the change is more subtle. Best of luck!

It depends on how long your hair is prior to the procedure.  A nice trick is to wear your hair fairly short prior to the procedure so friends and family get used to seeing you this way.  Then, after the procedure, within a week, typically the donor site area will blend nicely with the rest of your scalp.  There are multiple tricks to help with camouflaging the donor and recipient site early on and most of our patients are back in circulation within 1-2 weeks with no one being the wiser.

I encourage patients to start cutting their hair shorter several weeks prior to a Neograft procedure so that others get used to seeing them with shorter hair. I also recommend cutting the hair shorter everywhere just prior to the procedure so that the difference between the donor site and the remainder of the hair is not so dramatic.
At 2 weeks after transplant, you should have enough regrowth of the donor area to ask your barber or hair stylist to blend this area into the surrounding hair.
All the best,

Blending of the donor area with the remaining hair depends on the rate at which your hair grows. For the general population, hair grows at a rate of approximately ½ inch per month. That will give you some indication as to how long it may take for your hair to grow to its desired length. You may have a haircut two weeks after having the NeoGraft procedure. Ask your stylist what he or she recommends to better blend the two areas. It may be beneficial to wear a shorter hairstyle for a short while. That way, you may cut your hair to one length and allow it to all grow out together at an even length.

Thank you for your question, Hairfollicle222. Your hair should reach a significant length after the growth period and you should wait until a hair cut at least two weeks after that point. Be sure that your hair is even before getting a haircut.Best wishes,

Generally speaking, it takes about 1-2 weeks for the hair from the donor area to grow back and begin to blend in with the rest of the hair.  With that said it is largely dependent upon the current length of your hair that had not been shaved in order to perform the hair transplant and how fast your hair grows.  I ask that my patients avoid hair cuts, combing of the hair or use of any hair products for at least two weeks following their NeoGraft hair transplant.  I recommend that patients get a very short haircut the week of their NeoGraft hair transplant procedure so that all of the hair can grow in together and camouflauge better.

Everyone grows hair at slightly different rates.  The best approach is to get a haircut that blends from donor to hair.  This is generally done at the day of the procedure.  However, it can be done after the procedure as long as one is careful not to disrupt grafts.

You can shave or trim or cut your hair immediately after surgery.  However, this is at the discretion and the comfort level of your doctor.  It is always good to ask these questions to your doctor so you can get immediate answers.

At this point you should be safe to get a full haircut.  You should check with your doctor before doing so.  The rate at which your hair grows will determine how quickly the donor area will catch-up to the surrounding area.

If you undergo a NeoGraft FUE hair transplantation procedure, the donor site (where grafts are taken) is shaved.   This donor site hair will grow back to a blended state in about 10-14 days.   Now its important to get the right haircut well before your hair transplantation procedure.  We generally recommend a very short and high faded cut on your sides/back of head before your procedure.  That way, when you go back to work in 10-14 days and your donor site has grown back - it easily blends in with your pre-procedure hair cut.  No one will ask "hey, what's with the new hair cut..."    Dr. BasuHouston, TX