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Is FUE Hair Transplant painful? Is it safe? Anesthesia?

  • 1 year ago
How much pain can a person expect with the FUE hair transplant? Will it be more painful than just plucking hairs out of their head? What does it feel like when they are transplanted? What kind of anesthesia is used (if any at all)? How safe is it?

Doctor Answers 3

September 4th, 2016

Fue Procedure

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This type of procedure has been around for about 60 years, but the techniques and methods have continued to improve as technology has advanced. These improvements have allowed for the procedure to become less painful and less invasive for patients. It is important to remember that it is a surgery, so there will be some minor discomfort afterwards. A local anesthetic will be given prior to the procedure and once the anesthetic starts to numb the skin, it should eliminate the patient from feeling anything throughout the procedure.Some patients have said that they felt a minor pulling or tugging feeling during the procedure, but the anesthetic makes it so you will not feel any severe pain. Most patients are usually very surprised at the ease of the procedure and appreciate that there is only minor pain associated with it.

Ilker Apaydin, MD


Turkey Plastic Surgeon
4.8 out of 5 stars 33 reviews

July 11th, 2015

FUE is surgery

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FUE is surgery.  It is not plucking hairs from your head.  Doctors drill or core our a part of your scalp.  Fortunately doctors will give you local anesthesia so it will not be painful.  Surgery itself is pain free.  It is a safe procedure.  

However, there was a death around 2006 from a hair transplant surgery when a technician did the surgery and the patient died from an overdose.  Make sure a doctor does your surgery.  This is an issue when doctors let their techs do the FUE. 

Learn more: http://baldingblog.com/?s=patient+died&x=0&y=0

Jae Pak, MD

Jae Pak, MD
Los Angeles Hair Restoration Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 106 reviews

November 7th, 2014

Pain after FUE Transplant

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Pain during a FUE transplant should be limited to the injection of local anesthesia.  We apply local after giving the patients sedation so most people don't even remember the injections.  

After FUE transplant pain or tightness are very unlikely.  We generally provide pain killers but most patients don't use them at all. 
Parsa Mohebi, MD

Parsa Mohebi, MD
Beverly Hills Hair Restoration Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 34 reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.