Hair Transplant: How Does It Work?

21 May, 2025 | Hair Transplant | Author : Shveta Virmani

Hair loss is a concern that is affecting millions globally, and it is also driving individuals to seek effective long-term solutions. Among the most popular procedures available, hair transplant is one of the most sought-after in modern practice. Therefore, using thorough knowledge of transplantation, it is possible that you can reverse the conditions of the hair receding or falling.

Understanding hair transplant, how does it worksis essential for anyone considering this treatment, as it helps understand the entire process.

In this blog, we are going to understand more about the common queries, such as pain levels and post-operative hair growth. Apart from that, we will also remove some misconceptions regarding the procedure and answer some common questions people have in their minds.

What is Hair Transplant?

Any hair transplant process begins with a minimally invasive surgery that helps isolate the new grafts from sites that have DHT-resistant follicles. Ultimately, the grafts are placed in the right conditions to make sure that they proliferate properly, and DHT-resistant zones for hair transplantation are mostly taken.

Therefore, it ultimately ensures that transplanted hair grows naturally and permanently in the new location. Clinics worldwide, particularly in countries like India, have redefined the technique for procedures like follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Additionally, in some cases, the Follicular Unit Extraction can also be used to deliver seamless, appropriate results for the people who are opting for such treatments.

In general, there might be a need for several surgical sessions to achieve a satisfactory fullness in terms of the hair transplant. However, please note that hair transplant results cannot be forced to show results within a short time. In most cases, the results can arrive by the end of the year or even two years in some cases.

The Step-By-Step Process of Hair Transplantation

Stage 1

To understand hair transplant, how does it works, you must understand the procedure in its core stages. The process is known to begin with a consultation, where surgeons understand the condition of the patient's scalp, and then they start with making the graft distribution. This is although in the initial stages of assessment and a lot of tests, including the patient's previous medical history.

Stage 2

After understanding the entire area where the transplant might be essential, and planning the scalp and graft distribution, advanced imaging tools may also be used to map the scalp and plan the graft distribution. On the day of surgery, local anaesthesia is also provided to make sure that the patient does not feel pain while the grafts are planted.

Stage 3

In the case of FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) techniques, the hair follicles are extracted using micro-punch tools with minimal scarring. Moreover, the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) helps in the extraction of many grafts in a single surgery or session. Once a surgeon harvests the grafts from a patient's donor areas, they are prepared under a microscope and their viability for the treatment is assessed.

Stage 4

The last phase of the procedure involves using recipient sites in the balding areas for the operation and insertion of the implants. Surgeons are known to use fine needles or blades to make sure that incisions are at specific angles and depths. Therefore, with such precision, you can understand that the stage is set up for natural hair growth in the sites. Operational procedures might take anywhere from 6 to 10 hours, but mostly it depends on the number of grafts required for a patient.

What are the conditions under which the hair transplant process can be reversed?

Many reasons can cause you to lose hair over time, and sometimes, the hair loss is permanent. So, in our journey to understand hair transplant, how does it works, it is essential to understand which conditions it can reverse, like:

Alopecia Areata is known to be an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles, causing hair loss
Androgenic Alopecia, which is also a genetic disease, causes pattern baldness
Problems of hair fall due to thyroid diseases and other hormonal imbalances
Traumatic injuries or burns have resulted in the loss of hair over time

Moreover, the usage of DHT-resistant and healthy grafts ensures that hair growth occurs naturally without any further complications.

Hair Transplant Process Timeline

The hair transplant schedule is a very important part of patient education since the result unfolds over time. Within the first week following surgery, individuals can experience redness, swelling, and scabbing in the areas treated.

Scabs typically desquamate in 10–14 days. By the second week, most individuals return to normal activity, but refrain from heavy exercise and exposure to direct sunlight.

Between weeks 2 and 4, the transplanted hair goes through a "shock loss" stage during which, temporarily, it falls out—a normal process of healing in the area. New hairs become visible around three months, while the initial improvement could be minimal.

Visible thickness develops by the sixth month, and maximum results are observed between 12 and 18 months. Patients also get to know the step-by-step procedure of hair transplant, how it works within such a time frame, which instils patience and the right expectations.

Is Hair Transplant Painful?

The procedure itself is performed under local anaesthesia to reduce pain while extracting grafts and planting them. Post-procedure pain is minimal and can be treated with medication given by a physician.

Some tightness or itchiness occurs in patients when the scalp heals, but this goes away within a few days. Techniques today give utmost consideration to patient comfort, with clinics now providing options for sedation for anxious patients.

Hair Regrowth After Hair Transplant

Hair growth after a hair transplant is a milestone procedure. The transplanted hairs will not fall out for the next 2-3 months. It is four months before new fine hair begins to grow, which thickens in the subsequent few months. Texture and density of the ultimate regrowth settle in after one year, becoming completely unrecognisable from the original hair.

Patients are taught an individualised aftercare regimen of frequent washing and gentle chemicals to allow maximum growth.

Factors Affecting Success

Most important among these is experience on the part of the surgeon, since good handling and positioning of grafts compensate for naturalness. Donor density and quality are also among the significant factors; such individuals have higher completion rates.

Lifestyle issues that may hinder graft take and healing are smoking and poor eating.

Technological Advances

Improvements have made hair transplants more accurate and have reduced recovery times. Robotic FUE systems utilise artificial intelligence to choose and extract the best grafts with fewer human errors.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is given conventionally after surgery for increased healing and activation of latent follicles. These advances not only improve results but also bring benefits to more patients, including curly or balding ones.

Long-Term Care and Maintenance

Although hair transplants cannot be reversed, long-term success requires maintaining general scalp health. Mild shampoos, reducing heat treatments, and shielding the scalp from UV damage are recommended.

Clinic follow-up allows progress and conditions, such as slow thinning of the non-transplanted areas, to be managed. Patients with a genetic underlying cause of baldness can be instructed on future treatment with finasteride or minoxidil.

Conclusion

The 'hair transplant, how does it work?' needs to be dealt with by an interweaving approach of art, science, and patient commitment. From exact grafting to exact planning for their positioning, every action is meant to replicate nature's plan.

With developments in technology and respect for self-care, today's hair transplants now offer an affordable option for regaining confidence and achieving naturally appearing outcomes. With the developments in the procedure still unfolding, patients can look forward to even more targeted methods and shorter recovery periods.

Notice that hair transplant surgery is one of the safest procedures for individuals who are suffering from baldness problems. So, select a proper clinic and go for a personalised and specialist treatment today!

Also Read: Which Hair Transplant Method Is Best In India?

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there any dietary restriction before hair transplant?

Patients are also asked to abstain from alcohol, caffeine, and blood thinners a week before surgery to minimise the risk of bleeding. But all the doctors also recommend that smoking and heavy drinking also retard the outcome achieved after a transplantation.

It is advisable to stop smoking heavily or drinking heavily after surgery for the next 6-7 months to have a rapid initial recovery process.

2. In what ways does scalp laxity affect the operation?

The doctors usually test the looseness of the scalp very well prior to the surgery. Prior to acting, the surgeons are also known to assess the quality and health of the grafts.

Poor laxity of the scalp makes FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) challenging and reduces the number of viable grafts. Excessive laxity of the scalp is best for donor area harvesting procedures.

3. Is body hair transplantable?

A portion of the body, like the beard or chest, may be used for transplantation if there is insufficient donor hair on the head. However, there may be some variation in texture, which will influence the look.

Before agreeing to fall in line with the surgery, please familiarise yourself with all the disadvantages and benefits of the process of transplantation and organise them based on your requirements.