Are There Any Side Effects?

This is one of the most common questions asked during the initial hair transplant consultation. The answer? A hair transplant is a form of surgery and therefore will come with some side effects. However, as soon as people hear the words “side effects”, they immediately think the absolute worst. The truth is that with the FUE (follicular unit extraction) method of hair transplantation, the side effects are actually very minimal and can be easily remedied.

Here are some of the side effects that can be expected:

Bleeding or oozing: This is the most common side effect for all patients. It is not unexpected to have some bleeding immediately after the procedure. We make sure to apply the proper bandaging to stop the bleeding. We also make sure that we send you home with some protective pads to put on your pillow so that you do not ruin them with the bleeding from the donor area. If you still notice any bleeding from anywhere after 48 hours, please notify us so that we can make the proper determination as to what the cause may be. It is not usual to still have bleeding after 48 hours. Some slight oozing may still occur. Smoking and drinking alcohol will both affect the level of bleeding.

Pain: Everybody is different. We all experience different levels of pain after the hair transplant surgery. We have had some patients tell us that they felt no pain after the first night and did not even need to use any pain killers. Then we have others tell us that they did experience some pain and needed to use the painkiller medication that Dr. Torgerson prescribed for them. A dull pain in the donor area is to be expected. The occasional sharp pain may also occur. A feeling of tightness in the scalp is also quite common. After 3 weeks, you should not have many moments of pain at all. If you do, it is important to notify us.

Infections: An infection is very rare, but it is definitely a possibility. It is important to be sure to keep the area clean and avoid any exposure that may lead to some form of infection. Swimming is not a good idea for the first 7 to 10 days because if the conditions are not ideal, it can lead to infection. It is also important to take your antibiotics until they are finished.

Scarring: If you choose to have an FUT, or “strip method”, procedure, you can expect to also have a linear scar of some size on the back of your head. The FUE method does not leave a linear scar. As long as FUE is done by an experienced hair transplant team, like our team here at the Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic, it will not leave any visible scarring whatsoever.