Hair Transplant
A hair transplant moves healthy hair follicles from a donor area — usually the back of the scalp — to areas of thinning or baldness, most often from male- or female-pattern hair loss. The two main techniques are FUE and FUT. Because transplanted hair regrows gradually over many months and more than one session is sometimes needed, results are natural but take patience and vary between people.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
A hair transplant redistributes your own hair rather than adding new hair. Follicles are taken from a 'donor' area where hair is genetically resistant to balding — typically the back and sides of the scalp — and placed into thinning or bald areas, most commonly to rebuild a receding hairline or fill the crown in pattern hair loss. It can also restore eyebrows or camouflage a scar. The transplanted follicles are living tissue, so the results look and grow like natural hair once established.
There are two main methods. In FUE (follicular unit extraction) individual follicular units are removed one by one, leaving tiny dot scars and no linear scar. In FUT (follicular unit transplantation, or the 'strip' method) a thin strip of scalp is removed and divided into grafts, leaving a single fine line hidden in the hair; it can yield many grafts in one session. The right choice, and how many grafts are realistic, depend on your donor supply, the area to be covered and your goals. A transplant does not stop ongoing hair loss elsewhere, so medication is sometimes advised alongside it, and further thinning may make a second session necessary later.
For international patients, a coordinator arranges the assessment and a transparent, itemized cost estimate before travel, and our surgeons can review clear photographs of your scalp remotely to give an initial view of suitability and graft numbers. A final plan needs the scalp and donor area to be examined in person, and because regrowth is gradual, your after-care and follow-up can continue at home.
Who is a candidate?
- Adults with male- or female-pattern hair loss and a stable, sufficient donor area
- People with a receding hairline, thinning crown, or areas of baldness they want restored
- Those wanting to restore eyebrows or camouflage a scar with hair
- People in good general health with realistic expectations about gradual, individual regrowth
- Those who understand ongoing hair loss may continue and a second session could be needed
What happens
- 1
Consultation & assessment
The surgeon examines your scalp and donor area, discusses the pattern and cause of your hair loss, and agrees a realistic plan — including the technique, the areas to treat and how many grafts are achievable.
- 2
Planning & preparation
The hairline and treatment areas are designed with you, and you receive guidance on medicines to avoid and how to prepare. The donor area is trimmed and prepared on the day.
- 3
The procedure
Under local anesthesia, follicles are harvested by FUE (individually) or FUT (as a strip that is divided into grafts), and then placed carefully into the recipient area to follow your natural growth direction. It usually takes most of a day.
- 4
Recovery & follow-up
You go home the same day with after-care instructions. Small scabs clear within one to two weeks, transplanted hairs typically shed first, then regrow, with visible improvement over six to twelve months. Follow-up can continue at home.
Benefits
- Uses your own hair, so results look and grow naturally once established
- Can rebuild a receding hairline or fill a thinning crown
- FUE leaves only tiny dot scars with no linear scar; FUT can yield many grafts in one session
- A day-case procedure under local anesthesia, with a quick return to routine
- A permanent redistribution of donor hair, which is resistant to further pattern loss
Risks & considerations
- Scarring — tiny dots with FUE, or a fine linear scar with FUT
- Uneven density, or a result that does not meet expectations and may need a further session
- Temporary shedding of transplanted hairs before regrowth, and slow, gradual results
- Temporary swelling, numbness, folliculitis, or, uncommonly, infection or poor graft survival
- Ongoing natural hair loss can continue around the transplanted area over time
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This procedure is performed by our Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Department.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Hair Transplant — frequently asked questions
FUE removes follicles one by one, leaving tiny scattered dot scars and no linear scar, so very short haircuts are easier afterwards. FUT removes a thin strip of scalp that is divided into grafts, leaving a single fine line hidden in the hair, and can provide many grafts in one session. Your surgeon advises which suits your donor area and goals.
Results are gradual and require patience. The transplanted hairs usually shed within the first weeks, then new growth begins, with noticeable improvement over about six to twelve months as the hair thickens. The final density is individual, and cannot be guaranteed.
Sometimes, yes. A single session may not achieve the density you want over a large area, and because pattern hair loss can continue in untreated areas, a second procedure may be advisable later. Your surgeon discusses at the consultation whether one or more sessions is realistic for you.
Our surgeons can review clear photographs of your scalp and donor area remotely to give an initial view of your suitability and likely graft numbers. A final plan needs the scalp examined in person, so an in-person assessment is arranged as part of your visit.
We provide a transparent, itemized estimate after a consultation and do not quote fixed prices online because each plan is individual. Your coordinator confirms the details, including the number of grafts and any follow-up.
Related treatments
Considering hair transplant?
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