FAQs

Transplanted hair behaves in a similar way to the hair from where it was taken. The hair in the donor area is genetically different to the balding hair, and therefore will not fall out in a similar pattern to previous balding. If the procedure is done correctly, it will last a lifetime for most people or at least well into old age. We simply re-distribute existing donor hair to your thinning areas. Sometimes as you get older, one may experience hair thinning throughout the donor area (the back and sides). If this happens, then the transplanted hair will follow the same pattern.

Yes. Carefully and skilfully performed FUE and strip FUT, should look very natural (see our before and after patient photos). It is almost impossible for a lay person or even a hairdresser to detect. (See our video examples).

No. We will do that for you if necessary. Once we have made our pre-op assessment on the day, the donor area will need to be shaved for FUE surgery and for surgery with ARTAS to allow the ARTAS robotic system to accurately visualise, track and harvest each grouping of hairs.

Very rarely. You may have noticed photos online of patients elsewhere walking out with a bandage or swabs taped to their heads. We clean you up thoroughly and ensure all is well before you leave without the need for all that.

This mainly depends on whether you have sufficient hair to disguise the work you’ve had done. For some people, little or no time off work is required. However, if you do not have sufficient hair to cover, or if you are very concerned about anyone knowing, then it’s probably best to have your surgery just before a week’s holiday. You will be able to wear a hat immediately after surgery. The sun will not damage your grafts, but as your scalp will still be numb, you need to wear a hat to avoid the sun burning your scalp.

New hair growth will only break through the skin at three to four months after the procedure. However, it will take at least six to eight months for the new hair to make any significant cosmetic difference to your appearance. Although a full result may take as long as 18 months to be achieved, most will attain this at 12 to 14 months. Sometimes, a result may take longer to show when working with scars or filling in a previously transplanted area.

A single Hair Transplant Surgery usually takes from four to eight hours as determined by our team to achieve your hair restoration goals. You are seated during the process, and the surgeon and staff are there with you to maximise your comfort throughout the procedure.

Our hair transplants will generally restore 25-30% of the original density in the treated area of the scalp after one operation. To achieve reasonable density, most people will require one to two procedures per bald area. The state of the rest of your hair will also be considered in determining how much density is suitable. The aim is to achieve a natural balance and style.

Not literally. We are only redistributing your existing permanent hair to your thin or bald areas. We are not creating new hair, or implanting another person’s hair into your head. Having said that, in expert hands, the limited donor hair available can be used to create the illusion of a good head of hair, particularly when the person has significant hair loss. With extensive baldness, the most important achievement will be to restore frontal scalp hair and the hairline to create a frame around the face. This will improve how you look to yourself and to others. It’s important to remember that hair transplant surgery is about taking away the bald look rather than restoring the hair that you once had.

There is no upper age limit if a person is in good health. Lower age limit is very much dependent on the degree of hair loss. Generally speaking, it is unwise to consider hair transplant surgery if you’re under 25 years of age, at a very early stage of hair loss and have a family history of significant baldness. By undertaking surgery at these points you could end up having a patchy result as your hair continues to recede or fall out and run out of hair to chase the loss and keep a balanced look. You will very likely need to have further surgery to fill in any gaps but with uncertainty as to how much further hair loss will take place.

No. FUT & FUE is minor cosmetic surgery and one of the safest and most popular procedures performed today. Our clinic environment provides you with skilled and experienced surgical and nursing staff and hospital standard equipment. We will care for you before and after your procedure – if you have any worries, you can contact us at any time.

Yes. You will be able to style or dye your hair as normal once you’ve got your full re-growth. We also offer a referral service for hairdressers in your area for styling tips and advice to make your hair look thicker. We advise washing your hair and scalp soon after surgery (after 24-48 hours) in order to keep the scalp clean. Once the healing phase is over you can go back to playing sports after a week.

No. These treatments are mostly for maintaining and improving the quality of existing thinning hairs. They need regular applications. The analogy is similar to needing to brush your teeth everyday in order to avoid a repair procedure.

They vary according to the particular treatments, but they start from about £20 per month.

Hair transplant surgery requires surgical skills and expertise, as well as artistic ability and knowledge. Certainly the most common complication is in this latter aspect. • Making sure the hairline is positioned naturally, and to continue to look suitable as the patient ages, and most likely lose more hair • The hairs need to grow in a natural and expected direction, and angle from the scalp • The hairs grow in groups from the back of the head called follicular units. Larger groups give you more hair and density but may look unnatural at the front hairline. They need to be positioned further back at the top of the head. Small groups and single hairs on the other hand look more natural but not good for density. Therefore, they are more suitable for the hairline and just behind it. • Our general philosophy is that we would love for people to notice how good and young you look, but not for it to be obvious that you have had a hair transplant procedure! • The donor area at the back also needs to be harvested carefully and very wisely. Doing too much too soon can affect healing of course and may result in visible scarring, but can also deprive you of valuable resource material as your hair loss continues in the future.

It is very important to make a wise decision and choose the right doctor or clinic for you. There are also industry bodies that you can contact or speak to for advice and help in searching out reputable surgeons. We would always advise researching any surgery and taking time to make your decision. You should never feel pressured into a procedure. Excellent and ethical surgeons will help you make an educated decision, not push you into it. The following guidelines can also help: • Ask to see people who have had hair transplant surgery at the clinic in question. • When reviewing photos and videos of patient examples, pay attention to detail and photo lighting conditions. The before photo should not be too bright and the after should not be too dark. Additionally, only the very top doctors will show extreme close-ups of their artistic hairline work for close scrutiny. • Full-time specialist doctors in this field are more likely to have gained experience to develop their technique. Make sure your surgeon has dedicated the whole, or at least the majority, of his practice to hair loss and hair transplant surgery. We highly recommend you only consider clinics wholly-owned by the surgeons. This should ensure that medical advice and decisions are not influenced by sales or businessmen. • Make sure your hair surgeon is up-to-date on the latest technology. Ask your surgeon if he/she regularly attends international meetings and seminars as part of his/her continuing education. At www.ishrs.org, it lists the number of ISHRS meetings attended by each member doctor. Continuing Medical Education (CME) is a statement of the doctor’s commitment to the field and to the patient’s benefit by learning from peers. CME is also a compulsory requirement for all licensing boards and medical authorities. The ISHRS member listing makes a note of this and lists other qualifications as well. • Find out if the premises and the doctor are registered and, if so, their standing with the Care Quality Commission, England’s healthcare watchdog. It is illegal to operate, or give medical advice in the UK without proper registration with the Care Quality Commission. • Check your doctor’s registration status with the General Medical Council (GMC). It is illegal for a doctor to operate, or even offer consultations in the UK, without being licensed by the GMC. • Know what’s out there and visit, or talk to, a few clinics. Many places claim the best and latest treatments, but after browsing this website and other information you should be able to ask all the right and detailed questions. • Use the internet wisely. Although the internet is unregulated and contains a lot of hype, it can also serve as a valuable resource when reviewing independent websites. As well as our own website, put ‘Farjo’ in any search engine to find numerous references to our work, as well as press articles and recommendations by independent sites.