Is Hair Transplant Surgery Painful?

Any medical professional who says hair transplant surgery is “pain-free,” should be approached with a healthy level of skepticism.  Hair transplant surgery is… well… surgery, meaning incisions will be made into the scalp’s dermis, which will cause pain.

Relax and take a breath.  Modern surgical anesthesiology techniques have come a long way since the days of ether and chloroform.  What you should focus on is how your hair transplant surgeon will manage pain during the procedure and what you will do post-operatively when you will be very much engaged in monitoring and supporting your scalp’s healing process.  At Armani Medical nearly all procedures are “Virtually Pain Free” meaning that any discomfort you may experience is short lived and very tolerable. Dallas hair transplant and restoration expert, Dr. Abraham Armani knows how to make the procedure as comfortable as possible.

When you sit down for your consultation with Dr. Abraham Armani MD, he will speak with you about what steps he will take to minimize and possibly eliminate your discomfort during the procedure and together you will devise a pain management plan for after surgery.  You know yourself best.  Be prepared to candidly explain how you perceive and experience pain.

About Pain

The truth about pain, even when limited to just the surgical context, is a complex and varied biochemical and neurological reaction to discomfort.  Pain is a very unique experience, and no two people’s perceptions of pain are alike.

Pain tolerance is just how much pain a person can bear, while the pain threshold refers to the point at which a person begins to feel pain.  Research has shown that pain tolerance and thresholds both vary by sex, age, race and genes, and are further modified by social conditioning, such as cultural norms.

Any pain experienced during or after hair transplant surgery, no matter the procedure type, should only be acute, meaning that it will be a temporary and tolerable sensation.  This is distinct from chronic pain, which you will often hear referred to in advertisements for pain medication intended to relieve long-term back or joint discomfort.

Pain management during the procedure

How we manage pain depends on the person’s pain threshold and tolerance as well as the type of hair transplant procedure, and whether the patient intends to drive directly after the procedure. Prior to the start of the procedure, most patients are given a small dose of Valium to ensure comfort and relaxation during the procedure.

Once you are seated in the chair, we will use a very high quality syringe, what is known as a 32-guage (Insulin needle not much thicker than a human hair), to inject the donor area with a solution containing local anesthetic.  You will feel a slight pinch during this first injection. Most other clinics use a much larger bore needle causing significant discomfort in favor of expediency and time saving for the surgeon and his staff.

After the injections, your scalp will become numb in 2 to 4 minutes, and will remain that way for around 4 hours.  Depending on the length of the procedure and your pain threshold, second or third painless injections can be administered.

At Armani Medical, we only perform one procedure per day (regardless of how small a case might be) so that we don’t ever have to worry about time. In fact, there are no clocks in our procedure room to ensure we never need to worry about how long a procedure takes. This ensures that our soul focus is on the quality of the procedure and the patient’s comfort.

The only known solution to erectile dysfunction is diet and exercise. There are various forms of medication
Although men who need this medication and erectile dysfunction counselling may have one or all of the following conditions, there are also individuals who don’t need it.

Pain management after the procedure

Following surgery, many patients need nothing more than 2-3 pain relievers on the first evening after the procedure. Most patients are so comfortable the first day after their procedures that they need no pain medication at all.  Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamins, or arthritis medication for at least three days after the surgical procedure.  These medications thin the blood and can cause excessive bleeding, thus prolonging the healing process.

Meet with Dr. Armani for a thorough and confidential consultation, when your goals and all of your concerns will be discussed.  Dr. Armani is a nationally recognized and award winning hair transplant surgeon and hair restoration specialist.  Contact his Dallas office today and make an appointment by calling (972) 2- ARMANI.