Laurian AI Concierge

A hair transplant moves your own hair follicles from a donor area — usually the back and sides of the scalp — into areas that are thinning or receding. It's performed under local anaesthetic, and because the hair is your own it grows naturally and is styled and cut as normal.

A graft is a single follicular unit — the natural grouping in which hair grows, typically containing one to four hairs. So graft numbers and hair numbers are not the same thing; one graft often carries two or three hairs.

Both move your own follicular units; the difference is how they're harvested. FUE takes grafts individually and leaves tiny dot scars. FUT removes a thin strip which is dissected into grafts, leaving a fine linear scar but allowing a high graft count in one session. Which suits you depends on your donor area, graft requirement and hairstyle.

That depends on your hair-loss pattern, donor area, hair characteristics and what you want to achieve. Broadly: FUE and Unshaven FUE suit most hairline and targeted work, FUT can suit larger sessions, and PRP is a non-surgical option for thinning. A doctor can assess all of this properly and recommend the right approach for you.

Most people with stable hair loss and a healthy donor area can be considered, but suitability is an individual clinical judgement based on your pattern of loss, donor density, age, health and goals. That assessment is exactly what a consultation is for — I can't confirm suitability for you.

There's no single cut-off. Younger patients are assessed carefully because hair loss may still be progressing, and older patients are assessed on donor quality and general health rather than age alone. A doctor will advise on timing at consultation.

Graft numbers depend on the area being covered, your donor density and the density you're aiming for — it isn't something that can be estimated reliably without seeing your scalp. A doctor will give you a planned graft range after assessing you.

FUE — Follicular Unit Extraction — removes follicular units one at a time from the donor area using a fine punch, then implants them into the thinning areas. There's no linear scar, just tiny dot marks that are usually hard to see once hair grows.

Small crusts form in the recipient area and typically settle within about 7–10 days, with some early redness or mild swelling. You'll be given washing instructions, sleeping guidance and review appointments. Most people feel socially comfortable within a couple of weeks.

FUE leaves tiny dot scars in the donor area rather than a line. They're usually difficult to see once the hair grows, though very short clipper lengths can make them more noticeable, and healing varies between individuals.

Usually from the back and sides of the scalp, where follicles tend to be more resistant to pattern hair loss. In some cases beard or body hair may be discussed as a supplementary source — that's a clinical decision made at assessment.

Donor suitability is judged on density, hair calibre, scalp condition and how stable that hair is likely to be. It needs to be examined directly — often with magnification and photographs — during a consultation.

Many people return to desk-based work within a few days. Light activity is reintroduced gradually, while strenuous exercise, swimming, saunas and contact sport are usually left until your clinical team confirms it's appropriate — commonly a few weeks.

FUT — Follicular Unit Transplantation, or the strip method — removes a narrow strip of skin from the donor area, which is then dissected into individual follicular units under magnification and implanted. It can produce a high graft yield in a single session.

FUT leaves a fine linear scar across the back of the scalp. It's typically concealed by hair worn at a moderate length, but very short styles can reveal it. Healing and scar appearance vary between individuals.

Recipient-area crusting settles over roughly 7–10 days. The donor line needs care while it heals and sutures or staples are removed at the interval your doctor advises. Tightness or numbness near the donor area can occur and usually eases with time.

Advantages: a high number of grafts in one session, and no need to shave the whole donor region. Disadvantages: a linear scar, sutures to remove, and a slightly longer initial donor recovery than FUE. Your doctor will weigh these against your goals.

FUT may be considered where a larger graft number is needed, where donor characteristics favour strip harvesting, or where hair is worn long enough to conceal a linear scar. It's a clinical decision made at assessment.

Unshaven FUE is an FUE procedure performed without shaving the whole head. Depending on your plan the donor area may be trimmed in hidden sections, or the hair left fully long — so the treated areas stay concealed by your existing hair.

Not necessarily. Options range from fully unshaven, to a partially trimmed donor strip hidden under longer hair, to a shaved recipient area only. What's achievable depends on your hair length and how many grafts are needed — that's confirmed at consultation.

That's its main advantage — because your existing hair covers the treated areas, most patients find they can return to work and social life sooner without it being obvious. Some early redness or crusting may still be visible up close.

Yes — working through existing hair is slower and more technically demanding, so fewer grafts are usually possible per session. It tends to suit hairline refinement and targeted density rather than extensive restoration.

Recovery follows the same pattern as standard FUE, with crusting settling over roughly 7–10 days. Washing guidance is adapted for longer hair, and you'll be advised when you can style, brush and treat your hair normally again.

PRP — Platelet-Rich Plasma — uses a small sample of your own blood, spun to concentrate the platelet-rich portion, which is then injected into the scalp. It's a non-surgical, supportive treatment rather than a replacement for surgery.