London Hair Transplant Clinic

What Happens on the Day of Your Hair Transplant at My Hair UK in London

As a doctor at My Hair UK, I’ve seen how much preparation goes into every transplant before the patient even walks through the door. Our team in London follows a strict medical protocol to ensure each procedure is delivered safely and consistently. Understanding what your surgery day will involve can help you prepare both physically and mentally for the experience.

Once you arrive, you’ll be welcomed by our surgical team and taken through a pre-procedure review. We’ll check your identity, confirm your consent forms, and go through your health questionnaire again. If you’re on any regular medication—especially blood thinners, antihypertensives, or antidepressants—this will be re-checked by the clinical lead. A few basic observations are taken too, including blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels. Provided all is in order, we proceed to final surgical planning.

We’ll draw your agreed hairline design with a sterile surgical marker and confirm graft numbers. You’ll have already discussed this in detail during your consultation, but today you’ll have a chance to ask last-minute questions. We encourage patients to speak up at this stage, even if it’s a small detail—they often feel more at ease once they do.

The procedure begins with trimming the donor area to around 1mm in length. This is necessary for visibility and precision during follicle extraction. We inject local anaesthetic into both the donor and recipient areas using small dental needles. While this part isn’t painless, it is short-lived and well tolerated. Most patients report only minor discomfort lasting a few minutes. We do not use general anaesthesia.

Hair follicles are extracted one at a time using a motorised punch device. The punch diameter is between 0.7 to 0.95 mm depending on your hair type, which allows for high precision and low transection rates. Extracted grafts are sorted by hair count and immersed in a cold, isotonic solution until ready for implantation. Cooling has been shown to significantly increase graft viability during storage by reducing cellular metabolism.

Once the grafts have been harvested, the next phase is incision and implantation. Your scalp will be marked with tiny entry points that match the natural angulation and direction of your original hair. At My Hair UK, we do not use robotic systems or implanter pens. All grafts are placed manually using fine-tipped forceps. This allows the surgeon to adjust for curl pattern, hair calibre, and skin texture in real time, which is especially important in patients with Afro-Caribbean or mixed-heritage hair.

The whole procedure can take between 6 to 8 hours depending on the number of grafts. For example, a 1000-graft procedure usually takes one session from morning to mid-afternoon. A larger case, such as 3000 grafts, may take the full day. The clinics hair transplant prices in London are the same as our other clinics nationwide: 1000 grafts is £2,899, while 3000 grafts costs £4,499. These prices include aftercare, follow-up, and all medications. There are no extra charges based on hair type or donor area complexity.

You’ll be able to sit up, drink fluids, and take regular breaks throughout. A lunch break is built into the day, and we provide food that is light and easy to digest. After surgery, we’ll clean your scalp, apply a sterile dressing to the donor area, and provide you with a full aftercare kit. We’ll also go through a detailed post-op guide and demonstrate how to use the saline spray and shampoo.

Most people are well enough to travel home independently, but you may wish to have someone accompany you. We advise avoiding alcohol, smoking, or strenuous activity for at least 72 hours. You should sleep with your head elevated and avoid touching the grafted area. Swelling may occur around the forehead on day 2 or 3—this is expected and usually self-limiting.

The healing process begins immediately. Crusting forms over the grafts within 24 hours and naturally sheds by day 10. Redness can persist for 2 to 3 weeks. Most grafts enter a resting (telogen) phase before regrowing from month 3 onward. Full results take 12 months to develop. Studies on FUE hair transplant outcomes consistently report high patient satisfaction and minimal long-term complications when procedures are performed under sterile, controlled conditions.

Patients often ask whether it’s necessary to have a GP check-up before surgery. While not mandatory, it is medically sensible—particularly if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or undiagnosed fatigue. A routine set of blood tests and a general physical examination can help flag issues early. In London, you might consider registering with local GPs such as The Bloomsbury Surgery (WC1E), The Ridgmount Practice (WC1E), or Brondesbury Medical Centre (NW6) for pre-op clearance.

Have you had any recent changes to your health since your last consultation? If you're unsure whether you're ready for surgery, we can arrange a further medical assessment before confirming your procedure.