Hair transplantation is not an easy undertaking because it is also a type of surgery. The procedure calls for manual treatment using surgical instruments. There is no clear measurement of how much pain a person may experience. There are individual factors that determine the intensity of pain a person may feel.
Pain and Hair Transplant
Much of the feedback from hair transplantation patients point out the stage where pain is likely to be experienced. According to doctors and patients themselves, the most painful part of hair restoration surgery is having the anesthetic injected into the scalp.
One thing that contributes to the intensity of pain is when the patient is nervous. The doctor should make the patient feel comfortable first and be allowed to relax before the procedure begins. He may be allowed to read or watch something to make the patient’s mind drift a little from the procedure he’s about to receive.
Why Some People Choose Not To Do It
Pain has different aspects for many people. The pain tolerance threshold is the stage at which pain becomes unbearable for a person, but this varies for diverse individuals. Some people can put up with extreme pain; others cannot tolerate even a slight one. The component of our reaction to pain is complex. Likewise, a good percentage of pain comes from being edgy or nervous. If you are one of those who cannot tolerate the presence of pain in your body, it will not be advisable for you to consider hair transplantation. It is due to this low pain threshold that people will not choose this procedure.
Which Stage Can the Pain be Felt?
The patient needs to know the things that will take place during the hair transplant procedure. Initially, the surgery begins with the application of local anesthetic to your scalp. This is probably the most painful part of the procedure. A series of injections are made to the scalp’s donor area.
For this reason, the patient is given a mild sedative to relax them prior to the treatment. There are physicians that will apply a freeze spray so that when the scalp is injected with anesthesia, it will not hurt so much. Ask your doctor about this kind of medication if it bothers you.
Pain in the process
A slight pain will be present during the injection of anesthesia and also at the end the surgery. About half of the patients who have undergone this treatment have reported swelling on the forehead and in the upper face. However, this effect is perfectly normal. There are things you can do to remedy inflammation.
The swelling can be applied with an ice pack. There are some cases where swelling is very noticeable, so going to work will not be recommended. Pain is commonly reduced by inflammation in the vicinity of nerve endings, but applying a normal touch becomes painful in the area of swelling. During the days when the scalp and upper face swells, do not expose your self to direct heat as this will cause further inflammation. You can take anti-inflammatory medication if needed. This condition will not last long.
There will be numbness in the head after several weeks because the scalp is still under a healing period. The implanted tissues are reconnecting with the blood vessels in the scalp, thus the skin is less sensitive. This will be experienced for about four weeks after the surgery has taken place. After that, the numbing will start to wear off.
The Effects are Rewarding
For those who have high pain tolerance, you have nothing to fear. If you really want to engage in this procedure, the use of modern anesthetics will provide very little discomfort during the surgical procedure. A mild sedative is often given prior to the procedure and some patients actually fall asleep during the procedure.
A good doctor will always see to it that the patient is ready and relaxed before any procedure is done. Almost all patients said that the procedure was much less painful than they had expected.
Remember the old adage: “no pain, no gain”. You have to go through some discomfort to be able to achieve what you want. This procedure is not an exception.