If you suffer from thinning hair or pattern baldness, a NeoGraft hair transplant may be the perfect procedure for you. While hair-transplant procedures are quite common, as with any medical procedure or treatment, there’s always the question of, “What will the recovery process be like?”

It’s important to remember that the recovery process will be slightly different each individual. Both the procedure and the general recovery process of NeoGraft are explained in detail below.

What Is NeoGraft?

NeoGraft is a minimally invasive advanced hair-transplant procedure that does not leave a visible mark on your scalp like traditional hair transplants do. Instead of using a scalpel, Dr. Bapna uses an automated hair-transplant system that harvests hair follicles in a quick and concise manner. The hair follicles are then re-implanted soon after they are extracted.

One of the major benefits of NeoGraft is that downtime for this procedure is minimal – the recovery process is relatively quick and should only take a few days to a week.

How Is This Procedure Performed?

A NeoGraft hair transplant is comprised of four steps:
1. Donor Hair Removal: Donor hair refers to hair found on the back of the scalp that is used for transplantation. This hair usually resists the genetically induced balding effects of testosterone.

2. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE): This is a critical step and requires an expert surgeon like Dr. Bapna to carefully extract the chosen hair follicles and avoid damaging them during the extraction.

3. Creation of Recipient Site: The most important step of NeoGraft involves the preparation of the skin patch where the hair follicles will be inserted. Dr. Bapna will demarcate the recipient site in accordance with a pre-defined plan for the transplanted hair follicles.

4. Placement of the Hair Graft: Finally, the hair follicles are embedded at the desired locations to complete the treatment.

Healing and Downtime

Since you will most likely be administered a local anesthetic before the procedure, there is no need to spend time in a recovery room or in a hospital overnight. Once the hair follicles are transplanted, the time it takes for them to settle into the scalp is between seven to ten days.

There is minimal bleeding during a NeoGraft hair transplant in comparison to other transplant methods, but typically, you will feel some minor discomfort, pain, and swelling for a few days after your procedure.

You may see some tiny scabs on the donor and recipient sites; however, these will usually flake off within three or four days. You may wish to cover your head for the first few days after your NeoGraft procedure as well.

Some people are able to return to work a couple days after their procedure; however, this depends on the amount of hair loss you have and the size of the area being treated, among other factors. If you are unsure about how long you may need to take off work or pause your daily activities, Dr. Bapna will help determine the right recovery timeline for you.

It is important to note that the grafted hair will stay in place for two to three weeks after your procedure and will then start to shed. This is completely normal and part of the new hair-growth process. After this, new hair growth will start anywhere from three to four months after your treatment, and your hair will continue to grow normally.

The results from NeoGraft are natural, and your hair should appear fuller and healthier after your procedure. It can take up to a year to see full results from NeoGraft, and you may need more procedures to maintain your results depending on the thickness of your hair.

Learn More About NeoGraft

If you are interested in learning more about NeoGraft, contact the office of Dr. Sumit Bapna for a consultation today. Dr. Bapna is a double-board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon who will answer all of your questions.