Can you get a hair transplant without shaving your head?

By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2020-02-05

A hair transplant without shaving your head can sound like a dream for many patients who want to get this operation after consulting the cost of a hair transplant in Turkey, but who are afraid of the aesthetic consequences of this kind of intervention.

In fact, a hair transplant without shaving hair using the famous FUE technique is not something common, and the use of alternative methods such as the FUT technique -which may not require shaving- actually are not advisable because of its multiple complications compared with the FUE method, and taking into account that the so-called "strip method" will leave you a "beautiful" scar for all your life.

So, do you have to shave your head in hair transplant... always? Is grafting possible without shaving? And how should it be performed? What are the advantages and disadvantages of not shaving your scalp before the operation? In the following lines we are going to give a proper answer to all these and many other questions.

How can a hair transplant be performed without shaving the head?

Many men don´t like the idea of shaving their heads before a hair transplant. So, can you have a hair transplant without shaving your head? Well, the answer will depend on each patient. By principle, you don´t need to shave all your hair before your surgery if only a small area is going to be treated; e.g., is not the same an intervention where 4,000 follicles will be implanted, than another one with only 1,000 follicles just to cover some bald spots or the forehead.

Many surgeons actually prefer to shave all the head because they get a better visibility of the follicles and because it´s more comfortable to select the grafts; but the truth is a transplant without shaving is technically possible and eliminates many of the aesthetic inconveniences of the surgery. However, at the same time a FUE hair transplant using a no shave technique makes intervention longer and more complicated, and of course more expensive.

To perform a hair transplant without shaving, the surgeon must choose an ideal donor area where a small area will be shaved; if the patient has long hair the intervention becomes much more easier, because then shaving will be carried out alternating strips with and without hair, so that the first ones may cover the second ones located below in a natural way. This kind of intervention is possible when patient has hair about 6-7 centimetres long.

The surgery then continues extracting one by one the follicles from the donor area and implanting them in the recipient area, like in a normal intervention with FUE method; besides, in some cases a hair transplant without shaving recipient area is also possible, but this makes the operation pretty much difficult. In fact, although a hair transplant without shaving the entire head sounds good, it has several limitations and disadvantages... Let´s talk about them.

What are the drawbacks of a FUE hair transplant without shaving the head?          

As we mentioned before, most surgeons prefer to shave completely the head when performing a hair transplant, because an intervention without shaving the scalp is generally more complicated, less hygienic and can have more side effects. That´s why although technically possible, if you ask them "Can I get a hair transplant without shaving my head" they will simply answer "No". 

Other disadvantages of an intervention without shaving the head are the following:

• It can only be carried out on patients with long hair or which baldness is not in an advanced stage
• The medical team will be able to extract less follicular units in a single session, so it will be necessary to undergo several surgeries to obtain similar results
• By limiting the donor area to a smaller one, there is a greater risk of complications due to excessive extraction
• Both washing and aftercare of hair and scalp are more complicated
• The cost of a FUE hair transplant without shaving is usually higher than a normal one

On the contrary, shaving completely your head for a hair transplant has many advantages, mainly these:

• Both extracting and implanting the follicles is simpler, faster and more precise
• The medical team obtains a greater and much clearer perspective of the donor and the recipient area, thus facilitating the intervention
• Cleaning the scalp during operation becomes much more easier
• The risk of the follicles becoming entangled or lost among the hair when being implanted in the recipient area is completely eliminated

So, do you have to shave your head for a hair transplant? In sum, we can say that a hair transplant without shaving is possible provided that the area to be operated is small and that the surgeon considers it feasible. At Clinicana we have plenty experience with all types of hair transplants, and our highly skilled medical team will offer you with the best advice. Just read the reviews about hair transplant in Turkey, and check out why we´re the best valued clinic!