Surgery For Men

Hair Transplant

at Cadogan Clinic, London’s Leading Cosmetic Surgery Specialists. 

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Award Winning Specialist Clinic

We've won 12 top industry awards since 2010 and regularly feature in the national and international press.

Industry Leading Consultants

We've invited only the very best consultants in the country to practice with us.

Care Quality Commission

Our Leadership has been rated Outstanding by the independent regulator of health and social care in England

GMC Registered Surgeons

All of our surgeons are registered with the General Medical Council.

Medically Reviewed December 2023, by Mr. Bryan Mayou (GMC: 1414396) - founder of the Cadogan Clinic and one of the world's leading plastic surgeons

What Is a Hair Transplant?

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure designed to restore thick, full hair for patients who are struggling with hair loss.

Hair loss can occur in men for a number of reasons, and although it is often associated with ageing, can occur at any age. Other causes are hormonal imbalance or genetics.

Hair loss affects over 50% of men over the age of 50, and a hair transplantation procedure is currently the only hair restoration solution which offers permanent results. 

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Hair Transplant At a glance

Surgery Time

Up to 5 hours

Time off work

3 days

Hospital Stay

Day Case

Shower

Wash hair after 1 week

Reasonable Mobility

Immediately

Exercise

4 weeks

Sleeping on back

1 week

Full Recovery

4 weeks

Driving

Immediately


Before and After

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Why do people have a Hair Transplant?

Hair transplants are the most effective and permanent solution for tackling early onset male pattern baldness.

Male pattern baldness affects around a third of Caucasian men under 30 years old, increasing to around 80 per cent of men over 70. It is less common in Black men and occurs more slowly in Asian men.

Although cheaper and non-surgical alternatives are available, including prescription medications which can encourage blood flow to the failing hair follicles slowing the loss of hair, none are as effective as transplant surgery, nor do they offer a permanent solution. This is why hair transplant before and after cases can be so compelling and transformative.

More than 100,000 Hair Transplant procedures are carried out in Europe every year, making this a highly popular male surgery.

Who is suitable?

Words from our clients:


The cost of a Hair Transplant

To get more information on pricing for Hair Transplant, please contact our dedicated Surgical Patient Advisors on 0207 901 8500 or complete the online form opposite.

We offer a range of payment options, including finance packages starting at 0% interest.

Cadogan Clinic has collaborated with Chrysalis Finance to offer a variety of payment choices for our patients including:
12 months 0% Interest-free - APR
24 - 60 months at 12.9% APR
Flexible Finance

Get in touch now to get a price

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Included in this treatment

Up to two 60 minute consultations with a leading specialist plastic surgeon at our award-winning premises in Chelsea

Your procedure carried out at London’s leading specialist cosmetic surgery centre of excellence

24/7 on call nurse assistance

Dedicated Patient Co-ordinator, as a personal point of contact through your journey with Cadogan

A pre-operative medical assessment to ensure you are fit for surgery

Comprehensive post-operative aftercare courtesy of our specialist cosmetic nurses

What is involved in a Hair Transplant

At Cadogan Clinic our consultant plastic surgeons are experts in Hair Transplant procedures.

The procedure involves redistributing your existing hair from thicker parts of the scalp to the thinning areas.

The Hair Transplant procedure is minimally invasive, leaving no linear scars and results in natural looking and densely packed hair.  Hair Transplant is usually carried out under local anaesthetic, meaning you will be awake during the procedure although you will not have any sensation in the surgical area, and you won’t feel any pain or discomfort.

The transplanted hair tends to behave in a similar way to the hair in the area it was originally taken from, as the hair in the donor area is genetically different to the balding hair. You will therefore find that it will not fall out in the same pattern as any previous balding.

When carried out by an expert, the procedure will last a lifetime for most people – or at least well into old age. Occasionally, as you get older, you may experience some natural hair thinning in the donor areas, generally at the back and sides of the scalp. If this does happen then you may expect the transplanted hair to also follow the same pattern.

Straight after the procedure, it is normal for the transplanted hair to fall out within two or three weeks, but you will start to notice new permanent growth within a few months. Then, you can enjoy your hair transplant results.

What are the differences between FUT and FUE techniques?

During your consultation, your surgeon will likely mention the two different techniques that can be used as part of a Hair Transplant procedure - Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT).

FUE is the most commonly employed technique and involves your surgeon removing individual hairs from donor areas and transplanting them in the thinning areas using a specialist surgical needle. This results in less scarring and usually a more natural appearance to the final result.

FUT involves the harvesting of a whole strip of hair from the back of the head and transplanting it to the thinning areas. This is more commonly used for patients who have a larger thinning area.


Surgeons

We have invited a selection of the country's very best consultants to join us at the Cadogan Clinic so that you can be sure that whatever the nature of your treatment, you will be seeing one of the top practitioners in the country.


Hair Transplant Procedure

How will your surgeon ask you to prepare for your Hair Transplant and what can you expect while having surgery at Cadogan Clinic?

You will discuss your concerns initially with your dedicated surgical patient advisor, usually over the phone, they will then organise up to two consultations with your surgeon at our award-winning Chelsea based clinic. During your consultation, you will discuss your surgery and the results you are looking for. Surgical consultations are usually between 30-60 minutes and your surgeon will explain what you can expect from Hair Transplant surgery, and whether a FUE or FUT procedure will be more effective, based on your concerns.

Ahead of your consultation, we recommend writing down any questions you have about your procedure, the preparation and the recovery process. This allows you to get the most from your consultation and feel confident that you have as much information as possible. 

Your surgeon will also assess your general health and wellness to make sure you are fit and well for surgery as well as taking any measurements of your scalp they require and taking photos.

Your surgeon will then send your surgical plan through to your patient advisor. If the surgeon has advised that you are suitable for a Hair Transplant, your advisor will contact you to explain the procedure and the pricing before discussing potential surgery dates. You will then have a mandatory two week cooling off period to allow you to consider whether you would like to proceed with the surgery. During this consideration period, we strongly advise our patients to discount any options abroad or package deals. A London hair transplant clinic follows countless necessary safety precautions that are not shared by surgeons abroad in, for example, Turkey. For UK patients, the safest option is and will always be a UK hair transplant.

 If you decide to go ahead with a Hair Transplant, your surgeon will ask you to prepare in the following way, in the weeks running up to your surgery.

  • When your surgery is booked, you will be sent a confirmation pack with all of the information you require about your Hair Transplant. Included with this pack will be two questionnaires, one medical and one psychological which you will need to complete. These will be reviewed by your surgeon and our specialist nursing team to confirm that you are ready to go ahead with your procedure.
  • If you smoke or vape, your surgeon will ask you to stop six weeks before surgery can take place. Smoking and vaping both seriously impact the healing process and not stopping may affect your desired results.
  • You will be asked to cut down on your alcohol intake. Excessive alcohol consumption can also impact the healing and recovery process. In the 48 hours before your procedure, it is important that you don’t drink any alcohol.
  • In the week before your procedure, do not take any anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or aspirin, and any herbal supplements as these can thin your blood and increase your risk of bleeding.

On the day of your Hair Transplant, you will be asked to arrive at the clinic 30 minutes before your procedure is scheduled to begin. This will allow you to speak with your surgeon, and the nurses to ask any questions, and to be prepared for surgery with any marking the surgeon may need to do.

Your surgeon will then carry out your Hair Transplant. After the procedure is finished, you will be assessed by our nurses to make sure you are comfortable. Your surgeon will prescribe any medication you may need, including painkillers to make sure you are comfortable during your recovery and a spray to encourage healing.

The first few days following surgery may be slightly uncomfortable and your surgeon will ask you to rest for a few days. Most patients are able to return to work within 3 days following a Hair Transplant.

One week after your procedure you will have an appointment with our nurses so they can make sure you are healing well and remove your bandages. They will explain what you can expect from your recovery from this stage and will tell you to be very careful in touching your grafts.

Six weeks after your Hair Transplant, you will meet with your surgeon so they can check your recovery and discuss your results. They will take photos and make sure you are satisfied with the procedure overall. After six weeks, if you have any questions or concerns, you will be able to contact our specialist nursing team.


Frequently Asked Questions

Your surgeon will discuss the type of hair transplant they recommend specifically for you, and why in your bespoke consultation. This will be based on your individual needs and the extent of the thinning of your hair, as well as how much donor hair is available.

Male hair loss is often caused by a hormonal imbalance resulting from a modified form of testosterone, called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) attacking the hair follicles on the scalp. The hairs produced by the affected follicles become progressively smaller in diameter, shorter in length and lighter in colour until they eventually shrink completely, and hair stops being produced. Usually, the follicles at the back and sides of a man’s head are able to fight against this attack meaning the hair in these areas is more likely to remain. This hormonal imbalance can be caused by genetics.

Hair loss can also be caused by taking certain medications, including those prescribed for cancer, arthritis, depression, heart problems, gout and hair high blood pressure. Stress can also cause hair loss, or certain hairstyles which put pressure on the scalp, such as tight braids or dreadlocks.

Follicular Unit Extraction means the back of the head is shaved and then individual hairs are removed one by one.

The patient lies face down while around 3000 hair follicles are plucked from the back of the head. The surgeon will drill down into the root before they are plucked out. This stage can take several hours.

Once the hair has been extracted, the surgeon makes tiny incisions so that the hair grafts can be placed into tiny cuts made into the scalp.

Patients are sometimes advised to wear headphones during the piercing as it can be uncomfortable. Although you will have lots of tiny scars, they will hardly be noticeable.

These type of hair transplants usually take a full day, but you will not need to stay at the Clinic overnight.

If you would like a large area to be treated, your surgeon may recommend two or more sessions a few months apart.

Follicular unit transplantation, or strip method, involves a thin strip of skin with hair being removed from the back of your head and divided into pieces, each containing between one and four individual hairs.

The grafts are then placed back into tiny cuts made into the scalp, and the site where the hairs were taken is closed with stitches.

You will have a scar on the back of your head, but it should not be noticeable unless you have very short hair.

The head does not need to be shaved – only the area where the skin is removed will need to be trimmed.

Your surgeon will give you plenty of advice about how to take care of your graft. You will be given a spray to help recovery and hair growth, and most people are usually able to return to work about three days after having an FUE hair transplant.

However, patients do need to be very careful to look after the newly transplanted hair, especially in the first two weeks following the procedure as the grafts will not yet be secure.

Your surgeon will probably advise restricted exercise for the first month to reduce the risk of permanent scarring.

After two to five days the bandages can usually be removed, but patients must be careful to avoid touching the grafts.

By Day Six you should be able to wash your hair, gently by hand, and after ten to fourteen days any remaining non-dissolvable stitches can be removed at the clinic.

A few weeks later you may find that the transplanted hair will fall out, and later start to grow back normally – new hair will generally begin to appear after six months.

After twelve to eighteen months the full results should be seen.

Following a hair transplant procedure it is common to have a tight, achy and swollen scalp for a few days, as well as some temporary scabbing where the new hair grafts have been transplanted. There may also be a single scar, or possibly a number of very tiny scars on the scalp.

Some patients experience difficulty sleeping as your head has to be kept straight because the hairs have to link up with your bloodstream, so as soon as the blood gets to the hairs they can glue in.

This takes three nights so you must be very careful, and many patients say this is the most difficult stage.

A hair transplant is a very common, and generally very safe procedure. But as with any type of surgical operation there is always a small risk of bleeding, infection or the possibility of an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic.

However, your surgeon will be able to treat any of these problems quickly and effectively.

There is also a small risk that the hair follicles are rejected by your body, but instances of this happening are extremely rare.

The other risk is that you may not like the results, which is why a thorough consultation process is vital to address any concerns you may have in advance.

There is also a very small risk that the transplant will not take, and the hair falls out, or a noticeable scar may form. These risks are rare and your surgeon can explain how likely such problems are to occur, and recommend effective methods to treat them.

It is possible that your hair might continue to thin around the transplant, but your surgeon will plan the design of the transplant with the intention of ensuring that the hair looks as natural as possible as time passes.

If anything does go wrong, you suffer any pain, or the results are not quite as you had expected, consult your surgeon immediately.

Minoxidil is an over-the-counter treatment, often sold under the name Regaine or Rogaine. It comes in the form of a foam or liquid which you massage into the scalp. Most people need to use this medication regularly for around four months to see any benefit.

Finasteride, usually sold under the brand name Propecia, is a prescription tablet taken once day. It works by preventing testosterone in your body from converting into DHT.

Scalp micropigmentation is a non-invasive hair treatment for people who have balding, thinning or receding hair. The doctor essentially gives the patient a medical tattoo that uses little dots to mimic the look of short hair.

But  if you want to slow down hair loss and reduce the likelihood of a hair transplant, it is important to understand the root cause of the problem. For example, if hair loss is the result of work-related stress then a change of job or career could potentially cause your hair to reappear.

The food that you eat and the shampoo you use will also affect the condition of the hair on your head. Hair need sufficient amounts of protein, iron, zinc and B12 to keep it healthy.

Look for shampoos which are engineered to remove any debris such as sebum, fatty acids and environmental residue that might be clogging up your hair follicles and affecting growth. Volumizing shampoos will temporarily give the appearance of a thicker head of hair.

The price of a hair transplant at the Cadogan Clinic varies depending on the amount of hair to be transplanted during the procedure.

As a rough guide we say that the procedure costs around £2.50 per transplanted hair. For someone with an average amount of hair loss, this procedure should cost somewhere between £6,000-8,000. 

The maximum price you should expect to pay will be around £9,000 for more comprehensive procedures, although for more extensive hair restoration you may need more than one procedure, albeit with a significant amount of time between them.  

Hair transplant costs include the costs of your surgeon, their team of technicians, the facility and all after care


The Risks of a Hair Transplant

Hair Transplant procedure is a very common, and very safe procedure. But as with any type of surgery there is always a small risk of bleeding, infection or the possibility of an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic. In some instances, you may develop a hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin) or a seroma (liquid building up under the skin). This will require further treatment from your surgeon.

Your surgeon will assess you for any potential risks during your consultation and will advise you on any specific preparation you need to follow to minimise your personal risk of complication.

There is also a small risk that the hair follicles are rejected by your body, but instances of this happening are extremely rare. We are a leading hair transplant clinic in London, and have achieved transformative results for countless patients.



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2019

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My Face My Body

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2018

Aesthetics Awards

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