Do I have to shave my head before a hair transplant?

You'll have more hair! So, in that sense, a hair transplant is noticeable. Otherwise, modern FUE hair transplants of the 2020s leave behind virtually no visible scarring. Think about how many celebrities and athletes have had hair transplants — many! Have you ever noticed a single one with visible scarring? Probably not — because modern techniques truly produce great results with more hair, with little to zero visible scarring.

Throughout their lives, even bald men can continuously grow hair within the "horseshoe" pattern around the back and sides of their head. Those hair follicles are stronger and more resilient than hair elsewhere on the head, and they grow throughout your life. A hair transplant is quite simple — we harvest some of the strong follicles from the back of the head, then relocate them to more desirable areas on the top of your head and along your hairline.

"Hair plugs" were an antiquated form of hair transplant surgery that existed in the 1980s and early 1990s, typically producing very poor results that were also highly noticeable. The surgeon would use a device similar to a hole punch, and "punch out" circular groups of hair from the donor region, then "plug in" those same circular hole punches into the recipient area. The repetitive, perfectly circular nature of the plugs looked awkward and unnatural. This type of surgery no longer exists today.

The best candidates for hair transplants are men who are generally healthy, have a robust supply of remaining donor hair, and a positive attitude about surgery. While there is no age requirement, it's typically better to be slightly further along in your hair loss pattern — men younger than 25 are not typically the best candidates.

Although the original FUT "strip" method continues to exist today, there is generally no good reason for a man to choose the strip method over the more modern FUE method. The risk of linear scarring using the strip method has caused it to fall out of favor, and the vast majority of hair transplants today use the more modern FUE method.

The ARTAS robot style of hair transplant uses computer technology and 3D mapping to analyze and dissect hairs from your donor region. Otherwise, the entire procedure is the same, as hairs are harvested from the back of your head and moved by your surgeon to the front.