Your donor area is the region at the back and sides of your head that are used to "donate" hair to your recipient area in a hair transplant.
Your surgeon will make small incisions around each follicle and take them out one by one. These incisions heal quickly. On average, it takes 5-7 days for your donor area to heal after your FUE hair transplant as you will see in the pictures below:
The above picture shows a gentleman after he has had 2200 grafts extracted on the day of his surgery (D1), the day after his surgery (D2) and on day 7 following his surgery (D7). His donor area has healed fully and his remaining hair has grown to conceal the area that has been operated on.
In this guide, we will give you some examples of how our patient's donor area heals after hair transplant surgery and what you need to be aware of.
What Is The Donor Area?
The donor area is typically the area on the back and sides of the head where a hair transplant surgeon harvests follicles from. This involves taking hairs from one by one (FUE hair transplant surgery) or as a strip (FUT hair transplant surgery) from the donor area and relocating these hairs to an area of balding or thinning (recipient area).
The donor region is outlined in purple in the diagram below. It is an area of hair at the back and sides not affected by the balding process.
The hairs taken from a donor area are normally hairs resistant to the balding process. When they are relocated to an area of balding or thinning, they retain this resistance and grow normally.
Hair follicles extracted from the donor area
Donor Area Healing After A Hair Transplant
The healing process following a hair transplant starts immediately. The small incisions will initially scab over. On the day of your surgery you will be given a bandage for the back of your head. You can remove this the next day where you will find the back of your head has small scabs where follicles have been taken.
These scabs begin to fade away immediately after surgery when you wash the back of your head. Underneath the scab your body will begin to repair and cover the small incisions with small scar tissue. This scar tissue should be between 0.7mm-1mm in size spread out throughout your donor area. As each small dot is very small, once your hair grows to a length 1 or 2, they should be unnoticeable.
Waiting For Your Donor Area To Heal Before Going Back To Work
You can see in the picture above by 7 days following surgery the donor area has completely healed and you can return to work should you wish to do so.
Cutting Your Hair After Your Donor Area Has Healed
You can cut your hair as normal after you have passed day 14 following your hair transplant. Your donor area should have healed fully following surgery by this point, provided you have followed our FUE aftercare and recovery guidelines.
Redness In Your Donor Area After A Hair Transplant
After your hair transplant your donor area may look a little red. This is in keeping with the normal healing process and becomes unnoticeable once your hair grows to a certain length.
If this redness persists for more than 4 weeks then you should contact your Surgeon to have the area evaluated.
Can You Transplant From Another Donor Area For A Hair Transplant?
You can't transplant hair from another person or donor as the transplanted hair will be rejected by your immune system.
You can transplant hair from another area of your face or body like your beard, armpit, chest or limb into your scalp. This is particularly beneficial in patients who have a limited amount of hair in the traditional donor area located across the back and sides of the scalp.
Donor Area Scars After A Hair Transplant
After your donor area has recovered and healed following surgery, you'll be left with small "dot-like" scars spread across the back and sides of your scalp where hairs have been taken out. These are concealed when your hair grows. By keeping your hair a minimum length of 1-2 these scars should not be visible. Take a look at the video below which takes you through a some examples of our patients after surgery.
Are you looking to have a hair transplant?
To gain a better understanding of the amazing results our hair surgeons have provided over the years, visit our FUE hair transplant before and after page. Alternatively, if you're interested in understanding how much a hair transplant will cost, take a look at our hair transplant cost page for more information. Our hair graft calculator will also give you an indication as to how many grafts you will need.
Get in touch if you are looking to have a hair transplant and you are still wondering about when you can go back to work. Our Surgeons would be happy to go through your treatment options and explain when would be the best time for you to go back to work. Enquire today to find out more.
Authored by
Dr Roshan Vara
Full Medical Member of the British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS) Associate Member of International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS)
Reviewed by
Dr Dilan Fernando
Royal College of Surgeons
Full Medical Member of the British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS) Associate Member of International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS)
FUE HAIR TRANSPLANT REVIEWS
★★★★★
I had a brilliant hair transplant experience with Dr Fernando and the team at The Treatment Rooms, and I've been recommending them to my friends who are considering future hair procedures! From the early meetings, to the procedure itself, to the excellent aftercare, I felt looked after throughout thanks to their exceptional service. Dr Fernando took me through the entire process, explaining each step in detail which really put me at ease. I was amazed that they had thought of everything, and were on hand whenever I had a question to ask, even months after the procedure! It may seem an overwhelming process to start with, especially when searching online, but Dr Fernando and the team really made it such an easy and comfortable experience for me - friendly, professional, approachable, and they deliver great results, I couldn't be happier with mine!
SC
★★★★★
LOOK NO FURTHER for your hair restoration needs! The Treatment Rooms London are the BEST IN THE GAME. Dr Fernando and his team gave an EXEMPLARY level of patient care from start to finish. Dr Fernando took the time to meet me personally pre-op, answer all of my questions with clarity and MEDICAL GROUNDING. I was pleasantly surprised at how PAIN FREE the whole procedure was. I did not feel a thing! The only regret I have is not getting it done sooner! If you are considering a hair transplant or are unhappy with thinning, just give The Treatment Rooms a call. You will not regret it!
G V
★★★★★
I am really delighted with the results of my hair transplant and very highly recommend The Treatment Rooms! I have had a great experience throughout the whole process. I recently had my 12-month review post-surgery and was really pleased to find out The Treatment Rooms had won the award, Hair Restoration Clinic of the Year 2023, thoroughly deserved and many congratulations!
Dr Fernando, Dr Vara and the whole team provided a really excellent, warm and personable experience. The whole process from start to finish was well informed and supported. The outcome of my surgery was excellent and exactly what I was hoping for, a testament to Dr Fernando and Dr Vara.
J G
★★★★★
I found the whole experience of having a hair transplant at The Treatment Rooms to be comfortable and straightforward. Communication was excellent, everything was explained clearly (from the first consultation through to the post-op review), and the day of the operation was meticulously organised with great attention to detail. I felt in very good hands and would not hesitate to recommend The Treatment Rooms wholeheartedly.
SCL
★★★★★
I went in for my 12 month review today (couple months overdue) and I couldn't be happier with the results it exceeded all my expectations. I can't thank Dr Fernando, Dr Vara and the entire team of the treatment rooms enough for there professionalism and caring nature. I've looked at many clinics over a good few years and none made me feel more welcome and cared for than the treatment rooms.
DG
★★★★★
I felt compelled to leave a review after just 4 months. After many years of research, deliberation, chats with turkish clinics, UK clinics, Iranian clinics it was The Treatment Rooms london that won me over. I had been using disguise sprays and fibres for years to the point it was ruining my life (couldn’t swim) get caught in rain etc and i really couldn’t see a way out. After research i couldn’t see how this would work. 4 months in and i’m beyond ecstatic, my hair is thick, covering and i’m so so excited. Even after 4 months i would be happy as it is they are that good. My whole frontal area was thin and now after 4 months it’s thick (see images). if i can help anyone make the right decision then i’m happy with that. Trust me, i don’t do things by halves and always look for quality. To say the work is natural
is an understatement. Dr Vara, thank you so so much for changing my life.
H
★★★★★
Great friendly and personable consultation with Dr Vara, with no pressure on taking surgery. On the day the team made me feel
super at ease and supportive with no real pain experienced at all. Results were fantastic and were better than could have been expected. Highly recommend the Treatment Rooms as a place for your hair transplant in the UK. This has hugely helped my confidence overall which I am very grateful for!
SE
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