My Hair UK Manchester Clinic

Managing Pain During and After a Hair Transplant at the My Hair UK Manchester Clinic

Located in central Manchester, My Hair UK offers FUE hair transplants in a medical setting supervised by GMC-registered doctors. Every patient is assessed by a clinician, not a salesperson, and the same medical team carries out both the planning and the procedure. This consistency ensures that risks are managed appropriately, and care standards are upheld.

Our Manchester clinic delivers only Follicular Unit Extraction, the gold standard for minimally invasive hair restoration. We do not use automated systems or strip harvesting methods, which carry higher rates of scarring and post-op discomfort. The entire process takes place in a CQC-registered setting, using sterile instruments and single-use consumables.

Patients are supported before, during, and after surgery through a secure digital platform where they can ask questions directly to the medical team. Surgical planning considers factors like scalp laxity, donor density, and future progression of hair loss—key to reducing the chance of overharvesting or poor density outcomes. Unlike some clinics offering high-volume, technician-led transplants, our approach is entirely doctor-led. This reduces complications and allows for tailored management of healing, discomfort, and inflammation.

Falling Hair Transplant Prices in the UK

In the past, UK hair transplant prices were high due to limited supply, expensive facilities, and reliance on surgical assistants. Today, prices have become more reasonable. My Hair UK Manchester offers a fixed price structure charging per graft, making procedures more accessible. A transplant of up to 2,000 grafts is available for £3,699, while 3,000 grafts costs £4,499—roughly 30–40% less than many London clinics charged a decade ago.

These price reductions reflect a shift in clinical models. Clinics specialising in FUE have reduced procedure times without compromising quality. Greater efficiency, better surgical tools, and a rise in specialist clinics across the UK have all contributed. Patients no longer need to fly to Turkey for affordable treatment—especially considering the risks of follow-up complications abroad.

In the UK, hair transplant clinics are monitored by regulatory bodies like the General Medical Council (GMC) and Care Quality Commission (CQC). This protects patients and ensures minimum standards for consent, hygiene, and aftercare. These safeguards are often missing overseas, where continuity of care may not be available after surgery. A British-based medical team can manage side effects, infections, or graft failure more reliably, and more safely.

Pain Management During and After Surgery

Hair transplants are performed under local anaesthetic. At My Hair UK Manchester, we use buffered lidocaine with adrenaline to reduce the initial sting and prolong anaesthesia. The anaesthetic is injected in small volumes with a fine needle. Once numb, patients feel no pain during either extraction or implantation.

Most report only mild discomfort during the initial injections, which lasts under five minutes. Once the anaesthetic takes effect, the remainder of the procedure is painless. Additional doses are given throughout the day to maintain full numbness. Because we avoid sedation, patients remain fully alert and able to communicate throughout.

After the procedure, mild soreness or tightness in the donor area is common. We recommend over-the-counter analgesia such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Cold compresses may also help. Most discomfort resolves within 72 hours. We do not routinely prescribe stronger medications, as pain levels are low and opioid use is unnecessary in almost all cases.

A 2022 study in Dermatologic Surgery found that patients undergoing FUE rated average pain levels below 3 on a 10-point scale, with 90% requiring only basic analgesia. Another 2021 review in Skin Appendage Disorders confirmed that FUE is well tolerated and has a low risk of chronic pain or nerve damage post-operatively.

At My Hair UK Manchester, we take pain seriously. We assess tolerance, adjust our anaesthetic plan where needed, and provide 24-hour post-op support. With proper technique and medical supervision, discomfort can be reduced to a minimum—allowing patients to focus on recovery, not pain.