> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Hair transplant

> Why a hair transplant is surgery, not something Hi-Doctor can prescribe, plus the complication rates from a 2025 scoping review.

A hair transplant is surgery, not a medicine. It is done in a clinic, usually under local anaesthetic and over several hours, so no doctor can prescribe it and it cannot be arranged through an online consultation — it needs an in-person assessment with a surgeon.

## What it is

A surgeon takes hair follicles from the back or sides of the head, where hair tends to be less affected by pattern hair loss, and places them one by one into the thinning areas, where they keep the characteristics of the area they came from. It also does not stop the underlying pattern hair loss, so hair in the untreated areas can keep thinning, and doctors often advise continuing medical treatment alongside it. Hi-Doctor does not perform or arrange hair transplants.

## What has been reported

A 2025 scoping review of 43 publications on modern hair transplantation (Liu et al., *Aesthetic Plastic Surgery* 2025) reported overall complication rates of 1.2% and 4.7% in two large case series.

| Complication                                                 | Reported rate                                                                                                                        | Source                               |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------ |
| Frontal swelling                                             | Up to 50%                                                                                                                            | 2025 scoping review                  |
| Crusting                                                     | Up to 54.8%                                                                                                                          | 2025 scoping review                  |
| Sterile folliculitis                                         | Up to 53.3%                                                                                                                          | 2025 scoping review                  |
| Hypertrophic scarring / keloid (after strip harvesting, FUT) | Up to 15.1%                                                                                                                          | 2025 scoping review                  |
| Persistent numbness                                          | Up to 11%; a 2026 review of follicular unit excision puts long-term sensory disturbance at around 2%                                 | 2025 scoping review; 2026 FUE review |
| Infection                                                    | Up to 11% across the 2025 review's publications, including rare severe infections; the 2026 FUE review reports an incidence under 1% | 2025 scoping review; 2026 FUE review |

<Accordion title="Sources">
  *Aesthetic Plastic Surgery* 2025 — a scoping review on complications in modern hair transplantation. *Frontiers in Medicine* 2026 — Complications in follicular unit excision hair transplantation: current evidence and practical approaches.
</Accordion>

## What can I take instead?

A licensed doctor decides case by case — we never prescribe without evaluation.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Oral finasteride" icon="pills">
    A 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor taken daily. A doctor may prescribe it after reviewing your history and ruling out contraindications. See [Propecia](/library/medicines/propecia).
  </Card>

  <Card title="Topical minoxidil" icon="spray-can">
    Solution or foam applied directly to the scalp. Can be combined with other actives in a compounded formulation. See [Topical minoxidil](/library/medicines/topical-minoxidil).
  </Card>

  <Card title="Oral minoxidil" icon="pills">
    Low-dose, off-label, used by some dermatologists. Requires close medical supervision for potential cardiovascular effects.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dutasteride 0.5mg" icon="pills">
    A more potent 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. Reserved for specific cases, always under medical evaluation.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

An individualised, pharmacy-compounded formulation combining finasteride, minoxidil, tretinoin or other actives is also something a doctor may prescribe after review.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why does Hi-Doctor not prescribe hair transplants?">
    A hair transplant is surgery, not a medicine. It is done in a clinic, usually under local anaesthetic and over several hours. No doctor can prescribe it and it cannot be arranged through an online consultation — it needs an in-person assessment with a surgeon.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does a hair transplant stop future hair loss?">
    No. It does not stop the underlying pattern hair loss, so hair in the untreated areas can keep thinning. Doctors often advise continuing medical treatment alongside it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What alternatives can a doctor at Hi-Doctor prescribe?">
    A licensed doctor may consider finasteride, topical minoxidil, oral minoxidil, dutasteride or a personalised compounded formulation. See [finasteride](/library/medicines/finasteride) and [topical minoxidil](/library/medicines/topical-minoxidil) for details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does a hair transplant have EU marketing authorisation?">
    Hair transplant has no EU marketing authorisation for this use. It is a surgical procedure, not a medicine, so it cannot be prescribed or dispensed in the EU for that purpose.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## How Hi-Doctor handles it

We don't arrange this procedure, but our doctors can review your case and propose an equivalent hair-growth treatment with EU authorisation. See [how it works](/essentials/how-it-works) for the consultation process and [pricing](/essentials/pricing) for the consultation fee — medication, if prescribed, is paid separately, at a pharmacy of your choice.

## Start a consultation

<Card title="Hair-growth consultation" icon="stethoscope" href="https://hi-doctor.ai/consultation/hair-growth/1">
  Answer the hair-growth questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it.
  They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose —
  and declining is a normal outcome. See [what it costs](/essentials/pricing)
  and [how the review works](/essentials/how-it-works).
</Card>

<Warning>
  This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription.
  Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor
  after reviewing your consultation.
</Warning>