Do You Have To Shave Your Head For a Hair Transplant? Here’s What To Know

Most people who are considering a hair transplant are hoping for a full head of hair, so it makes sense to wonder if you really have to shave your head for a hair transplant. After all, a shaved head is the antithesis of what you’re trying to achieve with a hair transplant and it can feel like burning a bridge to build a new one.

Here, we’ll cover what to expect during your hair transplant procedure and whether or not you absolutely have to shave your head (spoiler alert: probably not, but it depends on the surgeon). Read on for more.

Before we dive into whether you have to shave your entire head for a hair transplant, it’s important to have a basic understanding of how the procedure works.

A hair transplant is a medical procedure that takes hair from areas of your scalp that are unaffected by male pattern baldness (usually the back and sides of the head) and moves it to balding areas or parts of the scalp where there’s thinning. “Donor hair” is the term for the hair that moves to a new location, and in the past, it was common to shave the head so the hair follicles surrounding the donor hair were more accessible to the surgeon.

Traditionally, hair transplant surgery required the patient to shave their head, or most of it. And while some surgeons may still wish to shave at least part of the head before surgery, you may not have to shave your head at all (at least in any noticeable way).

There are two common methods of hair transplantation: follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Below, we’ll discuss the different procedures and, most importantly, whether or not shaving your head is likely.

Do I Have To Shave My Head For An FUE Hair Transplant?

FUE is a newer advancement in hair restoration surgery that involves extracting individual hair follicles, known as follicular units, and transplanting them to a different area. The procedure uses tiny "micro punches" to remove hairs from the scalp, resulting in minimal scarring.

Here’s the short answer — no, you don’t have to shave your hair for an FUE hair transplant, but some surgeons may prefer that you do, and it may be suggested in some cases. Shaving allows the hair transplant surgeon better access to the donor area and makes the hair follicles easier to see.

However, if you prefer to keep your hair longer, some clinics offer unshaven or partially shaved FUE procedures, trimming only small sections of the donor area. Keep in mind that when only part of your hair is shaved, it can look a little uneven while it’s growing out, so some patients may ultimately choose to shave their head, even if not under strict doctor’s orders to do so.

What is No-Shave Fue?

Have you been (somewhat frantically) Googling, do I have to shave my head for a hair transplant? Well, then you’ve probably already come across a procedure known as no-shave FUE (also sometimes called "unshaven FUE" or "undetectable FUE").  Some research has called the procedure the “most state-of-the-art surgical technique in the field of follicular unit hair transplantation.”

But what is it? No-Shave FUE (as the name suggests) doesn’t require shaving your head. Instead, the surgeon uses very sharp scissors to trim individual hairs that will be extracted. Typically, the donor site is “over-trimmed” purposefully, with 10 to 20 percent more hairs trimmed than expected to be extracted.

This allows a patient to keep their existing hairstyle mostly intact. There will be shorter hairs from the over-trimming, but this section generally blends with the rest of the hair and grows back more quickly than if it were buzzed.

However, No-Shave FUE is significantly more time-consuming than the “direct method,” which refers to another type if FUE transplant. You’ll want to factor in additional time to the estimated four to eight hours that hair transplants generally take.  It can also be more challenging for the dermatologist or surgeon since the donor area is less visible.

For these reasons, No-Shave FUE may be more expensive, and hair transplantation is costly to begin with (the average all-in cost of a hair transplant in the U.S., according to a 2021 study, was about $13,610).

Do I Have To Shave My Head For An FUT Hair Transplant?

An FUT transplant involves the removal of a strip of skin from the back of the head. Individual follicular units are taken from the strip and transplanted onto areas of the scalp where there is thinning.

Typically, a thin band of hair is shaved in an FUT hair transplant. However, this strip is removed and sutured closed, and the surrounding hair conceals the shaved area. Shaving your whole head for an FUT hair transplant is unnecessary.

Our guide to hair transplants explains what to expect before, during, and after the procedure.

Aftercare Considerations

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to whether or not you want to shave your head before a hair transplant is aftercare. For example, in may be easier to keep grafts in the recipient area clean and dry when the existing hair is shaved or short.

You can learn more about hair transplant recovery and post-operative care in our guide to the topic.

Is a hair transplant without shaving possible? As you now know, yes, it is. Here’s the TL;DR.

• Shaving your head for a hair transplant is not always necessary: While traditionally it was common to shave  your head before a hair transplant, it’s no longer completely necessary. While some surgeons may still shave part of head during FUE or FUT transplants, No-Shave FUE allow for minimal or no shaving, depending on your surgeon's approach.

• Talk to your surgeon in the pre-op period about your goals. This is a time to get clear on what is required for you before and after surgery, and is a great time to bring up any concerns you have about shaving your existing hair.

• Shaving can make it easier to maintain cleanliness and care for the grafts post-surgery.

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