Unshaven hair transplant: who it suits and what it costs

Most FUE is done with the back of the head shaved short, so each graft can be seen and taken. An unshaven, or no-shave, transplant leaves your hair long, so the surgery is harder to spot while you heal. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) says it needs much more work and time, and is usually charged at a higher price.

The ways it is done

The ISHRS describes several approaches:

• Partial shave. Your hair is lifted, a strip of the donor area is shaved for FUE, and the hair is let down to cover it.
• Unshaven, trimmed one by one. Each graft is trimmed with scissors just before it is taken, and the hair around it stays long.
• Long-hair FUE. Grafts are taken and placed with the hair still long. The ISHRS calls this technically demanding, with a higher risk of cutting the hair root below the skin.
• FUT. A strip of skin is taken from the back of the head. The hair around it is not shaved, and the hair above covers the stitched line.

What it costs

We do not have a separate estimate for unshaven work. Use our FUE estimate as the starting point and expect an unshaven quote to be higher:

The ISHRS says FUT is usually cheaper than FUE, because it needs less of the surgeon's time. The trade-off is a line scar at the back of the head, which shows if you wear your hair very short. See FUE or FUT.

Who it suits

• people who need to go back to work or meet people soon without it showing
• people who wear their hair long at the back and sides
• many women, for whom the ISHRS notes no-shave options help hide the recovery (see hair transplant for women)

Because the work is slower, ask how many grafts can be done in one day this way.

The trade-offs

• More time and cost, as above.
• Risk to grafts with long-hair FUE, if the root is cut below the skin.
• One advantage: with the hair left long, the surgeon can watch the donor area for thinning while working, which helps avoid taking too much.

Questions to ask

• Which unshaven method do you use, and who does it?
• How many grafts can you take this way in one day?
• What is the price per graft for unshaven work, compared with shaved?
• Is the recipient area shaved too, or only trimmed?