FAQ's

Elite Hair Clinic will be continuing to operate within the guidelines and standards set out by the Australian Government and NSW Department of Health.

Every precaution is being taken in regards to sanitation, disinfection, and general workplace hygiene to ensure our clients and employees enter a clean and safe environment at Elite.

All Employees of Elite Hair Clinic are instructed to take measures to avoid using public transport. We also advise patients, if possible, to also do so on the day of the procedure and in the days leading up.

For those who had planned to travel overseas for their Hair Transplant procedure, Elite offers you a service that is unparalleled.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call our clinic or book a free consultation with Dr Sam Freedman and you will see why Elite is considered the number one clinic in Sydney for FUE hair transplants.

What is Follicular Unit Extraction?

(FUE) is the most advanced hair transplantation technique in which follicular unit grafts are individually removed from the patient’s donor area and then individually transplanted to the recipient area. The hair is placed at an angle that matches the recipients existing or original hair style.

Single hair grafts are used to lower or rebuild a hairline and follicles multiple hair groupings are used to increase density to create a fuller, healthier head of hair.

FUE is not limited to just correcting hair loss on the top of head. FUE can also be used to restore hair on the eyebrows, mustaches and beards and sideburns.

How is FUE Performed?

With the FUE procedure, a tiny incision is made in the skin around the upper part of the hair follicle. The hair follicle is then extracted directly from the scalp and manually placed into tiny incision in the balding area.

Why Choose FUE?

The main advantage of the modern day Follicular Unit Hair Transplant is the ability to re-create a naturally looking hairline and overall aesthetically pleasing result without causing any unnecessary scarring.

What are the applications for FUE?

Follicular Units can be placed on balding areas of the scalp, they can be used to reconstruct eyebrows and eyelashes, they can be used to fill in areas of the face or head with traumatic hair loss caused scarring from cuts, abrasions, thermal or chemical burns. FUE can also be used to reconstruct and correct poorly designed hair transplant ways.

How long does FUE last?

FUE hair transplants last as long as the hair in the donor area will last. For some people, after the procedure in the following months, the hair may start to go through a natural cycle of shedding. However, the follicle remains and new hair regrows in its place. You can choose to undergo further treatments over time if you would like thicker hair or have limited success with hair loss reduction medications. At around 6 months, your last results will start to become clear. Your transplanted hair will last as long as the hair from its donor site. This means, unless you have complete alopecia, the transplanted hair should last you for the rest of your life.

Do I have to take finasteride after a hair transplant?

The procedure works as it takes donor hair from the back and sides of the scalp that are not sensitive to the hormone DHT. These follicles retain their permanent nature at the transplanted site. As a result, the transplanted hair will last for as long as it would have lasted in the original location from where it came, which is, in most cases lifelong, with just normal age-related thinning. So the transplanted hair is not sensitive to DHT. Therefore a DHT blocker will have no effect on the transplanted hair. The only reason to take a DHT blocker such as finasteride would be if you still have hair that you are at risk of losing that is sensitive to DHT.

Are there risks associated with FUE?

FUE is a medical procedure and carries risks, including infection and scarring. It leaves small dot scars in the donor area, which can be visible at short clipper lengths. See our Risks & Recovery page.

Do I have to shave my head for FUE?

It is not a requirement for a hair transplant to shave the whole of the head.

You will not need to shave or cut your hair on top prior to the procedure. We prefer that you do not, as your existing hair gives us a guide to the direction and angulation we need to make the incisions for the new grafts.

We may need to trim the recipient area to improve access during planting the grafts. Planting follicles in between long hair makes the work difficult to perform. It is also helpful with aftercare.

The donor area is shaved down to a zero. Where someone, particularly a female, has long hair we lift the hair, above the donor area, up and shave under it, so that when the hair falls back it will cover up the donor area.

Hair outside of the donor and recipient areas can be left completely alone. Often this enables one to partially or fully hide the new grafts.

What is the goal of a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is not a hair for hair replacement but aims to use a limited number of hairs with the expectation of achieving coverage. We cannot restore the density or hair thickness you had when you were young.

Why is it not possible to achieve normal density

The main factor that limits the density that can be achieved is the need to develop a vascular supply to the new grafts. Ultimately, the density at which your grafts will survive is limited by how good your blood supply is. As the density at which grafts are placed (grafts/sq cm) increases so does the risk of vascular compromise. Regardless of how tightly grafts are packed the vascular supply will determine what survives.

Why do individual results vary?

Individual hair characteristics such as thickness and wave or curl will determine the degree of coverage and how much see through there is to the scalp. People with fine and straight hair are more likely to require a further procedure to gain further density and coverage.

How much does it cost?

Refer to Our Pricing to see our prices. We can also include travel, transfers and accommodation at your request.

Fill in our online inquiry form and upload some current photos and we will respond with an estimate on how many grafts you may need. Ideally include 1 or 2 photos of yourself before the hair loss as well.