Previously, when hair plugs were used, doctors did the hair transplant surgeries much differently. They used an instrument called a trephine to cut circular grafts from 2mm to 5mm in diameter. These plugs were inserted into the balding area. Now, a multi-bladed knife can be used to cut long thin strips of donor tissue. These people do not strike up conversations with the opposite sex or seek them out. It is only with drastic measures, such as counseling, that these people can get past their timidity. Hair transplant surgery can give them more confidence as well. 6. Will having hair transplant surgery change anything? This makes them adhere in their place so that no bandages are necessary. The patient will be asked to bring, or will be given, a baseball cap for the ride home from the hair transplant procedure. The doctor will want to see how the grafts are doing the day following the hair transplant. The patient will go in for a check-up so that any problems can be corrected quickly. It was agonizing for this group of young people because thinning, balding, and receding hairlines often started before they got out of their teens. Now the procedure is being opened to young men - but with restrictions. Because losing hair at such a young age is very traumatic, hair transplant doctors do not like to go along with the patients' snap decisions. You may be surprised to know that many women are not good candidates. Women usually have a different type of hair loss than men. Male pattern baldness uncovers parts of the top of the head. However, the sides and back of the head are usually covered with healthy balding-resistant hair follicles. Men with this pattern of balding will have donor hair that survives the hair transplant process and flourishes long afterward. The doctor will show you before and after pictures of his past hair transplant patients. Do not be discouraged if they all seem to have the same plain haircut in the after pictures. This is often the case when the doctor is trying to be truthful. He will have the patients pose with their hair sans hair styling products like mousse or gel.