SCALPSURGICAL
FUE Hair Transplant in Delafield
A hairline planned for the next twenty years
Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is a hair transplant for people with a stable pattern of hair loss, a healthy scalp, enough donor density, and realistic expectations about coverage. It moves follicular units one at a time from the back and sides of the scalp to areas that have thinned or gone bald. Each unit is removed with a small circular punch under local anesthesia and placed into a tiny recipient site along a planned hairline and density map. Because donor hair resists the hormones that drive pattern hair loss, the transplanted follicles keep growing in their new position. FUE leaves scattered dot scars rather than the linear scar of strip harvesting. At Consona in Delafield, Wisconsin, Dr. Lucas Boehm, a board-certified plastic surgeon, evaluates the hair loss, designs the hairline, sets the graft plan, and supervises the hair-restoration team that performs the extraction and placement.
At a Glance
- Hair from the back of the scalp is resistant to the androgens that drive pattern hair loss, so transplanted follicles keep their donor characteristics after relocation[1]
- FUE removes each follicular unit with a small punch, typically 0.8 to 1.2 mm across, so the donor area heals as scattered dots rather than a linear scar[1]
- Transplanted hairs usually shed in the weeks after surgery, new growth typically appears 3 to 6 months later, and the grafts mature over 6 to 12 months[1]
- Surgeons commonly cap an FUE harvest at about half the donor density, because a donor area left with only 20 to 30% of its original hair looks visibly thinned[3]
- Ideal candidates have a stable, well-defined pattern of hair loss, a healthy scalp, good donor density, and realistic expectations about coverage[1]
Overview
An FUE hair transplant relocates living follicles rather than creating new ones. Hair on the back and sides of the scalp is genetically resistant to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the androgen behind male and female pattern hair loss, and keeps that resistance after transplantation. The surgeon plans where those follicles will go, including the hairline, temples, and crown, so the result looks like hair growing from those areas rather than hair placed there.
Harvesting defines the FUE technique. A punch, typically 0.8 to 1.2 mm across, scores around each follicular unit, which is a natural cluster of one to four hairs, before the unit is lifted free. Extractions are distributed across the safe donor zone at a density that leaves the area looking full. Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) instead removes a strip of scalp and separates it into individual units under magnification. FUT can provide more grafts in one session but leaves a linear scar.
The grafts are sorted by hair count and kept in a chilled holding solution. Recipient sites are made with a fine blade or needle. Their angle, direction, and spacing determine how the transplanted hair sits among the native hair. Single-hair units are placed along the hairline to create a softer front edge.
A transplant replaces hair in areas where it has already been lost. It does not stop the process causing the loss, so ongoing medical therapy is often recommended to protect the native hair around the grafts. The donor supply also places a limit on the total number of grafts a person can receive over time.
What to expect
- A consultation classifies the pattern of hair loss, measures donor density, designs the hairline, estimates the graft count, and reviews your medical history and medications
- The donor area is trimmed short on the day of surgery so each follicular unit can be seen and reached
- The hairline and recipient zones are marked and photographed while you sit upright
- Local anesthetic is given to the donor and recipient areas, usually as nerve blocks followed by tumescent infiltration
- Follicular units are extracted one at a time with a punch, spread evenly across the safe donor zone
- The grafts are sorted by hair count and held in a chilled solution until placement
- Recipient sites are made at the planned angle, direction, and spacing
- The grafts are placed, with single-hair units along the hairline and larger units behind
- The donor area is dressed, and aftercare, washing, and medication instructions are reviewed with you
- A follow-up visit in the first days after surgery checks the grafts and washing technique
How a FUE hair transplant works
- Pattern hair loss spares follicles on the back and sides of the scalp because they are far less sensitive to DHT. That resistance remains with a follicle after it is moved. In a thinning area, the transplanted unit continues to cycle and grow according to its donor characteristics rather than the balding pattern around it.
- During extraction, a sharp or blunt punch is centered over one follicular unit and advanced 2 to 3 mm with a rotating or oscillating motion. The depth and angle have to follow the direction in which the hair exits the scalp. Cutting across the follicle, known as transection, damages the graft.
- Recipient sites are made with a fine blade or needle at the angle and direction of the surrounding native hair. The grafts are placed with forceps or an implanter pen, using single-hair units at the hairline and multi-hair units behind them to build density. Placement proceeds quickly because graft survival falls as the time outside the scalp increases.
- Each graft develops a new blood supply during the first week. The attached hair shaft usually sheds a few weeks later, but the follicle remains in place. New hair typically appears 3 to 6 months after surgery when the follicle returns to its growth phase.
When it's recommended
- Male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) with a stable pattern, typically Norwood stages III to V
- Female pattern hair loss with an intact donor area (Ludwig stages II and III)
- Receding hairline or deepening temples
- Thinning at the crown (vertex) once the pattern has stabilized
- Hair loss from traction alopecia
- Scalp scars from prior surgery or injury, once healed and stable
- Eyebrow, beard, or sideburn restoration in selected cases
Is a FUE hair transplant right for you?
Reach out to learn more from Dr. Lucas Boehm.
Concerns it addresses
Recovery & aftercare
- The grafts anchor over the first 7 to 10 days; washing follows the surgeon's instructions to avoid dislodging them
- Crusting around each graft resolves within about a week
- The transplanted hairs typically shed within the first 2 to 6 weeks, which is expected and almost always temporary
- Most patients return to desk work within a few days; vigorous exercise and contact sports are avoided for at least three weeks
- The donor area heals within one to two weeks, and the dot scars fade over the following months
- New growth typically appears 3 to 6 months after surgery, and the grafts mature over 6 to 12 months
- Final density is judged at about a year, when the transplanted hair has thickened and lengthened
Alternatives
- Follicular unit transplantation (FUT, strip harvesting) when a large graft count is needed in one session
- Topical minoxidil or oral finasteride to slow loss and protect native hair
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for early thinning where follicles are still active
- Low-level laser therapy
- Scalp micropigmentation for the appearance of density without surgery
- Hair systems or camouflage products
Related treatments
How much does a FUE hair transplant cost?
A FUE hair transplant at Consona with Dr. Boehm costs around $6.50 per graft. That rate applies to the first 1,500 grafts; grafts 1,501 to 2,500 are $5.50 each and grafts beyond 2,500 are $4.50 each, with a $6,000 minimum procedure fee. A consultation is $50. The exact amount depends on your unique goals and treatment needs. Schedule a consultation today to learn more and receive a personalized quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
- FUE, or follicular unit extraction, moves hair one follicular unit at a time from the back and sides of the scalp to areas that have thinned. A small punch removes each unit, which is then placed into a tiny recipient site along the planned hairline and density map. The donor area heals as scattered dots rather than a linear scar.
- Local anesthetic numbs the donor and recipient areas before extraction and placement, so you typically feel pressure rather than pain during the procedure. The anesthetic injections sting briefly. Soreness and tightness during the first few days are usually manageable with over-the-counter or prescribed pain relief.
- FUE is generally considered safe when a qualified surgeon plans and oversees the procedure. It uses local anesthesia, requires no large incision, and transplants your own hair, so there is no risk of rejection. The pattern of loss and the available donor supply must be suitable for surgery.
- The graft count depends on the area being covered and the density of the donor supply. A receding hairline may require 1,000 to 1,500 grafts, while a larger area of loss may require 2,500 or more. The harvest is kept within what the donor area can spare without looking thinned.
- A session usually takes several hours. The donor area is numbed, follicular units are extracted one at a time, and the grafts are placed into the recipient sites. The transplanted hairs usually shed during the first few weeks. New growth typically appears 3 to 6 months after surgery, and the grafts mature over 6 to 12 months.
- FUE is not suited to someone with active scarring alopecia, diffuse loss without a stable donor area, or too little donor density to cover the planned area. Hair loss that is still progressing rapidly is usually treated medically before surgery is considered, then reassessed to determine whether the timing is right.
- Dr. Lucas Boehm, a board-certified plastic surgeon, evaluates the pattern of hair loss and the donor area, designs the hairline, and sets the graft count. He supervises a hair-restoration team during extraction and placement at the Delafield location and remains responsible for the plan from the first visit through follow-up.
- A transplant restores hair in areas that have already gone bare, which PRP cannot do. Whether your thinning is still at the stage where Consona's non-surgical hair program is the better first step is settled at the hair loss evaluation.
- Two measurements determine the graft count: the area that needs coverage and the amount of hair the donor zone can spare without looking thinned. Dr. Boehm measures both during consultation and gives a graft range. The final count is confirmed on the procedure day after the donor hair is trimmed and the individual follicular units are visible.
- FUE is performed in-office in Delafield under local anesthesia, with no general anesthetic or hospital stay. A session takes several hours, most of which is spent extracting and placing grafts one at a time. You go home the same day, and a follow-up visit during the first few days checks the grafts and your washing technique.
- The small crusts around the grafts resolve within about a week, and the donor area heals as scattered dots that can hide under short hair. The transplanted hairs shed before they begin growing again. The later appearance depends heavily on the hairline, which is designed for the face rather than drawn as a straight line, with single hairs placed along the front edge.
FUE Hair Transplant risks & candidacy
Who should avoid this
- Active scarring alopecia (lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, folliculitis decalvans) that is not in remission
- Diffuse unpatterned alopecia with no stable donor area
- Donor density too low to supply the planned coverage (below roughly 40 follicular units per square centimeter)
- Active infection or inflammatory skin disease in the donor or recipient area
- Untreated trichotillomania
- Body dysmorphic disorder, or expectations the donor supply cannot meet
Who needs extra care
- Rapidly progressing hair loss, or more than about 15% miniaturization in the recipient area, generally calls for 6 to 12 months of medical therapy to stabilize the pattern before surgery is planned
- Younger patients, typically under 25, are usually managed with medical therapy first and reassessed, because transplanting too early can deplete the donor supply as loss progresses
- Anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication is reviewed with the prescribing physician and adjusted before surgery where that is safe
- Tightly curled hair has a higher transection risk with standard punches and may call for a larger or specialized punch, or for strip harvesting instead
- A previous transplant or strip scar reduces the remaining donor supply and is accounted for in the graft plan
Possible risks
- Folliculitis (inflamed follicles) around the grafts or donor sites
- Swelling of the forehead and around the eyes in the first days after surgery
- Temporary, or rarely persistent, numbness of the scalp
- Shock loss, a temporary shedding of native hair near the grafts or in the donor area
- Small hypopigmented dot scars in the donor area, visible when hair is worn very short
- Overharvesting that leaves the donor area visibly thinned
- Poor graft survival, patchy growth, or an unnatural-looking hairline
- Infection or bleeding, both uncommon
- Scalp pain or tightness during early healing
Your surgeon
Care that respects what makes you, you.
Dr. Lucas Boehm is a Wisconsin native, board-certified, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon and the founder of Consona Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics. His practice is dedicated exclusively to aesthetic surgery of the face, nose, breast, and body, with particular expertise in deep plane facelifts, rhinoplasty, and aesthetic breast surgery. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and completed his plastic surgery residency there as well. He then pursued an Aesthetic Society-endorsed fellowship in aesthetic surgery under the mentorship of Dr. Bradley Calobrace in Louisville, Kentucky. Known for meticulous attention to detail, he approaches each case with precision and intention. His philosophy emphasizes harmony and balance – enhancing what is already beautiful while ensuring every change feels natural, thoughtful, and uniquely you.
- Board-certified
- Am. Board of Plastic Surgery
- Fellowship-trained
- Aesthetic surgery
- 12+ years
- In practice
Sources & references
This article draws on 6 sources, including peer-reviewed research.
Government & research
Medically reviewed by Dr. Lucas Boehm, MD · Last reviewed: 2026-09-17