Q: I have heard that staples are uncomfortable after the hair transplant, why do doctors use them?

A: Staples are used for two main reasons.

The first is that being made of stainless steel; they don’t react with the skin and, therefore, cause little inflammation.

The second is that, unlike sutures which are used with a continuous spiral stitch, each staple is separate and this causes minimal interruption to the blood supply. The combination of little inflammation and minimal interference with the blood flow facilitates healing and minimizes damage to hair follicles.

Although sutures are generally more comfortable after the hair transplant, the doctors who choose to use staples do so because they are the least injurious to the hair in the donor area.