Q: How do you make the recipient sites in a hair transplant? — N.P., New Delhi, India

A: I make the recipient sites using 19-, 20-, 21- and 22-gauge needles. The higher the number, the finer the needle. The hairline is done with a 21-gauge, which is really very tiny. Eyebrow sites are created with a 22-. When one draws blood in a routine blood test, an 18-g needle is used and, of course, there are no residual marks. The instruments we use are significantly finer than this.

For further reading on this topic, please visit our page on recipient sites in a hair transplant.