A hair transplant in Bangladesh moves follicles from the back of the scalp to thinning areas by FUE or FUT under local anaesthetic. Dr. Chowdhury Rashedul Mughni performs the procedure in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. It suits stable pattern hair fall with enough donor hair. New hair appears by three to four months; the full result takes 10 to 18 months. Cost is BDT 25–65 per graft, finalised at consultation.
Reviewed by Dr. Chowdhury Rashedul Mughni, BMDC reg. A 41174. This page is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for in-person clinical assessment by a qualified plastic surgeon. Treatment decisions depend on individual factors that can only be evaluated during a consultation with Dr. Mughni. “Following natural hairline and density keeps the result natural.”
To find out whether a hair transplant suits your pattern of hair fall and your donor hair, you can arrange a consultation with Dr. Mughni at EKAGRA Health, Dhanmondi.
What is a hair transplant?
A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that moves hair follicles from the back and sides of the scalp into thinning or bald areas. It is a permanent redistribution of your own hair, not new hair created from nothing.
The procedure works because of a principle called donor dominance. Follicles at the back and sides of the head are resistant to the hormone-driven miniaturisation that causes pattern hair fall, and they keep that resistance after they are moved. A follicle taken from behind the ear keeps behaving like a follicle from behind the ear, even when it grows at the hairline.
Each transplanted unit is called a graft. A graft is a natural follicular unit, a small group of one to four hairs that grow together from the same spot on the scalp. Surgeons plan a transplant in grafts, which is why cost, session length and density are all discussed per graft.
The most common reason for a hair transplant is androgenetic alopecia, better known as male pattern hair fall. In a population study of 1,005 men in India, 58% of men aged 30 to 50 had some degree of pattern hair fall. Comparable population data for Bangladesh is limited, but the South Asian data shows how common the problem is in the region.
Doctors describe male pattern hair fall using the Hamilton-Norwood scale, usually shortened to the Norwood scale. It runs from stage I (no visible recession) to stage VII (only a band of hair remaining at the back and sides). Your Norwood stage is the starting point for every transplant plan.
| Norwood stage | What it looks like | What it usually means for planning |
|---|---|---|
| I to II | Minimal or early recession at the temples | Medical treatment and monitoring first; surgery is rarely needed |
| III | Clear temple recession, sometimes early crown thinning | The stage from which transplant is usually considered |
| IV to V | Deeper frontal loss and a thinning crown, with a narrowing bridge between them | Planning prioritises the hairline and front; the crown may need a second stage |
| VI to VII | The front and crown have merged into one bald area | Donor hair is limited, so coverage goals must be realistic |
Who is a good candidate for a hair transplant?
A good candidate has stable pattern hair fall, a healthy donor area, good general health and realistic expectations about density and timing.
The Indian expert consensus on androgenetic alopecia sets out practical criteria. A transplant is usually considered from Norwood stage III onward, once hair fall has stabilised and medical treatment has been tried. Hair fall that is still moving quickly makes it hard to design a hairline that will look right in ten years.
Age matters. In men under 25, hair fall is often still evolving, so the consensus advises surgery only for extensive baldness in this group. A hairline placed too low at 22 can look unnatural at 40 if the hair behind it continues to recede.
The donor area decides the ceiling. Every graft comes from a limited supply at the back and sides of the head, and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes that people with very little donor hair may not be advised to have surgery. Men at Norwood VI or VII with low donor density need careful counselling, because full coverage of a large bald area is rarely possible.
Hair characteristics also change what a given number of grafts can achieve. Thicker hair shafts, a natural wave or curl and low contrast between hair colour and scalp colour all make the same number of grafts look fuller.
Women are a different group. Most women with hair thinning have diffuse female pattern hair loss, which is often spread across the scalp rather than limited to one area, so most are not good surgical candidates. Selected women with stable, localised loss, such as traction hair loss or scarring after trauma or burns, may benefit. The page on hair transplant options for women covers this in detail.
A transplant is not suitable when hair loss has another cause that needs treatment first, such as thyroid disease, iron deficiency or alopecia areata. It is also not a treatment for distress that comes from depression or body image concerns, which should be addressed separately.
How is a hair transplant performed?
A hair transplant is performed under local anaesthetic, usually in a single day, and you go home the same day. The two harvesting methods are FUE and FUT.
FUE: follicular unit excision
FUE removes grafts one at a time from the donor area using a small circular punch. The donor area is usually trimmed short first. Each extraction leaves a tiny dot scar that is generally hidden once the hair grows back. The donor area heals in a few days, and there is no linear scar.
FUT: follicular unit transplantation (strip method)
FUT removes a thin strip of hair-bearing skin from the back of the head. The strip is divided under magnification into individual grafts, and the donor wound is closed with stitches. It leaves a fine linear scar that is hidden under hair of normal length, and it can yield more grafts in one session.
Neither method is better for everyone. The Indian consensus recognises FUT for larger sessions with good graft survival and FUE for faster donor healing without a linear scar, and notes the two can be combined. Dr. Mughni also performs DHI (direct hair implantation), which uses FUE harvesting with a different method of placing grafts. A full side-by-side comparison is on the FUE versus FUT comparison page.
| FUE | FUT (strip) | |
|---|---|---|
| How grafts are taken | Individually, with a small punch | As a strip of skin, then divided |
| Donor scar | Many small dot scars | One fine linear scar |
| Donor healing | A few days | Stitches out at around 10 to 14 days |
| Grafts per session | Moderate to large | Often larger |
| Often suited to | Patients who keep hair short; smaller to moderate sessions | Patients needing many grafts in one sitting |
The steps on the day
The hairline is designed and marked with you before anything else happens. Local anaesthetic is then given to the donor and recipient areas, and grafts are harvested by FUE or FUT. The grafts are sorted and kept chilled and moist while tiny recipient sites are made in the thinning area at the angle and direction of your natural hair. The grafts are then placed one by one.
The number of grafts you need depends on your Norwood stage, the area to be covered and the density you want. The guide to estimating graft numbers explains how this is worked out.
The same surgical principles apply to facial hair. Grafts from the scalp can restore a patchy or absent beard, thin or scarred eyebrows and a sparse moustache, with graft selection and angles adjusted for each area.
What does recovery look like after a hair transplant?
Most people return to desk work within one to two weeks. The grafts are fragile for about two weeks, shedding happens around six weeks, and growth follows from about three to four months.
| Time after surgery | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 3 | Scalp feels tight and sore. Swelling of the forehead and around the eyes is common. |
| Days 3 to 7 | Swelling settles, usually within about a week. Small scabs form around each graft. |
| Days 7 to 14 | Scabs shed with gentle washing. FUT stitches come out at around 10 to 14 days. Grafts are secure by the end of this period. |
| Weeks 2 to 6 | Most transplanted hairs shed. This is expected and does not mean the grafts have failed. |
| Months 3 to 4 | New hairs start to appear, often fine at first. |
| Months 6 to 9 | Density builds and hairs thicken. |
| Months 10 to 18 | The final result becomes visible. |
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons advises avoiding vigorous exercise and contact sports for at least three weeks.
The shedding phase is the part that worries most patients. Transplanted hairs often fall out within about six weeks while the follicle underneath stays alive in the scalp, resting before it starts a new growth cycle. New growth usually begins some weeks later. Occasionally, nearby native hairs also shed for a while, known as shock loss. In the published series discussed below, this was uncommon.
The early months rarely look the way patients picture them. In the first week, each graft sits under a tiny crust, so the recipient area looks like a field of small dots. Between months three and five, the new hairs are often fine and uneven, and a few small pimples can appear as they push through. Density and thickness build slowly after that, which is why photographs taken at the same angle each month are a better guide than the mirror.
The detailed day-by-day plan is in the hair transplant recovery guide.
What are the risks of a hair transplant, and how are they managed?
A hair transplant is generally safe with a trained surgeon, but real risks include swelling, folliculitis, infection, numbness, scarring and poor growth.
A large published South Asian surgical series gives a realistic picture. Garg and Garg reported 2,896 hair transplant patients treated between 2009 and 2020 in the Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery (2021). They recorded no major or life-threatening complications. These figures belong to that published series and are not a claim about any single practice.
• Sterile folliculitis (small pimple-like bumps over the grafts) was the most common problem in that series and settled over weeks to a few months.
• Facial swelling usually resolved within six to seven days.
• Temporary numbness of the scalp mostly resolved within weeks.
• Infection was rare. Both patients with infection in the series had diabetes.
• Skin necrosis (a small area of skin breakdown) in the recipient area occurred only in smokers, and healed without further surgery.
• Patient dissatisfaction most often came from continued loss of the patient’s own, non-transplanted hair, not from the grafts.
Before surgery, diabetes should be well controlled, smokers are advised to stop, and blood-thinning medicines are reviewed with the treating doctor. Wound healing in diabetic patients is familiar ground for Dr. Mughni, who also works in diabetic foot and wound care.
Continued hair loss is the risk patients think about least. A transplant does not stop pattern hair fall in the hair that was not moved. Over the years, native hair behind the transplanted zone can thin and leave an island of transplanted hair. This is why medical treatment is often discussed alongside surgery.
Topical minoxidil and, in men, oral finasteride are the two medicines with the strongest evidence for slowing pattern hair fall. The Indian consensus recommends stopping minoxidil around 15 days before surgery because it can increase bleeding, then continuing medical therapy afterward at the treating doctor’s discretion. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been associated with improved hair density, but the evidence is of low certainty, as the review of PRP for hair loss explains. Other non-surgical aesthetic treatments are discussed separately.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery has warned that complications occur when hair transplant surgery is performed by improperly trained physicians. In Bangladesh, a patient can check that the doctor performing the surgery holds BMDC registration and ask who will make the incisions and place the grafts on the day.
How much does a hair transplant cost in Bangladesh?
At Dr. Mughni’s practice, a hair transplant costs BDT 25–65 per graft. The final figure depends on the technique and the number of grafts, and is confirmed only after a consultation.
The per-graft range reflects the technique chosen. Your total cost depends mainly on how many grafts your Norwood stage and density goals need, which cannot be known without examining your scalp and donor area. For that reason no fixed package price is quoted.
Pre-operative investigations and medications are priced separately. If more density is needed after the first procedure, a second session is planned after a year, once the first result has matured, and is offered at a reduced rate.
A full breakdown of what affects the figure is on the hair transplant cost guide for Dhaka.
Dr. Mughni’s approach to hair transplant
Dr. Mughni plans every hair transplant around a natural hairline, realistic density and a frank conversation about timing.
Dr. Chowdhury Rashedul Mughni notes:
“Following natural hairline and density keeps the result natural. Patients have to accept the fact that it will take time to see visible result. There will be hair fall which is absolutely normal after hair transplantation.”
In plastic surgery, the hairline is treated as part of the face rather than as a line drawn on the scalp. A hairline that suits a man of 25 must still suit him at 45. A natural front edge is slightly irregular, finer hairs sit at the very front, and the temples follow the shape of the face. A hairline placed too low or too straight can use up donor hair that will be needed later.
In Dr. Mughni’s consultations, the first conversation is about time. Many patients arrive expecting a full head of hair from one session, and expecting to see it within weeks. He explains what their donor hair can realistically cover, which area is restored first and that the transplanted hair will fall before it grows. Patients who accept this at the start find the waiting months far easier. The aim is to restore form and frame the face in a way that still looks right decades later, and to give honest hope rather than a promise.
Why patients choose Dr. Mughni for hair transplant
Dr. Mughni brings surgical training in plastic and reconstructive surgery, verifiable registration and a consultation-first approach to hair transplant.
Dr. Mughni holds BMDC registration A 41174, the FCPS, MRCS and MRCSEd (Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh). He is a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) and serves as Office Secretary of the Bangladesh Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons (BSAPS). He has over two decades of surgical experience, more than twelve years of it specialising in plastic surgery, and is Director of Medical Services at EKAGRA Health.
His background includes twelve years as a surgeon at BIRDEM General Hospital and ongoing work as a consultant in diabetic foot and wound care.
You can read more about Dr. Mughni’s training and career, see hair transplant before and after photos shared with patient consent and faces blurred, and read what patients have said about their care.
Where is the hair transplant performed?
For a hair transplant in Dhaka, consultations are available at both of Dr. Mughni’s chambers in Dhanmondi. The procedure itself is performed at the chamber or the admitting hospital.
EKAGRA Health, Dhanmondi: Wahab Point, Floor 7, House 13, Road 2, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1209. Details are on the EKAGRA Health chamber page.
Cosmetic Surgery Centre, Satmasjid Road: 5th floor, Shankar Plaza, 72 Satmasjid Road, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka 1209. Details are on the Satmasjid Road chamber page.
An overview of Dr. Mughni’s wider plastic surgery practice in Dhaka covers his other procedures. Consultations are arranged by phone or WhatsApp on 01842-182545.
Frequently asked questions about hair transplant in Bangladesh
Is a hair transplant permanent?
Transplanted follicles are taken from the back and sides of the scalp, which resist pattern hair fall, so they usually keep growing for life. What is not permanent is your untreated native hair. It can continue to thin around the transplant, which is why medical treatment and long-term planning are discussed at consultation.
Is a hair transplant painful?
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic, so most patients feel the injections at the start and then pressure rather than pain. Afterward, the scalp feels tight, achy and swollen for a few days, and the forehead may swell. This settles on its own as healing progresses. FUT tends to cause more donor discomfort than FUE.
When will I see the results of a hair transplant?
Most transplanted hairs shed within about six weeks, which is normal. New hairs usually appear from around three to four months, then thicken over the following months. The final result takes 10 to 18 months to show, so patience is part of the plan.
Which is better, FUE or FUT?
Neither is better for everyone. FUE leaves small dot scars and heals quickly, which suits men who keep their hair short. FUT leaves a fine linear scar but can move more grafts in one session. The right choice depends on your donor area, the grafts you need and how you wear your hair.
What is the right age for a hair transplant?
There is no single right age, but caution is needed under 25 because hair fall is often still progressing. Indian expert consensus advises surgery in this age group only for extensive baldness. Most patients are better candidates once their hair fall has stabilised and medical treatment has been tried.
How many grafts will I need?
The number depends on your Norwood stage, the size of the area being restored, the density you want and the quality of your donor hair. A man with temple recession needs far fewer grafts than a man with a bald crown. An accurate figure is only possible after your scalp is examined.
Can women have a hair transplant?
Some can, but most women with thinning hair are not good candidates because female pattern hair loss is usually spread across the scalp. Women with stable, localised loss, such as traction hair loss or scarring after an injury or burn, may benefit. Medical assessment for other causes comes first.
Will I need medicine after a hair transplant?
Often, yes. A transplant does not stop pattern hair fall in the hair that was not moved. Minoxidil, and finasteride in men, are the two medicines with the strongest evidence for slowing it. Whether you need them, and for how long, is decided with your doctor. More answers are in the full hair transplant FAQ.
A final word
Dr. Mughni adds:
“My field of interest has always been restoring a patient’s form, function, cosmesis and more importantly, hope.”
A hair transplant is a decision about the next twenty years, not the next twenty days. Good plans start with an honest look at your donor hair, your stage of hair fall and the time you are willing to give the result. If you would like to talk this through with a surgeon, you can request a consultation with Dr. Mughni in Dhanmondi.
Sources reviewed for this page
1. Mysore V, et al. Expert consensus on the management of androgenetic alopecia in India. International Journal of Trichology. 2019;11:101-106.
2. Kaliyadan F, Nambiar A, Vijayaraghavan S. Androgenetic alopecia: an update. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology. 2013;79(5):613-625. doi:10.4103/0378-6323.116730
3. Garg AK, Garg S. Complications of hair transplant procedures: causes and management. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery. 2021;54:477-482. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1739255
4. Gupta M, Mysore V. Classifications of patterned hair loss: a review. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery. 2016;9(1):3-12. PMC4812885
5. NHS. Hair transplant. nhs.uk.
6. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Hair transplantation: candidates and recovery. plasticsurgery.org.
7. Cleveland Clinic. Hair restoration. clevelandclinic.org.
8. International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Hair characteristics: a major consideration in hair transplantation. ishrs.org.
9. Kieling L, et al. Platelet-rich plasma and hair density in androgenetic alopecia: systematic review and meta-analysis. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia. 2024;99(6):847-862.