Award-winning hair transplant surgeon Dr Mark Tam has achieved official world record recognition from the World Record Certification Agency (WRCA) for performing a fully manual 5,005 graft Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant in a single surgical session, completed in one day, using a 0.75 mm FUE extraction punch.

The state-of-the-art surgical techniques used make this record-breaking surgery particularly significant. Every graft was manually extracted using an ultra-fine FUE punch, followed by manual incision and implantation. Dr Tam’s new world record has now been formally verified by WRCA, an international organisation that independently validates record-breaking achievements using a formal evidence-based review process.

The record-breaking procedure took place in November 2025 at Dr Tam’s Harley Street clinic in London. The 27-year-old male patient was diagnosed with Norwood Scale Level 3 hair loss, primarily affecting the frontal hairline and temple points. He arrived at the clinic at 5:15 am, and the surgical procedure continued throughout the day until completion at 11:45 pm. During the surgery, grafts were manually extracted from donor areas at the back and sides of the patient’s scalp and transplanted to restore the hairline and temple regions.

In total, the procedure resulted in the transplantation of 5,005 grafts, comprising 1,238 single hair follicular units, 3,396 double hair follicular units, and 371 triple hair follicular units, equating to 9,143 individual hairs transplanted during the single surgical session.

Dr Tam focuses on achieving high-quality hair restoration with ultra-high-density placement while protecting the long-term sustainability of the donor area. Larger FUE punches can make it easier to extract more than 5,000 grafts in a session, but Dr Tam uses much smaller punch tools to minimise trauma, reduce scarring, and preserve donor density. This approach, with the entire extraction process performed manually, increases technical difficulty, requires more time, and greater surgical accuracy.

Dr Mark Tam said:

“This world record represents a significant milestone for my surgical team and me and for the advancement of high-quality FUE hair restoration. Achieving the transplantation of more than 5,000 grafts in a single day using a 0.75 mm FUE punch required meticulous planning, surgical precision and a highly experienced team working together throughout a very long day.”

Hair transplantation using the FUE technique has become the dominant surgical method for hair restoration globally, accounting for most procedures performed by hair transplant surgeons worldwide. However, most surgeries typically involve significantly fewer grafts, with average cases transplanting around 2,000 to 3,000 grafts.

Although cases with larger graft numbers have occasionally been reported internationally, many of these procedures involved using pen-like extraction and implantation devices, robotic systems, or multiple surgical sessions over several days. In contrast, Dr Tam’s record was achieved with fully manual FUE extraction, manual incision creation, and manual graft implantation within a single day’s surgery. This represents the largest verified number of grafts transplanted in one day using manual FUE extraction with a 0.75 mm punch.

Dr Tam added:

“The achievement of a world record is not just about numbers. It reflects the experience of my surgical team, the efficiency of our workflow, and our continued focus on performing high-quality hair restoration while protecting the donor area for the long term. It shows that it is possible to achieve very high graft numbers without compromising quality, surgical standards or donor sustainability, to give a patient the very best possible result with ultra-high-density and natural-looking hair. I want to say a big thank you to my entire clinical team who worked incredibly hard on that day, and of course, to our patient for placing his trust in us.”

Known for his meticulous, artisan approach to superior hair restoration and his pursuit of ultra-high-density, natural-looking results, Dr Tam implants more grafts per centimetre square for a softer look. His work is defined by the use of his proprietary Treatment Area Mapping and Measurements (TAM+M) method, so he can precisely calculate graft numbers to ensure optimal density, the IDEAL Technique for precise and regenerative FUE surgical techniques, including partial FUE and individually separated hair follicles with custom-designed surgical instrumentation that prioritise long-term preservation of the donor area.

With nearly two decades of experience, several awards, and now a world record, Dr Mark Tam delivers a highly personalised surgical experience for patients seeking world-class hair restoration results, including large area and high graft number transplants.

Further information about Dr Mark Tam’s work in hair restoration surgery can be found here