Dr. Christopher Pawlinga
Hair transplant surgeon at a hair-transplant-only clinic in Kirkwood·St. Louis Hair Restoration
Kirkwood, United States
$6,750–$15,000 Per procedure · Cost detailsBackground
Dr Christopher Pawlinga is a hair transplant surgeon at St. Louis Hair Restoration in Kirkwood, Missouri 4. The clinic says he is the only physician in the St. Louis area focused solely on hair transplantation 1. He is also profiled as a surgeon by Hair Doctor NYC, part of Stoller Medical Group in New York, and by We Grow Hair in Brentwood, Tennessee 67. None of the three practices say which days he works where 167. His bios say he earned his medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine and trained in family practice at St. Clare's Hospital in Schenectady, New York 1. They say he then completed a hair transplantation fellowship in Saratoga Springs, New York 1. All three practices say he had a hair transplant himself before he trained in the field 167. We Grow Hair says he has practised hair transplant surgery since 2004 7. The St. Louis and New York bios say he has done it full-time for the last 18 years 16.
Procedures and techniques
St. Louis Hair Restoration offers FUE, FUT (strip) and a hybrid of both over two days for advanced hair loss 2. Its menu also lists robotic and NeoGraft FUE and transgender hair transplants 2. We Grow Hair says he performs ARTAS robotic FUE and High Density Hair Grafting 7. We Grow Hair says its surgeons design the hairline, give the anaesthesia, make the recipient incisions and harvest the follicles, while technicians place the grafts 7. The St. Louis FAQ says a transplant is usually done in one day under local anaesthetic, and larger ones may need a second day 5.
Pricing
Booking and aftercare
Credentials and memberships
He is an ISHRS Full Member and joined ISHRS in 2006 8. The St. Louis and New York bios say he is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine 16. The St. Louis bio also says he became board certified in family medicine, and We Grow Hair names the American Board of Family Medicine 17. We Grow Hair says he is a diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery 7. The other two practices do not mention that board 16.
Sources
Facts on this page were compiled from these pages, checked October 2026. Archived copies are kept for every citation. Something wrong or out of date? Suggest a correction.
- 1. https://web.archive.org/web/20260119091615/https://www.stlouishairrestoration.com/about-hair-transplant-st-louis/our-doctors/
- 2. https://web.archive.org/web/20260508100549/https://www.stlouishairrestoration.com/
- 3. https://web.archive.org/web/20260422134231/https://www.stlouishairrestoration.com/about-hair-transplant-st-louis/pricing/
- 4. https://web.archive.org/web/20260422144625/https://www.stlouishairrestoration.com/contact-hair-transplant-st-louis/
- 5. https://web.archive.org/web/20251009172528/https://www.stlouishairrestoration.com/about-hair-transplant-st-louis/faqs/
- 6. https://hairdoctornyc.com/about-us/meet-dr-christopher-pawlinga/
- 7. https://wegrowhair.com/hair-transplant-surgeon/
- 8. https://ishrs.org/doctor/christopher-m-pawlinga/
What patients say on reddit
11 people shared their experience with Dr. Christopher Pawlinga across 8 reddit threads between 2019 and 2026. Every graft count, price and verdict is linked to the original thread.
- male 2,600 grafts surgery 2024
- happy with the result source ↗
- results are amazing source ↗
- some redness left at 6 months source ↗
- 13k, Turkey argument might come into play source ↗
MadestHatler had 2,600 FUE grafts with Dr. Pawlinga at St. Louis Hair Restoration on 14 February 2024 and says it cost 13k. At 6 months he said 'I am happy with the result', noting some remaining redness given his fair complexion, and later added 'Results are amazing.' He chose the clinic for its local reviews and location, and takes oral finasteride and minoxidil with no side effects.
1 thread they wrote in
- 1,500 grafts surgery 2022
- results very natural looking source ↗
- tech good at operating the ARTAS source ↗
- price is steep source ↗
JeepGladiator1972 had an ARTAS procedure of 1500 grafts at WeGrowHairIndy in Indianapolis with Dr Pawlinga, for 14k, about 4 months before the thread. They said the results are very natural looking and the tech is good at operating the ARTAS, though the price is steep.
- male 2,500 grafts surgery 2023
twistyt21 had 2,500 grafts on the hairline with Dr Pawlinga in St. Louis in mid-September 2023 and had been on finasteride for a couple of years. At 7 months he posted photos asking for opinions and whether he would still see growth, without stating a verdict of his own. He did not reply to later comments.
1 thread they wrote in
- Apr 2024 Looking for opinions ↗
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- profoundly disturbing pre-op experience source ↗
- HIV test demand felt discriminatory source ↗
- cancelled and refunded, then reversed hours later source ↗
Queasy_Specific5052 was a scheduled patient of Dr. Christopher Pawlinga at St. Louis Hair Restoration who had paid in full (over $15,000) and completed pre-op paperwork. After listing Truvada (taken as PrEP) on their forms, they say they were told an HIV test was required, then that their four-month-old result was not acceptable. They declined a new test as discriminatory, the owner cancelled and refunded, and hours later an email said the procedure would go ahead with no HIV test. They call it a "profoundly disturbing experience"; the comment is cut off and does not say whether surgery took place.
1 thread they wrote in
- male
Gophers14 posted six-month photos after an FUT with Dr Pawlinga at PAI in Indianapolis, paying $8,000 with a 10% down, 0% interest payment plan offered; he is unsure of the graft count, saying only 3,000 to 4,000 hairs. He had shock loss initially that levelled out around months 3 and 4, and says the donor scar is invisible enough to him with a number 2 guard. He gave no overall verdict beyond sharing the results.
1 thread they wrote in
- surgery 2020
- excellent FUT extraction source ↗
- techs did great work implanting source ↗
- sales staff will look after you source ↗
Longjumping-Site-833 had a first surgery with Dr Pawlinga in 2020 and a second with Dr Slusher in 2023, both at We Grow Hair Indianapolis. They said "Both did excellent FUT extraction. Techs did great work implanting." They recommend FUT as more cost effective and for maximum coverage, and say cost depends on the level of procedure and may be negotiable. No grafts, price or outcome details are given.
1 thread they wrote in
- May 2023 6 month update ↗
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- entire team very professional throughout source ↗
jd651, commenting on a $14,000 WeGrowHairIndy quote, says they had an FUT procedure with Dr Pawlinga's clinic at a price similar to that quote and a similar amount of grafts. They wrote 'The entire team was very professional throughout everything.' No result or later update is given.
- 4,500 grafts
Redville5 commented in a thread about a quote at WeGrowHairIndy in Indianapolis that they had 4500 grafts, at $8k after negotiating the price down. They said their team was great and they do not regret anything. No date, technique or result details are given.
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RedditUserr445 said in April 2024 that they were booked to get an FUE procedure with Dr Pawlinga that year. They give no verdict, graft count or price.
1 thread they wrote in
- Apr 2024 Looking for opinions ↗
- 27 yo NW4 surgery 2022
- friendly, helpful staff source ↗
- good experience overall source ↗
- good amount of pain at suture site source ↗
At 27 and Norwood 4, this patient had FUT with Dr. Pawlinga at We Grow Hair in Indianapolis in 2022; they had planned FUE but the clinic thought FUT would give better density. They estimate 3000-3500 grafts but are not sure. They report about 10 days of pain at the suture site and small growth along the hairline at 40 days. At about 3 months they called it a good experience overall with friendly, helpful staff.
2 threads they wrote in
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Z_dadding had an FUT consultation with Dr. Chris Pawlinga in July 2019 and was quoted $6,000 USD for about 2,000 grafts by FUT (versus $14,000 for FUE), excluding travel and accommodation. They said at times he seemed genuine and at others was fast-talking techno babble, concluding "I'm still on the fence about the doctor." They had not had surgery.
1 thread they wrote in