My doc shaved my recipient area. I had to wear a hat to work for the 1st month. After that I shaved down the sides and back and used dermatch to conceal the scar. That worked pretty well.
You can check out my blog for pics. I didn't suffer too much shockloss (which was a pleasant surprise since I am a diffuse thinner), which made it easier to conceal the ht as the hair on top was mostly uniform even when the new grafts shed.
As the others have pointed out, a lot depends on whether you have your head shaved for surgery. All in all, the first 2 months, or the ugly duckling stage is rough, but the return on investment is well worth the inconvenience.