“Dr Ravi, I want to ask a question that has been troubling me for a long time.”
My patient Hrishikesh asked this question while I was explaining the Hair transplant process.
He asked me -” I read somewhere that If I undergo Hair Transplant surgery, my brain can get damaged. Is it true? You will operate in my head region, so will it affect my brain?”
I felt the question Hrishikesh asked reflects the lack of knowledge about medical procedures. As a plastic and cosmetic surgeon with 20 years of surgical experience, I have performed very complicated procedures on various body organs, starting from head to toe.
Hence I thought of writing this blog to educate everyone who wants to undergo a hair transplant procedure but has doubts and fear. Please read the article carefully and feel free to ask me if you have any questions.
Why hair transplant procedure in the first place?
If you are starting to lose hair and looking for a solution, then you are not alone. We know that about 80% of the world’s population suffers from hair loss. There are many causes of hair loss, such as hormonal abnormalities, stress, or nutritional deficiencies, hereditary baldness. This can also occur due to improper hair treatment or treatment procedures. Although there are no life-threatening effects from hair loss, the psychological impact on people is enormous, which is very understandable.
I understand that hair loss is a bitter experience. Fortunately, Hair transplantation is a long term solution.
Do you know Hair transplantation is the only procedure that provides relatively fast and satisfying results for hair loss?
Possible risk of hair transplantation is similar to any other surgical procedures. The hair transplantation is usually regarded as safe. You may experience pain, swelling, and inflammation of the scalp for a minute, hours, or only for a few days after the procedure. This is a common side effect of surgery during the initial recovery period, and you don’t need to worry. At the Hairsure Clinics, I prescribe the necessary medication to soothe your pain.
Hairsure Clinic’s doctors provide patients with surgical hair loss solutions and carefully explain the benefits and risks of hair transplantation before undergoing any procedure regardless of technique. There are no riskless surgical procedures, and hair loss surgery is no exception. Although the experience of the doctors at our Clinic helps minimize the risk.
What is a hair transplant?
First of all, the hair transplant procedure involves minimal surgery, which distinguishes it from conventional surgery. This means that hair transplants are quite safe. After you arrive at the Clinic, the surgeon numbs your scalp with local anaesthesia and removes healthy hair from the donor area (usually the back of the scalp). They are then implanted in the bald area (recipient area). Without any complications, high risk, or significant pain, and you will receive your new thick hair in a few months.
How do hair transplants work?
There are two different hair transplant procedures. Both procedures involve the surgeon cleaning the scalp, injecting anaesthetics, and then proceeding with either of the two methods:
- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
- Follicular unit transplantation (FUT), also called Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS).
To perform follicular unit transplantation (FUT), the surgeon cuts a piece of scalp from the back of the head (usually 6 to 10 inches) and then separates it into 500-2000 small grafts under a microscope. In Follicular Unit Extraction FUE, the surgeon removes the hair grafts from your scalp, making hundreds or even thousands of small incisions. The size of the graft produced can also vary, in micrografts.
In both cases, the surgeon makes a small hole with a scalpel in the bald area and then inserts healthy hair follicles into the hole. This is a time-consuming process. One session can take up to 4 to 8 hours, and you may need several sessions (every few months for your scalp to recover) to get the full hair that you are hoping.
Is Hair Transplantation a safe procedure?
As already mentioned, this is a minimal operation. You will not experience any pain during or post-surgery. The recovery process after a hair transplant is also swift, so you won’t feel uncomfortable if you follow the doctor’s instructions carefully. A doctor makes small incisions on the scalp’s skin. The incision is so tiny that you won’t see it after surgery. So we can say with certainty that hair transplants have nothing to do with your brain.
It must also be remembered that this operation is entirely safe and simple, but still requires an experienced medical and doctor environment. It’s also essential that you and your doctor are on the same page. So you have to decide what you want from a hair transplant. If you want to do this operation without side effects and get very satisfying results, you can contact the Hairsure Clinicat any time.
What are the side effects of hair transplants?
Aside from the risk of infection and inflammation of the affected hair follicles (officially known as folliculitis), the possible side effects of hair transplantation are quite small. Still, recovery can take up to three weeks. Patients might experience:-
- Bleeding
- Crust
- Tingling
- Scarring or swelling on the scalp
- Bruises around the eyes
- Itchy
- shock loss, which means that all the transplanted hair fall and grow back
For more information about complications of hair transplant, visit the link.
Now you know what hair transplantation, procedure, side effects are. Then you have a clear image about hair transplant side effects and that do not affect the brain. But, let us see it.
Do Hair Transplants Cause Brain Damage?
The answer is no. To understand this, we must look at the structure of the scalp and skull. The brain is a vital organ, and to protect it, there is a layer of the scalp, a bony skull that covers the brain and then the brain. The scalp consists of 5 layers:-
- Skin
- Connective tissue
- Aponeurosis
- Loose areolar tissue
- Pericranium (which includes the skull bones).
Hair transplant procedures only cover the thickness of a portion of the scalp (upper skin layer), which also extends to the first two layers, so the doctor no way reaches the brain.
Conclusion:
Every type of medical intervention carries risks. If you are thinking about hair transplants, you must do thorough research so that you are ready for what can be offered to you. I hope this article helps explain the side effects of hair transplantation. When you meet with one of our best hair restoration surgeons at Hairsure Clinic, they take the time to answer your questions and give you peace of mind about standard hair transplant. Contact us online to arrange your consultation or call us at +91-40- 42 02 02 02.
