faqs

Hair Transplant – Introduction

It is very important to choose the right hair clinic with a good ranking before getting your consultation scheduled. Taking a second opinion is also an important aspect while making a decision on getting a hair transplant done. The doctor assesses the hair loss pattern and suggests a plan of action to proceed further with a procedure for hair restoration. Hair is taken from the client’s scalp and is placed in a pattern that looks natural to make the end result look undetectable. There are two major methods hair transplants are performed in.
1) The FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method and
2) Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) method.

The one that is majorly used is the FUE technique.

Before any surgery is implemented the doctor suggests a list of pre-operative investigations & instructions that must be followed for good hair transplant before and after results. The surgery takes amost whole day as it takes several hours. Local anesthesia is given during the procedure that keeps the client awake during the surgery. This is for both FUE and FUT procedures. Both methods can look identical when compared to the insertion process, but the difference lies in the extraction process.

After the transplant surgery, the client might experience some redness, swelling and tiny scabs which reduce slowly and vanish within a few weeks. Some of the transplanted hair might fall off but the root follicle of the hair remains and new hair grows back within a few months. Both FUE and FUT methods of hair restoration have pros and cons.

1. FUE being the painless and easily recovering technique, it is more time-consuming for the doctors and therefore is on the expensive side.
   2. FUT or the Strip method is less time consuming and less costly, but many clients are concerned about a possible scar that it leaves.

History of Hair Transplants

Hair loss has been a common issue for both men and women. It is a natural phenomenon that occurs in every 2 out of 3 men and 1 out of 5 women. In a survey recently, it was seen that 60% of men are genetically programmed to lose hair while women lose hair prominently due to hormonal imbalances. About fifty years ago, in the late 1940s, the first hair transplant technique was discovered. This traditional transplant method is the “punch method” which was done by moving large groups of hair from behind the scalp (where hair genetically is dense in growth) to the areas of the top and front which requires hair growth.

1. What To Ask During The Hair Transplant Consultation?

It is very important for that patient to have faith in the doctor they are consulting. This faith comes with a frank conversation with the doctor. The client must not hesitate in asking anything that comes to their mind as this will make it easier for the doctor to give the right advice to the client. Our hair transplant doctors will be more than happy to answer all kinds of queries to make sure our clients feel comfortable during consultations.

The client can ask about the doctor’s experience with the type of hair transplants, and can also ask for the before and after pictures of previous clients. The clients can also get in touch with older clients to know their experience and to have an idea of their post-surgery outcome. The main questions that any client must ask and clarify are:

1. How long will the hair transplant session take? (Whether one or more than one sessions will be needed) and,
2. The total cost for the hair transplant procedure. (Finances need to be worked out)

2. Is a Hair Transplant Right for You?

The very first and significant step that anyone who suffers hair loss must take is to see their regular doctor and check for any underlying causes that are contributing to the hair loss. Many times, medications, stress and treatable illnesses can cause hair thinning. So assuming that a hair transplant could be the only solution would not be accurate.

If the client is young in age, he or she must not rush into getting a hair transplant done as the hair loss pattern needs time to mature. The transplanted hair on a scalp where the final pattern is not established can result in an unnatural look as hair loss continues. Clients with unrealistic demands and expectations need to know and understand that the doctors cannot do anything beyond certain limits as there could be chances that the outcome may look plastic and unnatural. If all these aspects are clear to the clients they are good to go ahead with the hair transplant procedures.

3. How Does a Hair Transplant Work?

A hair transplant is done by taking healthy hair follicles from the back or side of the patient’s head, beard or chest and is transplanted to the balding areas of the head. Transplanted hair is genetically resistant to baldness. If the transplant is done properly the new hair will last long.

4. Hair Styling After Hair Transplant

The clients should be able to style their hair to their liking after a year. After a transplant surgery the hair grows slowly and by a year it is completely grown. The hair grows normally and can be styled freely with products that are used for styling, such as sprays, gels, and mousses. The hair can also be dyed to give it a new look. Blow drying can add volume and body to the hair. Proper styling and grooming of the hair after a hair transplant is very important as this will help the person’s personality to gain confidence.

5. Habits That Affect Hair Transplant Surgery

Excess intake of alcohol can interfere with certain medications or lead to unwanted complications, such as bleeding, during or after a hair transplant. The doctors prefer that their clients avoid or may be completely stop drinking, smoking and consumption of certain herbs and medications they are generally used to, for a few weeks before the transplant surgery. Smoking should be avoided a couple of weeks prior to the surgery. Smoking cigarettes or any other kind of tobacco can also have a negative effect on the hair transplant.

6. How Long Does The Procedure Take?

A typical session of between 1,500 to 3,000 grafts normally involves 6 to 8 hours of surgery on an outpatient basis. Most patients will arrive in the morning and will have their procedure done by late afternoon.

7. How Long Does It Take For The Transplanted Hair To Grow?

Usually, within the first 3 months, the client can expect to see new hair growing. Between 6 months and 1 year, the client will see significant changes from before the hair transplant. The hair will be longer, thicker and denser in volume than before. While it may take a while for the hair to grow completely, the hair that is growing is permanent and will continue growing for a lifetime.

8. Are The Results Permanent?

Since the hair follicles that are transplanted to the balding areas are taken from genetically resistant areas to going bald, they grow for the rest of the life.

AFTER EFFECTS OF HAIR TRANSPLANTS:

 1. Hair Transplant Redness?

All individuals who undergo a hair transplant might witness some side effects after the procedure. Scalp redness after the hair transplant is a common side effect that many clients will experience. The reason for this rednesscan be the tiny slits on the scalp which are made during the surgery so that hair can be extracted and inserted as needed.

 2. Hair Transplant Surgery – Will I Need Time Off Work?

The two major hair transplant methods, the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method, and the Strip technique, have a clear difference between them which might affect the time that will be needed off from work. The difference is the process in which hair are removed from the scalp. Either way, the time will have to be given for the surgery but the strip method takes a longer time. Recovery might take 2 to 3 days of rest and the patient must avoid stretching of the head and neck for 2 to 3 weeks.

 3. Hair Transplant: Pain

Prospective hair transplant clients are sometimes concerned about the potential pain that they might experience during the procedure, but unlike many other cosmetic procedures a hair transplant does not hurt at all. Especially the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method there is absolutely no pain. In most hair transplant procedures the clients are awake as the scalp is injected with local anesthesia and the client is not likely to feel any pain. The only discomfort during a hair transplant procedure may occur while local anesthesia is being injected.

4. Healing After The Hair Transplant Surgery

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure, and like all other surgical procedures, there will be a time frame where healing takes place. The healing period will have much to do with which hair transplant procedure was chosen. FUE does not involve any scalpels or stitches so there are no big wounds that take the time to heal. With the Strip method, there will be a long linear wound on the back of the scalp. This takes a lot of time to heal, and the stitches or sutures are removed after 10 to 14 days.

5. Scarring After Hair Transplant Strip Surgery

While every hair transplant method has its pros and cons, the long linear scar is perhaps the biggest drawback when it comes to hair transplants with the Strip procedure. A hair transplant with the Strip method still attracts many clients because it is affordable and a large amount of hair can be transplanted. While the scar from a hair transplant with the strip method is of concern to many of those who consider this procedure, it is important to keep in mind that it is possible to have a very thin scar that is undetectable by trichophytic closure.