If you're thinking about a hair transplant, be sure you have realistic expectations. Hair restoration techniques have improved greatly in recent years, but there are limits. The success of a transplant still depends on how much healthy hair you have to donate and how fast you are losing hair.
How does hair transplantation work?
For a hair transplant, a surgeon takes natural groupings of hair follicles and replants them in places where hair has been lost. Older methods involved taking as many as 50 "donor" hair follicles and replanting as an unnatural-looking plug of hair on a cleared-out patch on the scalp.
With newer techniques, natural one-to-five hair groupings are removed and implanted in-between existing hair follicles. The result is often so natural that it makes the new growth almost undetectable from the old.
Are hair transplants right for you?
Hair transplant may be a solution if you have male (or female) pattern baldness. It may also be helpful if you have patches of hair loss from scarring, burns, radiation therapy or infection.
To be a good candidate for hair transplant, you must have enough healthy existing hair to donate. If you don't, or if you are losing a lot of hair quickly, hair transplants may not be a good option for you.
The best results occur when there are well-defined areas of hair loss and dense hair growth on the sides and back of the scalp. It's also helpful to have a combination of fine and coarse hairs. Light-colored hair often looks more natural than darker hair.
What is the surgical procedure?
Hair transplant surgery is usually done by a plastic surgeon, dermatologist or other surgeon who specializes in hair restoration surgery. The procedure may take place in your doctor's office under local anesthesia. The surgeon will:
- Remove from the scalp tiny strips of skin that have natural clusters of healthy hair follicles.
- Divide the strips into smaller grafts of various sizes.
- Place the grafts in small holes or slits made in balding or thinning areas on your scalp. Hair can also be grafted in other areas, such as your beard or eyebrows.
- Close up the donor hair sites. Usually only very small scars remain, which can be covered by hair.
Each hair transplant session may last from one to several hours. It may take several sessions over a span of months to fill in a bald area. Sometimes, surgeons may use a combination of hair-restoration techniques for the best results. These may include scalp lifts, scalp reduction or tissue expansion.
As with any surgery, there is always a risk of complications, such as bleeding and infection. These risks are rare. There may also be prolonged scalp numbness and some grafts may not grow in their new location.
What can you expect after surgery?
Recovery is generally fairly quick. You may have a bandage for 24 hours and some swelling or bruising around your eyes for a few days. Your scalp may crust or scab over for a week or so after that. You are often able to resume daily activities right away and exercise after two weeks.
Don't be surprised if your new hair growth falls out a few weeks after surgery. This is normal and usually temporary. It may start to grow again in five to six weeks, at the rate of about one-half inch a month.
Some men find that using one of two medications after surgery may help slow hair loss and increase the quality and density of new hair growth. They are minoxidil, a nonprescription cream, and finasteride, an oral prescription medication. But be sure to ask your doctor before using anything on the scalp after surgery.
SOURCES:
- Avram M. Follicular unit transplantation for male and female pattern hair loss and restoring eyebrows. Ophthalmology Clinics of North America. 2005;18(2):319-323.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Hair replacement.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Hair restoration.
If you’re a good candidate for a hair transplant , taking advantage of the permanent solutions of balding is the best option for males suffering with male pattern balding.
ReplyDelete