Whether you have lost your hair due to genetic or lifestyle factors, a hair transplant is one way to restore your hair. This procedure helps to add more hair to the fully or partially bald patches on your head. It’s done by taking hair follicles from the thicker parts of the scalp (donor site) and grafting them to the bald spots (recipient site).
Hair Transplant Procedure
A hair transplant session can take 4 hours or more, and you may require 3 to 4 sessions to achieve the desired result. During the procedure, your surgeon will thoroughly clean your scalp and use local anesthesia to numb the treatment area. Then, they will perform any of the following hair transplants procedures :
Follicular Unit Transplantation
- Your surgeon will use a scalpel to make a long incision on the skin at the back of your head to remove your scalp. Then, they will close the area with stitches.
- Next, they will use a sharp surgical knife and magnifying lens to separate the removed scalp into small sections.
- They will graft these sections into the recipient site to give a natural, voluminous look.
Follicular Unit Extraction
- Your surgeon will make several tiny punch incisions to remove hair follicles from the back of your head.
- They will make tiny holes in the recipient site using a needle or blade and then graft (place) hairs in these holes.
- Your scalp is then covered by gauze or bandages for about 10 days.
What to Expect After a Hair Transplant Procedure
You may experience sore scalp and need to take prescribed medications, including:
- Antibiotics to eliminate the risk of infection
- Anti-inflammatory medications to minimize swelling
- Pain-relieving medications
It is quite normal to experience hair fall on the transplanted site after two to three weeks of the procedure. This will make way for new hair growth within 8 to 12 months post-transplantation. Your surgeons may also prescribe medications to improve hair regrowth and prevent future hair loss.
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Does This Procedure Involve Any Complications?
Hair transplant procedure presents only minor and short-term complications, including:
- Scalp swelling
- Bleeding
- Unnatural-looking tufts
- Bruising around the eyes
- Temporary loss of transplanted hair
- Itching
- A crust that forms on the donor and recipient site
- Infection or inflammation of the hair follicles (folliculitis)
- Lack of sensation or numbness in the treated scalp areas
What Will the Results Be Like?
A hair transplant procedure ensures long-term results, meaning you can continue to grow hair in the transplanted site. However, the volume of your hair will vary depending on:
- Hair caliber or quality
- How loose your scalp skin (scalp laxity)
- Hair type (curl or straight)
- The density of hair follicles in the transplanted site
Other Alternative Hair Restoration Techniques
Tissue Expansion
This is performed to treat baldness. A device called a tissue expander is inserted under the hair-bearing scalp next to the bald area and inflated with saltwater for a few weeks, causing the skin to expand and grow new skin cells. Once the skin under the hair-bearing scalp is expanded, another procedure is performed to bring the expanded skin above to cover the bald area.
Scalp Reduction/Advancement Flap Surgery
This is done to treat baldness at the top and back of your head. First, a section of the bald scalp is removed, and then the surrounding skin is loosened and pulled to insert the hair-bearing scalp that covers bald areas. Depending on the size of the bald spot, your doctor may remove a segment of the scalp in a U, inverted Y, or oval shape.
Flap Surgery
This technique is used to treat large bald areas and can be customized to suit individual requirements. A section of the bald scalp is removed, and one end of the hair-bearing flap is lifted and sewn there while the other end remains attached to its original blood supply, ensuring the relocated hair grows to the edge of the incision.
If you are looking for a
hair transplant near me, contact our experts at the Mane Center for Advanced Hair Restoration. Our highly experienced and qualified
hair surgeons can perform the procedure with the best results.
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