Hair Transplant – Procedure, Risk and Treatment

Hair Transplant – Procedure, Risk and Treatment

As humans, we tend to overlook the importance of good health for our hair, until they are gone. If you are one of those oblivious people, hair transplant is what you need to restore a healthy scalp. (not that it matters) It will definitely make you feel more confident about how you look. But first, let us understand the procedure, need and results of hair transplantation.

What is Hair Transplantation?

Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure to fill a bald spot or a spot with thin hair. In this procedure, hair is taken from one part of the body known as the donor site and placed, grafted or implanted at the balding part of the body known as the recipient site. 

Hair transplantation is a modern procedure, which is generally used to treat male patterns of baldness. In most cases, hair is taken from the back of the head as it is an area that is not at risk of balding. There is no risk of rejection of the transferred hair tissue as it is not foreign tissue. This technique is becoming extremely popular these days, due to the high success rate and advancement in its procedure.

What is hair loss?

Losing 50-100 hair a day is normal because, with more than 1,00,000 on your head, such a small loss is indistinguishable. This is how it works- the hair grows, stays for a while and then after an interval of time, it falls down. The lost hair is replaced with new hair and this cycle keeps repeating. But in some cases, this cycle gets disturbed and no new hair grows in the place of the fallen hair. If this continues for a while, you will start noticing thinning of hair or even see bald patches appearing on your scalp. This condition is known as hair loss. It can be permanent or temporary. In this case, you should immediately consult your doctor to determine the cause behind the hair loss and devise a treatment plan for you.

What are the symptoms of hair loss?

In most cases, you may notice high hair fall during washing or combing your hair. The symptoms of hair loss are-

• Receding hairline
• Visible bald spots or scalp
• Thinning of hair at crown area
• Eyebrow and eyelashes hair loss

What are the reasons for hair loss?

There are multiple reasons which can lead to hair loss, like-

• Heredity
• Stress 
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Poor nutrition
• Medical conditions
• Medication

How is hair transplantation done?

Hair transplantation is done using two methods-

• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Hair Transplant Procedure

• After conducting a few tests to check if you can get hair transplantation surgery, the surgeon will examine the bald spot.
• Once you are called to the clinic for the treatment, the surgeon will clean your scalp and give you a local anesthesia to numb the area over your head.
• Now, the surgeon will conduct the surgery and choose one method to obtain follicles for transplantation also called Hair Grafting.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

• Also known as Follicle Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS), in this method, the surgeon will cut out a strip of scalp skin, generally from the back of your head with the help of a scalpel. The incision made, which could be several inches long depending on the requirement will be then closed with the help of stitches.
• Now, using magnifying lenses and a surgical knife, the surgeon will cut the donor scalp into tiny follicular units. They could make as many as 2000 units, known as grafts. These grafts contain one or multiple hair follicles.
• At the bald spot (recipient spot), the surgeon will use a needle to make small holes, in which these grafts will be planted. This process is known as grafting.
• Once all the follicle units have been planted, the surgeon will close the surgical area with the help of bandages for a few days.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

• In this method, the surgeon uses specialised tools to directly extract hair follicles from the draft skin by making thousands of tiny punch incisions.
• Since there is no long incision, you will usually not require stitches and the scarring will be less noticeable. 
• Just like in FTE, these grafts will be then planted in the holes made at the recipient site.
• Bandages will then be placed on your scalp to cover it for a few days.

A single hair transplantation session can take 4 to 8 hour, depending upon various factors.

Post Surgery

Once the surgery is complete, your scalp will be very tender for a while. The bandage will be removed after a couple of days.  You will be taking pain medication for a few days to alleviate the pain and swelling. They also reduce the chances of infection. And you will be called after approximately 10 days for removing the stitches. You might need another hair transplantation depending on the hair loss. 

It will take several days until you can return back to your work life. The transplanted hair will fall off after 2-3 weeks. And you will be able to see noticeable hair growth within or after nine months of the surgery.

What are the side effects of Hair Transplantation?

There are some side effects of hair transplantation, but they go away within a few days or weeks. They are-

• Bleeding
• Numbness in the area of surgery
• Itching 
• Swelling in the scalp
• Infection
• Bruise marks around eyes
• Growth of unnatural looking hair 
• Shock loss, or loss of transplanted hair
• Crust formation on the area of surgery
• Folliculitis, inflammation, or infection in the hair follicles

Advantages of hair transplantation surgery

• Boost in confidence
• Improved appearance
• Lower expenditure in hair maintenance

FAQ

Q-1. What is the cost of Hair Transplantation surgery?

Ans. The hair transplant cost in India is 2 lakhs rupees, which may go up to 5 lakhs rupees. is calculated based on the number of grafts required. Each Graft has 3 hair follicles. The procedure carries a cost of While some other low-cost treatments may be offered

Q-2. Is hair transplant permanent?

Ans. Yes, hair transplant is a permanent procedure.

Q-3. Will the hair transplant look natural?

Ans. If the transplant surgery is performed by a trained and experienced surgeon, the hair transplant will look absolutely natural and no one will be able to tell taht you have had a hair transplant. 

Q-4. Is the hair transplantation procedure painful?

Ans. The only time pain is felt is when the anesthesia is being injected into the scalp. And once you have been given anesthesia, the scalp becomes numb and you cannot feel any pain.

Q-5. How much time does it take to recover from the surgery?

Ans. Recovery time depends on person to person and the type of method used. Some might be able to return back to work within a couple of days while for some, it may take weeks to return back to work.

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