What is a hair Transplant ?
It is common that most people suffer from a receding hairline and spot baldness over time, which can cause some distress and also a blow to the self-esteem and confidence. Hair loss can occur due to a variety of factors ranging from genetics to nutritional deficiencies, and there are a variety of ways to treat it as well, with hair transplant being one method of re-growing hair. Hair transplants have a very low risk of failure and practically no side effects when performed by a trained specialist. This technique can help you regain confidence by restoring your appearance.
Hair transplantation aims to restore a more youthful appearance for those distressed by hair loss, particularly androgenetic alopecia. This activity reviews the evaluation and management of patients undergoing hair transplantation and explains the role of the interprofessional team in improving care for patients who undergo this procedure.
Thanks to the latest technological advances in hair transplantation treatments, your so natural that hair can get a look that a barber or stylist cannot tell you’ve had anything done. While these advances are giving patients natural-looking results, the outcome still depends largely on the surgeon you select. You want to choose a doctor who understands hair loss and performs hair transplants regularly.
Experienced dermatologists specialize in treating conditions that affect our skin, hair, and nails, so they know a lot about hair loss. They perform hair transplants and can tell you whether a hair transplant is suitable for you.
- Enough healthy hair on your scalp that can be transplanted to the area that needs hair
- The ability to grow hair on the thinning area of your scalp
What happens during a hair transplant?
You can expect a hair transplant to take between four and eight hours. If you are having a large amount of hair transplanted, you may need to return for a few hours the next day.
Most patients remain awake during the entire surgery and need only an anaesthesia that makes the scalp numb. Some patients also take a mild sedative to help them relax.
Hair transplant surgery usually lasts between 4 and 8 hours. The surgery begins with your dermatologist removing the healthy hairs. To give you natural-looking results, your dermatologist may remove the healthy hairs by either cutting a strip of skin with healthy hairs from your scalp or removing individual hairs.
The second option takes a lot more time, but avoids leaving a long, narrow scar on your scalp. This can be beneficial if you prefer close-shaven haircuts like buzz cuts.
Before the surgeon can transplant the hairs, technicians need to prep the removed hairs and the surgeon must get your scalp ready for the transplant.
Depending on the number of hairs to be transplanted, two to three members of the hair transplant team may help place the healthy hairs into the area that needs hair. Once all the hairs have been transplanted, your scalp will be bandaged and you will be given instructions for at-home care.
When do patients see results from a hair transplant ?
Most patients see results between six and nine months after surgery. For some patients, it takes 12 months.
It’s important to know that between two and eight weeks after the surgery, the transplanted hair will fall out. This is normal. By the third month, the hair may look thinner than before you had the transplant and that is totally normal.