Hair Transplantation
What is a hair transplant?
A hair transplant is a procedure in which a plastic or dermatological surgeon moves hair to a bald area of the head. The surgeon usually moves hair from the back or side of the head to the front or top of the head.
Hair transplants typically occur in a medical office under local anesthesia.
Pattern baldness
is responsible for the majority of hair loss. This comes down to genetics. The remaining cases are due to various factors, including:
diet
stress
illness
hormonal imbalance
medications
Who might benefit from a hair transplant?
Receiving a hair transplant can improve your appearance and self-confidence. Good candidates for a hair transplant include:
men with male pattern baldness
women with thinning hair
anyone who has lost some hair from a burn or scalp injury
Hair replacement isn’t a good option for:
women with a widespread pattern of hair loss throughout the scalp
people who don’t have enough “donor” hair sites from which to remove hair for transplant
people who form keloid scars (thick, fibrous scars) after injury or surgery
people whose hair loss is due to medication such as chemotherapy
What happens during a hair transplant?
After thoroughly cleaning your scalp, a surgeon uses a small needle to numb an area of your head with local anesthesia.
Two main techniques are used to obtain follicles for transplantation: FUT and FUE.
In follicular unit transplantation (FUT):
The surgeon will use a scalpel to cut out a strip of scalp skin from the back of the head. The incision is typically several inches long.
This is then closed with stitches.
The surgeon next separates the removed portion of scalp into small sections using a magnifying lens and sharp surgical knife. When implanted, these sections will help achieve natural-looking hair growth.
Complications after FUT are rare. A large supply of blood to the head allows it to heal quickly and helps prevent infections. Less than one percentTrusted Source of people develop an infection from the surgery.
Some potential complications include:
unnatural looking hair
bumps or scarring
inflammation of hair follicles (folliculitis)
bleeding
swelling
pain
numbness
cysts
Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is a type of hair transplant done by taking individual hair follicles from your skin and moving them to another part of your body where hair’s thinner or absent.
FUE has become more popular than the follicular unit transplantation (FUT) procedure, which led to the “hair plugs” look.
Surgeons use micropunches to extract single follicles and move them, leaving behind almost no signs of extraction.
Safety:
The FUE procedure is considered safe with minor possible side effects, such as tiny white scars where follicles were extracted. In extremely rare cases, there can be infection or tissue death where the surgery was done.
You may experience temporary side effects that go away a few days after treatment. Side effects may include swelling, bruising, and sensitivity.
Convenience:
FUE is often done in multiple 2 to 4 hour sessions over the course of several days. In rare cases, a “mega session” may last 10 to 12 hours.
FUE is an outpatient procedure, so you can typically go home after each procedure.
You don’t have to interrupt your daily routine too much after FUE. But don’t do any rigorous exercise for about a 2 weeks.
Almost any type of surgeon is qualified to do a hair transplant surgery. You may want to consult with a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss or is certified in hair transplant surgery.