Hair transplantation is a natural & permanent way to treat baldness. In hair transplantation, the hair from the permanent zone of the patient is transferred to the balding areas. Hair transplantation techniques have evolved greatly with the advent of modern techniques and a better understanding of hair structure & physiology.
Who can undergo hair transplantation?
Hair transplantation is one of the most frequent cosmetic surgery done by men. Hair loss is not a condition specific to men. Many women also experience hair loss or thinning problems. Genetic features are one of the most important causes of hair loss, but they may also occur as a result of aging, traumatic injuries, or various medical disorders. Hair transplantation can be successfully performed for all people with a sufficient amount of hair follicles regardless of the cause of hair loss. The transplantation method can successfully be performed not only on the scalp but also for the losses in the other hairy body parts such as the eyebrows, mustache, and beard.
Which methods are used for hair transplantation?
Broadly speaking there are two methods of Hari Transplantation. FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). The FUE method does not leave significant scars while the FUT method that will leave a slight linear scar in the back part of the head. Whereas the hair follicles are taken one by one and implanted to the deficient areas in the FUE method, a skin band containing hair is taken from the back area (Occipital region) of the scalp in the FUT method. The patient who will undergo hair transplantation should have healthy hair at the back part of the head and on the sides to be used as donor areas. Other factors such as the color and thickness of the hair, its properties such as strength and waviness are influential in the result of the procedure. The method to be preferred should be decided after hair and scalp analysis by taking also the priorities of the patient into consideration. Although the FUE method does not leave obvious scars and is mostly preferred, it may be necessary to use the FUT method in some cases. Hair transplantation may be performed not only for balding but to increase the hair density in the thinned areas.
How long does a hair transplant procedure take?
The procedure is completed in a few hours depending on the amount of hair loss. If the hairless area is too large, several sessions may be needed to complete the treatment. In general, the intervention is carried out under local anesthesia.
What is the recovery/healing time after the treatment?
A special bandage is applied to the head section of the patient after the procedure and the patient is discharged a few hours later. Although pain is rare, pain control is provided with pain relievers. The patient can generally go back to work by keeping the head covered after a 3-days home rest. The first medical wound dressing is done on the 5th day.
From which area is hair taken for hair transplantation?
In the procedure, the hair follicles taken generally from the nuchal(Back part of scalp) area are transplanted to the targeted hairless area. These hair follicles taken are called grafts. In rare cases, there is not a sufficient amount of healthy hair in the nuchal area or in the temporal region of the patient. In such cases, hair follicles may be taken from other body parts with hair, such as the arms or the chest wall of the patient.
Does the transplanted hair fall out?
The hair that has been transplanted is shed within a few weeks following the transplantation procedure but this is a normal situation because the lost hair will grow again 3-4 months later. After this temporary shedding has recovered, the transplanted hair follicles preserve their characteristics and they are not shed. However, the original hair in the same area may continue to be lost and new hair transplantation may be planned depending on the decrease in the hair density. Hair loss may persist progressively after the surgical procedure. If an unnatural look appears especially in the new hairline region, additional surgical intervention may again be needed later.
What are the important factors for hair transplantation?
Hair transplantation presents some risks when it is not carried out under suitable conditions just as is the case with all medical interventions. However, when the hair transplantation procedure is carried out by an experienced plastic surgeon in a full-fledged OT setting, the complications are very rarely seen. In addition to this, when the hair transplantation process is performed by an experienced team of plastic surgeons, the success of the treatment is increased.
What is the success of hair transplantation?
For the hair transplantation to be successful, the hair follicles should be vascularized rapidly, that is they should “adhere” to the area where the follicles are placed. If done by the correct method, the success rate of hair transplantation is quite high. For a natural look, the hair should be transplanted to the hair loss areas with a correct distance, correct angle, and correct density.
What are the risks of hair transplantation?
Like every medical procedure, hair transplantation carries various risks. Hair transplantation is a long procedure and several transplants may be needed within 1-2 years depending on the degree of the hair loss. Complications such as infection and significant scars may be seen although these are very rare. After the operation, pain that can be controlled by pain relievers, the sensation of disturbance, some amount of bruising and swelling may be observed. Numbness may occur in the areas where the hair is taken or where the hair is transplanted and this recovers spontaneously within 2-3 months.