Hair Transplantation Basic
For men, baldness can be taken as a sign of old age, unattractiveness, and infertility. Although none of these signs may be true, hair loss is a cause of low self-esteem and low self-confidence in men.
In the past, men have gone to desperate measures in trying to cover up their hair loss. Among the several options used for hair restoration now, hair transplantation is considered as the most effective and eventual treatment for baldness.
Hair transplantation is a minor outpatient surgery that simply relocates existing hair follicles from the donor site to the balding area.Hair transplantation has a high success rate as long as you have enough donor hair.
The procedure generally takes about 3 to 5 hours depending on the number of grafts. There will be a fine scar on the donor area that you can easily cover up with the surrounding hair. Patients usually feel little pain during local anesthesia, and can return to work the very next day. There is no additional care needed on the transplanted hair; just treat it like your ordinary hair, because it is your own hair! The transplanted hair will start to grow in 3 to 6 months, and will have the same strength, color, texture, length, and life span as your hair from your donor area.
Within 6 months of the procedure, the transplanted hair can be groomed and combed in any fashion you like. By doing a hair transplant now, you can replace your hair as it begins to thin and bald.
Hair transplant procedure
Before the hair restoration surgery begins, your doctor will review your previously discussed goals and expectations and work with you to determine the most effective use of your donor hair.
Donor Area Removal & graft prepararion
Hair transplant surgery begins with injections of local anaesthesia into the donor area. The anaesthesia will ensure that you feel no pain. Donor strip removal takes about 30 minutes. During this part of the procedure, you will be lying face-down on a comfortable table very much like a massage table.While your doctor is closing the donor site, technicians will begin separating follicular units from the donor area.
A Break and Refreshments
Once this initial phase of your hair restoration is completed you will be able walk around to stretch your legs or use the washroom. One of the technicians will bring refreshments for you while other staff members prepare the procedure room for the second phase of your hair restoration surgery.
Hair transplantation on the Recipient Site
For this part of the procedure, you will be seated in a comfortable, reclining procedure bed. You can watch TV and movies and see a university campus over the windows.
Post-Op Package
Once the procedure is finished you will be presented with an after care post-operative package. This package consists of various medications such as an anti-biotic, mild pain killers and other assorted items to make your post-operative healing time go as smoothly as possible.
What are the side effects or complications?
A: There are some minor, temporary complications:
Pink Skin on Graft Area
The implanted area will be pink, and the skin slightly shiny. It may last from two weeks to eight weeks then return to normal.
Temporary Thinning of Pre-Existing Hair
After the surgery, it is normal for some pre-existing hair to thin. The pre-existing hair will return to normal in full condition within a few months after the surgery.
Bleeding
Some bleeding is normal and will stop with simple pressure. Persistent bleeding occurs in about one in a few hundred cases. Additional stitching is rarely required.
Pain
Pain is usually fairly minimal and lasts only a few days. 50% of our patients do not require any pain relievers, and the others take Tylenol for a few days.
Numbness
Some transient numbness is inevitable, and usually lasts from three to eighteen weeks. It is rarely bothersome or long-lasting.
Swelling
There is some swelling in aboout one third cases. It affects the forehead and the area around the eyes and lasts two to five days, being maximal on the fourth day.
Infection
This happens in one in several thousand cases and is easily cured with antibiotics. We will provide you with antibiotics after the procedure prophylactically.
Scarring
Keloid scarring occurs only in pre-disposed individuals, and even more rarely (1/1000 cases) has this keloid scarring been hypertrophy to the point of "ridging."
Cysts
One or more cysts may occur in the recipient area. They usually disappear by themselves after a few weeks. They are not usually more than 2 or 3 mm in diameter, i.e., the size of small pimples.