Hair Transplant: All You Want To Know!

What is Hair Transplant?

It is a technique that moves hair follicles from side or back of the head called the donor site to a bald portion of the head known as the recipient site surgically, primarily used for male pattern baldness treatment.

At what age you may undergo a hair transplant?

The answer is simple, anyone above 21 suffering from baldness can undergo hair transplantation. There have been instances where people above 80 have also undergone hair transplant treatment and got completely natural and permanent hair growth.

What is the exact number of hair grafts needed to cover baldness?

The scalp is examined by a hair surgeon and the level of baldness is checked and the density of hair in the donor area needs to be evaluated. Depending upon the results, the number of hair grafts that would be needed to cover your baldness is determined.

Need for Hair Transplant 

Approximately 60% of men and 10% of women suffer from extensive hair loss. Balding is a serious concern for many and there are various other treatments available other than hair transplant but how effective they are?

There will be a rise in demand with the increase in awareness and knowledge about hair transplants being the most modern and effective technique to treat baldness.

In this article, I am trying to cover every aspect of Hair Transplant.

Regain your Hair and Confidence

Loss of self-esteem, insecurity, and even depression are major worries for any individual suffering from baldness. Their shoulders drop and head get low due to lack of self-confidence.

Hair treatment is a boon to every such individual and there are many options available. Those who prefer nonsurgical techniques opt for shampoos, hair growth cosmetics, and much more.

Countries like the USA and Turkey are considered to be the best for hair transplants. India is booming as a medical tourism destination having state of the art medical facilities and hair transplants in Visakhapatnam and many other metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru are making their mark on the global platform.

The Procedure  of Hair Transplant

First, the specialist cleans the scalp and injects medicine to numb the back of your head. There are two methods for hair transplant

1. Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS)
2. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).

With FUSS, a 6- to 10-inch strip of skin is removed from the back of your head. The specialist sets it aside and sews the scalp closed. This area is immediately hidden by the hair around it.

Next, the specialist’s team divides the strip of removed scalp into 500 to 2,000 tiny grafts, each with an individual hair or just a few hairs. The number and type of graft you get depend on your hair type, quality, color, and the size of the area where you’re getting the transplant.

For the FUE procedure, the hair specialist’s team will shave the back of your scalp. The hair follicles will be removed one by one. The area heals with small dots, which your existing hair will cover.

After that point, both procedures are the same. After the grafts are prepared, the specialists clean and numb the area where the hair will go creates holes or slits with a scalpel or needle and delicately places each graft in one of the holes. He’ll probably get help from other team members to plant the grafts, too.

It takes about 4 to 8 hours depending upon the size of the transplant.

Benefits of Hair Transplant

Hair transplants are completely natural and safe. No special chemicals or medicines are used that might damage your hair. Amongst all the hair growing methods hair, transplant surgery is so natural that people won’t be able to recognize you got a hair transplant.

Another benefit is that you get very manageable hair. Transplanted hair works just like your naturally grown hair so you don’t need to apply any special shampoos or chemicals to maintain its density.

The biggest benefit of transplant is the person gets back his confidence. There is no hassle in handling the transplanted hair. The person can maintain it as per his wish. He can color it, wash it, and can do hairstyles also.

Side effects of Hair Transplant  

The good part about hair transplant is a quick remedy for hair loss but there are negative aspects to be taken into consideration. The following are the side effects mentioned below.

Minor Side Effects include short time hair fall following the traumatic effect on the scalp and may reduce a bit of decaying hair. Scars due to transplantation of hair follicles are the other minor side effects.

Infection is the only major side effect that is quite rare to happen. Infection can lead to other body problems.

Do’s post Transplant

• Make sure you have someone to drive back home since anesthesia is given during the process.
• Follow all the instructions given by your specialist as he is aware of what is the best post-surgery care for you.
• To allow rapid healing try to keep your scalp dry.
• The grafted area might be sore and numb, refrain from putting anything on the scalp, not approved by your surgeon, and keep the area around the scalp clean throughout your recovery.
• There will be a certain amount of scarring and itching post-surgery so taking care of a scar is very important. Apply antibiotic topical cream prescribed to prevent infection and scalp irritation and swelling.
• Sleeping position is a very important factor and try to keep your head as much elevated as possible for the first two to three days post-surgery to avoid excess swelling on your scalp.
• Try sleeping on a reclining chair if you find it difficult to sleep with an elevated head in a semi-upright position.
• It is very important to make a visit to your surgeon’s clinic for bandage removal and hair wash for the removal of dead skin so that damaging of hair follicles is prevented.
• Do wash your hair with shampoo prescribed by your surgeon a day after your hair washes at the clinic.
• Do hand wash your hair for the first couple of days post-transplant and avoid going under the showerhead.
• The ice pack is the best thing to use to reduce bleeding and swelling in the first week but do not place it directly on the grafted area rather place it on your forehead or back.

Don’ts post Transplant   

• Do not expose your swollen scalp in direct sunlight until its completely healed. If you cannot avoid going outdoors wear a hat.
• Avoid touching the newly grafted scalp. Touching or rubbing the area due to itchiness will result in falling out of new grafts
• Do not drink alcohol for the first-week post-transplant.
• Do not smoke for an entire month after the surgery.  Prepare yourself to reduce your daily cigarette count a few months before you plan for a hair transplant.
• Don’t engage in sports or any other physical activity that will cause excessive sweating. Perspiration will increase the risk of getting an infection.
• Do not take a steam bath or sauna at least for a month.

I have tried to cover all the important aspects and hope it useful for anyone planning to go for a Hair Transplant.

In case you are NOT Bald enough but are facing Noticeable Hair Loss, then you ought to check out these 25 Natural Remedies to Cure Hair Loss!