Does Hair Transplant Surgery Really Work?

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Posted on : June 08, 2021 | Category : Hair Transplant | Author: Beverly Hills Hair Restoration Team

Before most getting a hair loss treatment, most hair loss patients often ask themselves – does hair transplant work?

The simple answer is that it works very well. In fact, a hair transplant procedure will work continuously for years once it’s performed by a specialist. However, the treated area needs proper care, and the person needs to stop smoking a few weeks after the hair transplant surgery. The patient also needs to avoid strenuous work and exercises for two weeks after the surgery. And since the transplanted hair will fall out eventually before new ones grow, there is no need to use shampoos and hair conditioners.

Hair transplant surgery also worked for older men who underwent this hair restoration procedure, and their hair looks like cornrows on their scalps. Even though there is enough proof that hair transplant surgery works, most patients still ask themselves – does hair transplant work? Hair will be restored and how they grow is entirely up to the patient. How the patient takes care of the hair also determines whether the hair grows naturally or not. Researching for the best hair transplant surgeon in your area also determines the results of the procedure. The obvious reason why most hair loss patients prefer getting a hair transplant surgery is that it offers a permanent solution to hair loss. Certain conditions will also determine the long-term effects of a hair transplant surgery.

The patient undergoing hair transplant surgery needs to know that it will take about six weeks after surgery for the newly transplanted graft hairs to start falling out. A person shouldn’t be alarmed when this happens because it is a temporal phase. In another five or six weeks, new hair will start shooting out of the grafts. A more natural result is guaranteed after the patient gets a surgical “touch-up.” A few weeks after the hair transplant surgery, the touch-up surgery will be gone in some individuals suffering from. There are some individuals with hair loss whose hair loss condition requires several sessions to attain full hair.

What is a hair transplant?

Adding more hair to a patient’s scalp requires what we refer to as hair transplant surgery. This type of hair treatment is done using a surgical or cosmetic procedure to help areas of the scalp that are suffering from thinning hair or balding. Does hair transplant work? If you are among the people who usually ask this question, you need to understand how the procedure is done. The surgeon responsible for the treatment will remove healthy hair from one part of the scalp, known as the donor area. Androgens, which are male hormones responsible for hair loss, do not control the donor area. That is why such areas of the scalp don’t suffer from hair thinning or balding. The doctor may also decide to use hair removed from other areas of the body, and it will still work.

Prior to a hair transplant procedure, the preparations that have to be made include:

Shortening the hair in the donor area to allow easy access when removing or harvesting graft hair that needs to be transplanted.
To prevent pain and discomfort, local anesthesia will have to be injected by the surgeon performing the surgery.
After removing the graft hairs from the donor area, the area needs to be stitched up and closed.

The graft hair removal and transplant procedure involve:

For patients with small hair thinning and balding areas, slit grafts, mini-grafts, punch grafts, and strip grafts are done to restore hair in the balding areas.
A hair loss patient with an extensive hair loss condition will have to undergo conditions such as tissue expansion, flaps, or scalp-reduction procedures are performed.

Various types of hair transplant surgeries

1. Strip Harvesting

In this type of hair transplant technique, the doctor responsible will cut strips of skin from the scalp in the donor area. The doctor will then punch these strips into the balding areas of the scalp. Out of these tissues comes new hair.

2. Flap Surgery

This is the recommended hair transplant surgery for patients suffering from hair loss conditions with large patches. A single flap contains about 350 grafts. When performing this procedure, the surgeon cuts up an area of the bald scalp. In another area of the scalp containing healthy hair is lifted off. One end of the flap will still be attached to its original blood supply. The area where the bald patch was, is replaced with the flap with dense, healthy hair and stitches into place. Compared to other hair transplant techniques, this procedure is more reliable.

3. Scalp Reduction

Another name for scalp reduction surgery is advancement flap surgery. This hair transplant technique involves pulling forward parts of the hair-bearing scalp or advancing it to fill the balding area. To allow the scalp containing healthy hair to come together, the surgeon loosens the skin surrounding the cut-out area. The hair-bearing scalp is pulled and stitched.

4. Micro-grafting & Slit Grafting

This is an ideal hair transplant technique for recreating the frontal hairline. Using a needle or a scalpel, the doctor makes slits in the scalp. In these slits, the doctor will then insert strips of tissue containing hair implants.

5. Dilation

To insert mini-grafts or micro-grafts into the scalp, the surgeon puts dilators to push aside the scalp. The hair thinning parts that were graft hairs need to be inserted; the doctor may need to punch holes. Lasers may also be used to create a graft insertion site.

6. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

In the FUE hair transplant procedure, individual hair follicles are harvested from the donor area in the scalp. Once he has the required number of hair grafts, small holes are made where the hair implants will be inserted.

Once the hair transplant is performed, this post-procedure protocol needs to be followed:

The surgeon uses an antiseptic ointment and sterile gauze to bandage the surgery area.
Swelling is reduced by injecting the scalp with triamcinolone steroid.
The patient needs to take pain relievers, antibiotics, vitamins, and other medications to promote hair growth.
After the hair transplant surgery, the patient will be asked by the doctor to refrain from doing strenuous activities such as exercises, sex, or weightlifting for three weeks.
The patient will also have to avoid washing the hair for two weeks after the procedure.

Also, you can Read: Looking For An Affordable Hair Transplant In Seattle? Fly To La For Best Results

How does a hair transplant work?

The simplest way to explain how a hair transplant works is when healthy hair is taken from one area of the scalp or body to another area suffering from hair loss. The back of the scalp is a suitable donor site because it hardly suffers from hair loss. The doctor will first sterilize and numb the surgery area with a local anesthetic. If the patient desires, sedation may be administered during the procedure. After that, the doctor may decide to use either of the two hair transplant techniques available – FUT vs FUE.

FUT – Follicular Unit Transplantation

Another name for the FUT hair transplant procedure is FUSS – follicular unit strip surgery. Performing the FUT hair transplant procedure requires the following steps:

A scalpel is used by the doctor to remove a strip of scalp tissue from the back of the head. Although the strip size may stretch from ear to ear, it is usually about 6 to 10 inches long.
The area where the strip was removed is closed with stitches.
Assisted with hair transplant technicians, the surgeon will use scalpels to divide the strip into smaller pieces called follicular units. From one strip, they may get about 2000 graft hairs which may contain a single hair strand.
The extracted hair is then inserted into the receiving side of the scalp.
Gauze or bandages are used to cover the surgery area.

The following will determine the number of graft hair that the patient will receive:

The type of hair the patient has
The size of the recipient area
The hair’s quality or thickness
The color of the hair

FUE – Follicular Unit Extraction

These steps will be followed as the surgeon performs the FUE hair transplant procedure:

Healthy hair is shaved from the back of the head.
From the scalp skin, individual hair strands or grafts are removed. Tiny marks are left where hair was removed.
Just like the FUT hair transplant procedure, the doctor will create tiny holes to insert each hair follicle.
The last step is to cover the surgery area with bandages or gauze.

Does Hair Transplant Really Work?

After undergoing the hair transplant procedure, the patient should expect hair to grow half an inch every month. But how do hair transplants work? Noticeable results are seen within three to four months after the surgery, but the full hair growth will be seen in a year’s time. Before new denser hair grows, the implanted hair will fall out three to six weeks after the surgery. Even though the scalp will have less hair than before during this phase, it is quite normal. Within a few months, the hair will grow back. Stimulation of hair follicles may be done using medications such as Rogaine (minoxidil) or Propecia (finasteride). The graft hairs may not survive in some cases. If this happens, the patient may be forced to undergo another hair transplant procedure. For successful treatment, several surgical procedures may be required. Seven months should pass before undergoing another session. Filling the frontal hairline lowering may require an additional touch-up procedure to achieve a more natural look.

Conclusion

If you keep asking yourself, ‘does hair transplant work?’, this post has given you the answer. However, it is critical that you consult our hair transplant physician first before opting for any hair transplant procedure. This helps to understand the probable cause of your hair loss and understand which types of hair transplant procedures are suitable, depending on the quality of your hair and volume. It also helps to know the hair transplant cost and whether you can afford it.

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