Are you noticing bald patches or thinning of hair around your scalp? Now might be the best time to get a hair transplant.
Hair transplant surgeries can result in hair restoration in areas where there is no longer any hair while being only minimally invasive.
However, it cannot compensate for future hair loss.
You may naturally lose hair over time or it can happen because of external factors such as diet, health problems, stress, hormonal imbalance and taking medicines.
The solution lies in getting a transplant. This article discusses its procedure, types and if the process is worth it.
Let’s discuss that in detail below.
Should You Get A Hair Transplant?
If you think the bald patches on your hair affect your confidence, appearance and self-esteem then you may want to go for this procedure.
It is a cosmetic as well as a reconstructive surgery as it restores hair growth.
Natural hair loss is not the only reason to get the procedure.
Burns or an injury can also leave you with bald patches on your head.
Furthermore, men who suffer from male pattern baldness and women who undergo thinning of hair can get this procedure. Hence, both men and women can get hair transplant procedures.
Though, it is not the most ideal for people who lack donor hair sites. These include the back of the scalp, above the ears, or the nape of the neck.
Your surgeon takes hair from these sites to implant it on your head.
If there isn’t enough hair there then it is not possible to get the surgery.
Moreover, if women have a widespread hair loss pattern on their heads then they are not suited for this procedure.
Also, if the reasons behind hair loss are natural or burns then it is treatable however, if you have lost them by taking strong medication such as chemotherapy then it is hard to regrow them.
You should also check if you develop keloids after an injury. This procedure is not suitable for people who get keloid scars right after an injury or surgery.
If none of this applies to you, then you can proceed with the procedure.
It is of two types and your surgeon will discuss what is the best option for you.
Your surgeon will discuss your expectations and show you the before and after pictures of successful procedures so that you can have an idea of what the results will look like.
Then set a date to begin your procedure.
Types of Hair Transplant
The two main types of procedures are:
- Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS) also known as Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Your surgeon will remove follicles from the donor sites and implant them onto tiny slits in the scalp.
The implantation is also of two types. In a slit graft, your surgeon implants 4 to 10 hair in one graft. Whereas in micrografts they implant 1 or 2 hair per graft.
In Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS) your surgeon first removes a small strip of skin from the back of your head or from the chest which is the donor area.
After cutting, they will close the incision on these areas with stitches.
Next, with the help of a microscope and knife, they will make units of the skin that contains follicular units.
These units contain follicles that they will implant in the treatment area that needs to regrow hair.
In Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), your surgeon makes use of a punch tool to extract follicles from the donor area.
Furthermore, they make holes in the treatment area using a needle to implant follicles here.
They can transplant hundreds of hair using this method.
Moreover, it does not require incisions however, it can cause scarring because of the tiny punches.
This procedure can take up to 4 hours or more. The FUE procedure is more time-consuming, extensive and requires a refined skill set.
However, if done well, it produces good results. The length of the procedure depends on the follicles that the surgeon needs to implant.
The back of the head is the most common donor site. However, if that area does not have enough hair, then your surgeon may take it from your chest, back, chin or even beard.
The results may differ for each donor site.
Results
This procedure can give you some change to the fullness of your hair. You can call it a moderate difference.
The effectiveness depends on the thickness of the follicles in your donor site as well as on the expertise of your surgeon.
The success rates differ for each person. However, using PRP for hair with FUE transplant was successful in achieving about 75 percent hair regrowth in just over 6 months.
Hence you can use Plasma in Dubai for hair to complement this procedure and fasten your hair growth.
You will get thicker hair after the procedure. However, this does not put an end to your hair loss or thinning.
Therefore, there can be patchy and uneven follicles.
For that, you may end up following with another touch-up procedure. This will help fill the areas that do not blend well creating an unnatural look or those places that are empty.
Therefore, you should follow your surgeon’s instructions about post-procedural care to avoid any issue with the results. More on that below.
If you take good care of your hair then it can last several years with follow-up procedures in between.
Aftercare
Right after your procedure, your scalp will be swollen and it may hurt.
Hence, your surgeon will give you antibiotics and pain medicines before you leave their office.
The antibiotics will minimize the risk of infections whereas they will also give anti-inflammatory medicines which will reduce the swelling.
As this procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, you will get a local anesthetic and you can leave the same day. Though, you should call someone else to drive you back.
They will cover your treatment site with bandages which you need to keep in place for one or two days.
They may suggest you rest till the time you have your bandages and your scalp feels less tender. Usually, you can return to your normal routine in about 2 to 5 days.
Two to three weeks into the surgery, your transplanted hair may start falling.
This is nothing to worry about as this will lead to new hair growth.
Around 8 to 12 months, you will see new hair growth which is thick and lustrous.
Around 60 percent of your new hair will grow by this time.
Furthermore, your doctor will recommend you medicines to facilitate growth.
These include minoxidil or finasteride to increase the growth of new hair.
Moreover, they also work to reduce hair fall in the future so that you do not require another surgical procedure.
Hair Transplant Side Effects
The procedure is usually successful but like every other surgical procedure there can be risks and side effects such as:
Swelling and Pain
Your head and face may swell and your scalp will feel tender.
Moreover, your treatment site may hurt especially as the skin begins to heal.
Therefore, your surgeon recommends pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines.
Infection Risk
The process requires making incisions inside the donor site as well as on the scalp where they need to implant the grafts.
Hence, whenever you cut or make incisions on any area, there is a risk of excessive bleeding.
Furthermore, the cuts also pose a risk of infection.
Your doctor prescribes you antibiotics right after the procedure to avoid the chances of getting an infection.
Scars
You may get the following after the procedure:
- Raised bumps around the grafts. Though as hair grows, it can hide these bumps.
- Several Scars due to tiny punches using the FUE method.
- A big scar using the FUSS method.
The FUSS procedure requires removing a long strip of skin. Hence, that is likely to leave a long visible scar.
However, as hair grows around it, it becomes less visible.
Though, if the hair that grows is thin, you have a short haircut or the scar widens as your body heals then it is noticeable.
Other side effects of this procedure include:
- Unnatural looking hair because of incorrect transplantation
- Getting bruises in the eye area
- No sensation on the treatment area
- Itching in hair
- Sudden loss of the newly transplanted hair
- Crusts formation on the treatment area
Before you proceed with your surgery, discuss these side effects with your surgeon.
Like every other plastic surgery procedure, there is a chance of not getting the results you expect.
So think carefully before you go for it!
Final Thoughts
If you think that you lose confidence because of your baldness and it affects your appearance and the social behavior around you, then do not hesitate to go for this procedure.
Your hair isn’t necessarily going to be thick or lustrous. That depends on factors such as the looseness of your scalp, the quality and curl of your hair and the follicle density in the treatment area.
They may keep growing in the treated area of the scalp.
However, remember that the non-treated areas may still experience hair loss.
Therefore, your surgeon may suggest getting a low-level laser therapy to prevent that.
Before going for the hair transplant discuss these factors with your surgeon.
Then choose to go for a thorough procedure with the laser and medicines required, that will get you rid of hair problems and restore your confidence for a long time.
The hair transplant cost depends on your surgeon, condition and the procedure.
Insurance does not cover Hair Transplant in Dubai costs. However, you can visit your doctor in a hair transplant clinic to discuss the costs with them.
Hence book your appointment with a hair transplant surgeon to discuss how much improvement you can see by this procedure.
