What is hair transplant? Good hair boosts confidence levels, self esteem, comfort levels, good relationships and social positions. Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that involves moving individual hair follicles from one part of the body (the donor location) to bald or balding parts (the recipient location). It is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness. In this case, grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to bald scalp. Likewise, it is also used to restore eyelashes, eyebrows, beard hair, chest hair, and pubic hair and to fill in scars caused by accidents or surgery such as face-lifts and previous hair transplants. Hair transplantation differs from skin grafting in that grafts contain almost all of the epidermis and dermis surrounding the hair follicle, and many tiny grafts are transplanted rather than a single strip of skin.
Are you thinking about having a hair transplant? If you are younger than 30 years, you must avoid hair transplant. If you are older than 30 years you may go for hair transplant. But before going for hair transplant, you must know the cause for your hair loss. If hair loss is due to stress and strain, you must try for natural way. However, if hair loss is due to total loss of hair follicles, you may go for hair transplant. The hair follicles that no longer produce hair are replaced one at a time with healthy hair follicles to replicate the natural growing hair process. In just two to three months, you will begin to see the hair growth process take place. The hair will then grow approximately a half inch every month. Typically, 20-30 grafts were placed at a time.
Hair Transplant Techniques:
1. Strip Harvesting - a strip of scalp is removed under local anesthesia, the wound is then sutured back together and this piece of scalp tissue is then cut in to small pieces of tissue called grafts which are then transplanted back in to the thinning area of the patient's head. This method will leave a linear scar in the donor area, which should be covered by a patient's hair (if long). The recovery period is around 2 weeks and will require the stitches to be removed by medical personnel.
2. Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE Harvesting - individual follicles of hair are removed under local anesthesia; this micro removal uses tiny punches of between 0.6mm and 1.25mm in diameter. Each follicle is then reinserted back in to the scalp in the thinning area using a micro blade. Because individual follicles are removed, only small, punctuate scars remain and any post-surgical pain is minimized. As no suture removal is required, recovery from FUE is within 7 days.
Problems with Hair Transplant:
- Depending on the amount of graft, the cost for hair transplant varies around $9,000 to $15,000
- You need to take anti-inflammatory and many other medicines after the operation
- You may not able to sleep properly for about a month because of pain
- Hair thinning, known as "shock loss", is a common side effect that is usually temporary.
- Other side effects include swelling of areas such as the scalp and forehead. If this becomes uncomfortable, medication may ease the swelling. Additionally, the patient must be careful if his scalp starts itching, as scratching will make it worse and cause scabs to form.
References:
http://www.hairtransplants.co.uk/
