Baldness and thinning of scalp hair are conditions that affect almost one-third of all men in their thirties and, fifty percent by their fifties. Infrequently, some women also experience noticeable hair loss. There are many causes for hair loss including systemic diseases, severe infection, anemia, thyroid disease, protein, vitamin and mineral deficiency, certain drugs, cancer treatments, childbirth and birth control pills. In this type of hair fall the root of hair is not destroyed. Therefore hair loss is temporary and corrects after the offending agent is withdrawn. However, when hair root is destroyed, the loss of hair is permanent. This include direct trauma such as accidents or operations and inflammatory or infectious diseases of the scalp. But, the most common type of permanent hair loss is Androgenetic alopecia, the exact cause of which is not known. In this condition, hair loss occurs typically from front and top portions of head, while sides and back hair are retained.
Artificial coverage of bald area can be done with hairpieces and fibers, but many people find them unnatural looking or difficult to maintain. There are some medicines and oils in the market that claim to restore hair growth with limited success. Surgical hair transplant is the only predictable and permanent solution for those who are bald or have thinning hair. Hair transplants or grafting is a procedure which produces very favorable, permanent results for many people.
Am I Right Candidate for Hair Transplant?
You should plan a transplant if,
Your hairline is not appropriate for age or you wish to achieve younger looking hair line
You have burn alopecia or traction alopecia.
You have eyebrow, eyelash or facial hair loss.
You should wait if,
You are in your teens or early twenties with unstable hair line.
If you have rare genetic conditions like DUPA, extensive alopecia areata etc.
If you are medically unfit for surgery (uncontrolled blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, heart failure etc)
Even in these conditions, it is best to consult a qualified plastic and cosmetic surgeon; because he can help you chalk out a plan for future and may offer you alternative therapies. An honest expert advice can save you lot of grief.
Before Hair Transplant Surgery
Before Hair Transplant Surgery
Hair transplant or hair grafting or Hair restoration surgery puts natural, growing hair in bald areas. Your plastic and cosmetic surgeon will carefully examine both the area from which the grafts are to be taken (donor site) and the area to receive the grafts (recipient site) to see if they are compatible. The patient's type and pattern of hair loss are evaluated. The cosmetic surgeon and patient discuss how the hair should look in order to produce a pleasing, natural appearance. Photographs are often taken to evaluate the results. Blood tests may be advised to determine whether there are medical conditions such as bleeding or clotting defects that might make surgery inadvisable. Pre-operative instructions may include the elimination of drugs containing aspirin in order to minimize the possibility of excess bleeding.
The Hair Transplant Procedure
The surgery is done in a day care setting at plastic and cosmetic surgeon’s office or a surgical centre under local anesthesia. Immediately before hair restoration surgery, your surgeon will design a hairline for you and trim the donor hair. The area is cleansed with a special solution. There are two basic methods of harvesting the donor hair.
- The strip method
- Follicular extraction method
In the older strip method, a portion of skin containing hair and hair follicles is removed.This piece of skin is then cut into follicular hair units containing one to three hair. These follicular units are then used to refine the hairline. Some centers still use minigrafts, (5-7 hairs) or micrografts (3-4 hairs)but it is not popular now, because the results are not natural.
In advanced FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method, the hair grafts are harvested using micro punches from the scalp. This is a newer and more expensive method. Since the hair are harvested one by one no stiching is required and scars are also not visible.The donor grafts are carefully placed in a pattern that matches the direction of the original hair. The hair grafts are placed in such a way as to achieve adequate density while allowing each graft to receive an adequate blood supply during the healing process.
Following Hair Transplant Surgery
Following the procedure, the patient is required to wear a protective bandage. Patients may experience a moderate amount of discomfort which is controlled with oral medication. Risks and complications are rare because only the outer layer of the skin is involved. Rarely some swelling and around the eyes may occur two to three days after surgery. Using eye compresses and sleeping in a semi-reclining position can minimize these problems. Shampooing is allowed after bandage removal. Stitches, if used are removed around ten days after surgery.
Numbness around the donor and recipient sites is common and will diminish within two to three months. Scabs may be present on the hair grafts for seven to ten days. Small scars remain but are hidden within the hairline. About three to four weeks after hair restoration surgery, the hair begins to fall out. Approximately three months later, new hair appears and grows at about the same rate as it did in its original location, about one-quarter to one-half inch a month. Several treatment sessions may be necessary and patients who want to achieve greater density or refinement of the hairline often return for additional hair transplants. The end result is a hairline similar to the patient's original one.
