Hair Transplant

The Ideal Candidate

An ideal candidate is someone with dense hair in the permanent fringe of hair-bearing scalp. A patient with light-colored hair and pale skin (as opposed to dark hair and light skin) may appear to have a denser look. Patients with very wavy curly hair may require fewer sessions than someone with straight hair. While hair transplants look very natural, the end result may not achieve the density or total coverage that you had when you were a teenager. Results can vary from patient to patient

Techniques

Experienced and qualified surgeons are required to harvest and cut grafts with minimal damage. Generally, surgeons use the blind technique to harvest hair follicles which may result in significant follicular damage at a transection rate of between 5% to 37%. This has been reported in medical literature.

Our surgeon was the first to develop and pioneer an open technique that has proven results of below a 2% minimal transection rate. The technique involves the removal of a strip of permanent hair bearing skin from the back or side of the scalp (also known as the donor area). The strip is carefully dissected with the aid of binocular stereoscopic microscope into follicular units (containing 1-4 hairs per unit) and in selected cases, minigrafts of 2-5 hairs. The follicular unit grafts are then meticulously planted into the thinning area of the scalp (also known as recipient area).

The use of very small follicular unit grafts creates a natural, feathered look and avoids a “plugged” look that was typical of hair transplantation years ago. In selected cases, surgeons may use minigraft to transplant 2-3 cm behind the hairline for added density and cost reduction.

Depending on the degree of balding, 2 to 3 procedures involving several hundred grafts for small areas and up to 3000 grafts for bigger areas may be required to achieve the desired density. Within 24 hours, small crusts will form on each graft which are shed in approximately 7-10 days. The grafted hairs will often start to grow by 2-5 months after the procedure and will continue to grow for life. In rare cases, it may take between 10-12 months before the hair starts to grow.

Side effects

Hair transplantation is a very safe, relatively minor surgical procedure. Complications are rare. Patients may experience mild swelling to the forehead area for a few days after the procedure and on rare occasions, may experience a black eye if frontal scalp is transplanted. Minor infections can occur around a newly transplanted hair follicle, similar to an infected ingrown hair or pimple, but this can treated easily with antibiotics. Minor scarring can also occur in the donor scalp but can be easily hidden by surrounding hair.

Surgical Procedure

The procedure generally takes from 3-6 hours, depending on the size of transplantation area and is performed using local anesthesia on an out-patient basis. Patients are often awake but feel relaxed as they are given a mild sedative. There is usually little or no pain during the surgical procedure. A small head band will be used to secure the donor area in order to prevent swelling. The donor area, where the permanent grafts are taken, is closed with sutures which are removed in 7-12 days. Dissolvable sutures may be used in order to eliminate the need for you to return for suture removal.

Post-surgical Procedure

Post-surgery, patients are given a mild analgesic to relieve any discomfort and may be asked to use moist compresses or spray. Patients are advised to sleep in a semi-upright position for 2-3 days post-procedure to minimize swelling and bruising. Small crusts may form on each graft that can be camouflaged by existing hair. The crusts will flake off by 10-14 days post-procedure. The transplanted hair seen above the scalp will initially be shed, however the roots will remain dormant for 6-12 weeks, at which time new hairs will begin to grow. Numbness that may occur in the recipient area usually disappears in 2-8 months post-surgery.

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