Hair transplantation is a surgical technique to counter hair loss. Small strips of skin with hair follicles are moved from one part of the body to the part that is experiencing hair loss.
It is most commonly used to treat male baldness. Other uses are restoration after scarring, for example to restore eyelashes, eyebrows or beard hair.
Variations
Variations exist between the harvesting of the skin with hair follicles, commonly called grafts.
Strip Harvesting
This technique has a very apt name: the surgeon will cut a strip of hair from a part of the head where no baldness occurs. The resulting wound will be closed with sutures. After the resulting strip will be cut into small pieces: these are the resulting grafts.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Again a very clear name. Instead of removing a strip of skin with hair, individual hair follicles are removed from the donor site. The main benefit is that there are no stitches required, resulting in a faster recovery time. This technique is still quite new and now all hospitals will be able to offer it.
Procedure
The surgery is almost always done on an outpatient basis. The surgeon will apply local anesthesia and optionally a mild sedative. The scalp is thoroughly cleaned with shampoo and an anti-septic.
The surgeon will then move on to harvesting the grafts from the donor site. The most common technique is strip harvesting. After the surgeon closes the resulting wound, the strip is dissected in small follicle groups (in case of strip harvesting).
After the surgeon will continue to make small punctures in the skin with a micro blade or needle. He or she takes care that the right density and angle is achieved, so the end result looks natural. In the final stage, the grafts are placed in the punctures.
Recovery after the procedure
After the procedure your scalp will be covered in tiny wounds. You will receive a special dressing that needs to be replaced daily. After one or two days you will have to start shampooing the affected area to prevent scabs. Scabs can result in the newly placed grafts falling out. Especially in Thailand, it is of great importance to stay out of direct sunlight.
During the first 10 days, unfortunately all of the newly transplanted hair will fall out. This is called shock loss and a perfectly normal occurrence. After 2 or 3 months, the new follicles will start growing new hair. During the first 9 months, the hair will continue to thicken.
Risks
Hair implant are relatively safe procedure, especially with FUE, but there are certain risks, including scarring, bleeding and infection.
Risks specific to hair implants are swelling of the scalp or forehead. This can be remedied with medication. Occasionally the treated area is itchy in the beginning, but care must be taken not to scratch, since the follicles haven’t attached yet. A moisturizer can help.
Years after the procedure, when more natural baldness occurs, a weird pattern can emerge as the implants still grow healthily but are surrounded by bolder patches. Additional implants are often the best solution in this case.
Who are candidates for hair implants?
Usual candidates are men or women who experience thinning hair or bald spots (male pattern baldness). Other people who opt for hair implants are persons with scars on their head, beard area, eyelashes or eyebrows.
