Hair Transplant

What is a Hair Transplant?

A hair transplant is a procedure where the surgeon moves hair to the bald area in the head. The hair is moved from the back/side to the front/top of the head. The various factors, leading to hair loss include diet, stress, illness, hormonal imbalance, and medications.  People experience social anxiety and distress when they lose their hair.  A hair transplant brings back what it looks like to have a full head of hair. If thinning up hair or going bald is bothersome, the procedure is one way to make one feel more confident. 

What causes hair loss?

1. Androgenic or pattern hair loss.

There is great influence of genetic in the balding of the person. Each hair follicle( roots) has different orientation from birth  to the hormonal action. that is the hair root in front of your scalp ( hair bearing region of your scalp)are different to that of the back.

With men, there is a complicated relationship between testosterone and hair loss. Dihydrotestosterone is a derivative of testosterone and it interferes with the hair growth cycle. So, hair restoration treatments for men underpin their objective to shielding the hair follicles from the harmful effects of the Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This is usually treated with oral finasteride and topical minoxidil.

When it comes to hair loss in women,

1. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and childbirth may cause hair fall. 
2. Nutritional deficiencies are  common causes for hair loss in women include iron deficiency, zinc ,biotin
3. Thyroid problems,
4. Autoimmune diseases, etc.
5. Chemotherapy and exposure to radiation, use of birth control pills, etc. also lead to hair loss.
6. Medicines used to treat heart problems, high Blood Pressure, depression, mental health problems, etc. also weaken hair follicles and end up in hair loss.
   

How to treat hair loss? 

The first and foremost point in hair loss treatment is finding out the cause of the problem. A good clinical history and examination will be able to tell the reasons. Most patient’s treatment stages can be set in three stages.

• Medications
• stimulation therapy
• hair transplant

1. Medications

always the first step is to treat with medicines ,it could be your nutrition or hormonal. It will not only help the poor hair to get nourished and grow but also in case we are planning for transplant it could make the transplant more succsessful.in other words, don’t  just jump to transplantation.

2. Stimulation therapy.

this along with the nutritional can get the hair from growing. There are different stages of life cycle of a hair. some times they goes in for long sleeping mode. the stimulation therapy can help the hair to wake up and just start growing.

plasma rich platelet, laser hair stimulation are available.

3. hair translate.

transferring on one own hair from one area to other is called as Hair transplant. that is the hair growing in the back of the scalp tend to live longer so when that is transplanted to front. It again tends to live longer.

The area from which the hair is harvested is called as donor areas.The skin is then transplanted from the donor site to the bald or hairless portion of your head. This is called the recipient site or area.

Even though the method of transplanting is same ,there are two ways by which we could harvest. 

• Follicular Unit Technique or Strip technique.
• Follicular unit extraction
  

Follicular Unit Technique or Strip technique,

Follicular Unit Technique or strip method of hair restoration is one of the most commonly used methods across the world. It uses local anesthesia to transplant the hair. From the donor area, a strip of tissue from the back of the  head is removed. The number of hair strips depends on the number of grafts that is aimed to restore. This donor site is then stitched and sutured for healing. The stitches are removed after 10 days from the procedure. 

The hair strips are then dissected under a microscope and divided into hair grafts with 2-3 follicle units. 

1.   Follicular unit extraction,

This is now the preferred method  when compared to the strip technique. Hair naturally grows in tiny groups or what we call follicular units. Each follicle units can hair 3 to 4 hair. 

 In Follicular Unit Extraction technique  of hair transplant, we harvest these follicles as single unit  and  then transplant them to the needed area. 

We use a special instrument  to take off the hair follicles from the site. Unlike the strip technique, there is no need for sutures or stitches. 

Implantation.

It is same regardless of the method of harvest. Once the harvest  is over the surgeon  prepares the recipient area on head. Small incisions are made in the area where the implant is going to take place   and the hair grafts are inserted using special instrument. The angle and density of hair transplant needs attention and crucial evaluation. It takes about 5-8 hours for the entire transplant. On a average around 1000-2000 hair follicles are transplanted.

 

Difference between FUT and FUE.

Features	FUT	FUE
Shaving /Trimming of head	not needed	needed
Cost	cheaper	expensive
Large areas	possible	difficult
Stitches required	Yes	No
Visible scarring with short hair at back	May be present	Tiny dot like scars
Pain after the procedure	Minor	None
Time required for the procedure	Short	Longer
Healing time: donor area	2-3 weeks	Approximately 1 week
Healing time: recipient area	Around  2 weeks	10–14 days
Amount of time after which patient may return to work	Next day	Usually the next day, BUT SOME DISCMFORT FOR2 WEEKS
Natural results	Yes	Yes
Transection rate (grafts damaged during extraction)	Varies 1–2%	2-5%

 

Post operative care, 

Your scalp is washed and dried. You may go home after the procedure. The time it takes to recover depends on your health and the type of transplant you have had.

Usually prescribe oral painkillers and antibiotics to avoid infection.

There is swelling of the scalp , transplanted area. You will be advised to use ice to reduce the swelling. 

Headache and a heavy feeling on your head are common and this subsides in a day or two. You may also experience oozing in the transplant area and this also subsides in a day or two. 

Avoid engaging in intense physical activities and strenuous workouts for at least 10-15 days post the hair transplant. 

How long does it take for new hair to grow?

In two to three weeks your hair growth may begin and hair follicles may appear seeding in renewed hopes. But, you must be prepared to lose the hair when the hair follicles settle down and go dormant. Then, further growth usually begins anywhere after 2 to 4 months of transplant. It sometimes takes a year. So, this is totally dependent on the health of the individual and type of transplant. You must also remember that the remaining hair is still sensitive to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). So, to protect this, we always recommend that you continue to use oral finasteride and topical minoxidil after transplant. 

FAQ

• Will the hair loss continue even after the  transplant?

The transplanted hair will under go some shedding and then it would start to grow. however, the pattern baldness will not continue in the similar way that happened earlier.

• what is the ideal age for hair transplantation?

There is no such criteria. however it is wise to delay the process as much as possible. to begin with start of your medical and stimulation therapy first. dont jump into tranplant right away.

• when it come to hair loss treatment, ayurveda or allopathy. whhich one give 100% results?

If the pattern hair loss is the reason none of the system gives you total recovery. with the help of medication you could only delay the process.

• Is hair transplantation permanent?

yes, it is permanent.

• can saloon people do hair transplant?

Unfortunate this question has come up. Govt of india recognised only plastic surgeon and trained dermatologist to do hair transplant. that too it has to be done id hospital backing setup.

• How to get cheap hair transplant?

when it come to your health prefer quality and safe infection free procedures. there are many lost during hair transplant mainly due to trying to cut cost.

• what is the cost of hair transplant?

Cost varies from city to city and center to center. the expertise and the quality of things used determines the cost. the normal range is some where in between 40 to 50 per follicle.