What Do You Know About A Hair Transplant?
Is it permanent?
Does a hair transplant stop hair loss?
Can my hair loss be covered in one operation?
Can anyone have a hair transplant?
More men and women are turning to a surgical hair restoration option when dealing with their hair loss. The techniques used have evolved so today natural hair groups can be moved around the head to mimic nature rather than the old pluggy look of hair transplants of the past.
Hair loss occurs in the majority of men and more increasingly now in women, it is seen by many who suffer as a flaw to be cured. Socially it is considered to be an unwelcome sign of ageing and points towards poor health and wellbeing.
Generally, we try to look our best, feel good about ourselves and like to convey a youthful appearance to others. Life today has its own demands and more and more people look to cosmetic surgery for answers to the aging process.
But, do you know what you are getting yourself into, are there any consequences to looking and feeling better about ourselves?
Is it permanent?
A hair transplant works because our hair around the sides and back of our head is genetically strong (donor hair), we can remove some of this hair to replace lost hair over the top of the scalp (recipient area). This is the case with male (MPB) and female (FPB) pattern baldness but not necessarily for all hair loss conditions that can affect the hair quality all over the head and sometimes the body.
There are two techniques, FUT and FUE, they differ in how the hair is removed from the donor area. As long as the hair is removed from a safe zone and not damaged during the hair transplant process the hair will regrow and behave as if never moved. If hair is taken from an unsafe hair loss prone area it may grow but later fall out naturally regardless of how well the hair transplant was performed as the hair follicles carry the hair loss gene.
Other hair loss conditions such as traction alopecia can be treated with a hair transplant as long as the donor hair remains strong enough to remove hair safely. Alopecia areata and other auto-immune conditions make any area of the hair potentially unsafe to remove hair from and results can be impossible to predict.
Consulting with a hair loss specialist can help to answer many questions such as your hair loss cause and stage and whether your donor area is potentially safe for a hair transplant or maybe whether there is an alternative treatment that would be suited to treat your condition.
Does a hair transplant stop hair loss?
Hair follicles are genetically programmed from birth, the genetic coding determines the behaviour of the hair follicles through life.
The hereditary hair loss condition is called androgenic alopecia. This form of hair loss is passed down genetically from family members, and there is a predestined potential this gene will be inherited by one or more family members.
Baldness is a medical condition that affects some 25% of men in their 20´s and an astounding 2/3 of all men after the age of 60. The predilection to hair loss can occur at any time through our adult life, as early as in our teenage years. Hair loss is progressive and although can be slow once it starts it will generally continue normally following the genetic patterning within the family.
A hair transplant has no bearing on whether your existing hair will or will not continue to recede and suffer from genetic hair loss over time. Having a hair transplant at the wrong time may have negative consequences if hair loss continues and especially aggressively and you cannot maintain a natural looking hair coverage because of this.
In many instances and especially in the early stages of hair loss rather than starting with a surgical hair restoration option there are medications available that have been FDA (Food & Drug Administration of America) approved to help stem the loss of hair and in some cases even improve on the growth of the existing hair. It is important to understand, medically or surgically there is no miracle cure and results will vary from person to person, no one can promise a specific result and it is vital you research the products and techniques available before making any steps to use them.
Can my hair loss be covered in one operation?
The potential number of grafts on an average scalp that can be harvested can be around 7000, dependent on the techniques used, to harvest these numbers in one procedure is generally unethical, usually not possible or wise due to donor and scalp limitations.
More procedures can be carried out at a later date if the person loses more native hair or wishes more coverage. Donor management allows the sensible and ethical distribution of hair to gain the maximum result for the patient.
Factors such as age, hair loss stage, Norwood Class and progression of hair loss will help to answer this question; but in most cases, a person will certainly undergo more than one procedure; even if there may be many years in between each. With the use of both FUT and FUE techniques, it is now possible to widen the harvest area and increase the overall graft number potential.
Like for like hair lost cannot be replaced, for one the hairs are gone and secondly technically it is impossible to do even if there was the hair to do it with.
A hair transplant works partly on the illusion of thickness. The newly transplanted hairs are placed close enough together to create the necessary density and then aspects such as hair characteristics play a role in creating the look of fullness. By keeping the hair long enough so each hair overlays the next adds to blocking the scalp and the illusion is created.
Can anyone have a hair transplant?
Not all hair loss conditions are suitable for a hair transplant and not all people make good hair transplant candidates. A hair transplant may technically be possible for almost anyone as long as they have hair to use but this does not mean everyone is eligible for a hair transplant or that it is the correct option to take in treating hair loss. A bad result from a previous hair transplant is not just the physical scars and unsightly hair growth that is left but also the mental ones, mistrust, doubts, and concerns; let alone the fact the donor area has been compromised and is now more limited.
A few considerations whether a hair transplant is the right choice
Your Age
Your Hair Loss Stage
Family Hair Loss Patterns
Medical complications
Your Goals and Expectations
It is still important to understand there are limitations to a hair transplant procedure, it is not a miracle cure and is bound by the limitations of the donor hair you retain and the degree of hair loss you have suffered, coupled with your age and potential for future hair loss.
Advances in hair transplant surgical hair restoration techniques are well suited to treat both men and women; today´s technology enables high density and natural hairline designs. For those that are suitable candidates, the latest follicular unit grafting hair transplant methods present an ideal solution.
