Hair Transplant - What it is, Benefits, Procedure and much more

What is Hair Transplant?

• Hair fall leads to receding hairlines and badness which adds years to a person's appearance.
• Shying away from social interaction decreased self-confidence, and feeling handicapped while dating or for matrimony are common fallouts.
• Hair loss is even more distressing in women who are traditionally accustomed to a full head of lustrous luxuriant hair.
• Hair transplantation is the only method that restores lost hair as well as a naturally youthful appearance...
• BUT ONLY WHEN DONE BY RIGHT PERSON
• Hair restoration or hair replacement is popularly known as hair transplant.
• Alopecia, commonly referred to as hair fall, is an everyday concern that affects both men and women.
• There can be various reasons for hair fall like stress, different diseases, undergoing medication or treatment and genetic factors. A few of the above-mentioned reasons are for the time being and can easily be reversed. But eventually, a lot of people undergo permanent hair loss which can lead to a lack of self-esteem and confidence.
• Hair transplantation surgery is a great option for people who are suffering from baldness or hair thinning issues.
• Losing a few strands of hair routinely either during hair wash or on your hairbrush or a pillow is pretty normal since it is a part of the wear and tear of the hair growth cycle.
• The telogen stage of the hair growth cycle is the resting stage and hair loss tends to occur mostly during this stage. During the telogen stage, the hair relaxes its hold on the root that leads to the bulb of the hair to move closer to the surface of the scalp.
• As per the study conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology, men and women tend to lose on an average of almost 50 to 150 strands of hair each day. Out of the total hair loss mostly 10% of the strands are expected to be in the telogen stage. Sometimes even a higher degree of hair loss i.e. up to 250 strands on the day especially when you wash your hair, can be considered as extremely normal. But if the hair loss goes beyond the routine shedding, then that can be pretty alarming and a matter of huge concern.

Men and hair loss:

The actual peak period of hair fall for men begins in the late 20s or early 30s. But maximum men are known to undergo noticeable hair loss by the time they are 50 years of age.

For men who are undergoing unusual hair loss or hair fall, the problem should be addressed as early as possible especially when the hair fall is in its early stages. Immediate curative action will help reduce the extremity of hair loss and also simultaneously suitable hair regrowth treatments can be suggested.

But in cases where there is the occurrence of baldness, the only way for hair recovery is treating the affected area with hair transplant surgery.

Women and hair loss:

Fortunately for women, the incidence of hair loss is not as frequent as with men. Women generally suffer from hair thinning issues rather than baldness. On an average one out of every four women is known to suffer from hair thinning. Hair thinning can be a big reason for concern in women and it might have a negative impact on their self-confidence and can sometimes lead to depression. The market offers a wide range of products for thinning hair scalp restoration. But mostly the core cause can be cured only to a limited extent and not fully.

In women as well, for cases with the occurrence of baldness, the only way to hair recovery is treating the affected area with hair transplant surgery.

 

Stages of hair loss: THE NORWOOD SCALE

The Norwood scale consists of a stack of images that indicate the various different stages of hair loss.

The different stages are described as follows:

• Class1. Marginal or minimum hair loss.
• Class 2. Hair loss near the temples.
• Class 3. The preliminary stage of hair loss where treatment is necessary for recovery.
• Class 4. Hair thinning and evident bald patches observed.
• Class 5. Hair thinning of the crown are with initial stages of baldness.
• Class 6. The top or crown area of the head is completely bald and hair thinning at the sides.
• Class 7. The last stage of baldness with minimum hair seen on the scalp.

It is extremely important to know the point at which the hair treatment needs to be started.

Men in their late 20s or early 30s can wait for a few more years to undergo a hair transplant.

Since there are chances that the true hair fall may happen over a period of time and then they might again have to undergo another session of hair transplant surgery.

One should have realistic expectations from the procedure before undergoing the transplant. The success of the surgery completely depends on the condition of the hair follicles which will serve as a donor. So basically if the hair loss is not very severe and the donor hair follicles are healthy then the surgery can have a satisfactory outcome.

Who Needs It?/ Candidature For Hair Transplant

Who is the best candidate for HAIR TRANSPLANT?

• If you have a receding hairline
• If you have thinning hair, and your hair loss does not result of any treatment or stress
• If your hair loss is permanent but you have adequate hair growth or sufficient hair follicles which can be used for transplant
• You know that treatment may take several months or even a year.
• If you have bald spots

The following are some common reasons why you may want to consider hair transplantation:

Eligibility to undergo a HAIR TRANSPLANT :

• Any of the above-mentioned reasons makes you a suitable candidate to undergo HAIR TRANSPLANT, But to be an eligible candidate for surgery you should also fulfill the following criteria:
• Every surgical procedure including plastic or cosmetic surgery involves certain risks. You should undergo a HAIR TRANSPLANT only if you have a medical requirement or you feel that the particular surgery will enhance your quality of life.
• You shall be a good candidate for the HAIR TRANSPLANT if you are healthy, you have realistic expectations from the outcome of the surgery and you are aware of all the risks associated with the procedure.
• You cannot consider undergoing cosmetic surgery if you have serious health issues like diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, bleeding disorders like haemophilia or depression.
• You shall not be a good candidate for the HAIR TRANSPLANT if you smoke or drink too much alcohol.
• You should have a positive attitude!
• Your expectations from the outcome of the surgery should be realistic.
• You should be ready to miss at least a few weeks of normal activity.

 

Benefits Of Hair Transplant

You may not need a wig!
Hair transplant is a kind of permanent solution

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

• Youthfulness

Ageing is a natural process which everyone goes through. Visible wrinkles, fine lines, blemishes are signs of ageing. Such skin flaws makes you look tired or aged. But with HAIR TRANSPLANT like suitable treatment one feels younger, healthier and rejuvenated.

• OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Studies do suggest that people that are more attractive benefit in their personal as well as professional lives.
Studies have also found, good looking people have a higher probability of getting promotions and making more salary.
A 2012 study published in Applied Financial Economics revealed that good looking real estate agents were able to sell properties at a higher price than agents that were average looking.

Disadvantages

• The procedure is time consuming, treatment may require months or a year for regrowth of hair.
• The consistency of hair growth cannot be guaranteed!

Hair Transplant Procedure

Hair transplantation procedure:

There are several hair transplant protocols depending upon which area of the scalp is affected and needs to undergo treatment. Irrespective of the methodology used for transplant; the basic principle is a removal of healthy hair follicles and grafting them to the affected or damaged area. Mostly the donor site is the head. A local anesthesia is given to the patient at both the donor and recipient areas. Sometimes there can be a requirement of oral or sedatives. The donor area with healthy hair follicles is selected, carefully removed and the scar formed is conveniently covered up with existing hair. The donor scalp removed is then segregated into almost 1000 of tiny little segments which contain single/several hairs. The segregated pieces of donor scalp are then carefully grafted on the affected i.e the balding or hair thinning region. Another common methodology for hair transplant includes relocating hair as a flap of scalp skin which consists of thousands of hair follicles. The flap of removed hair is then placed on the affected area. The most challenging task of the surgery is to maintain uniformity of the scalp and simultaneously to cause minimum pain and damage. The surgery can last from around 2 to 8 hours depending upon the intensity of hair loss and the amount of hair that needs to be transplanted.

 

What are your options?

Strip Harvesting / FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant)

In a FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) method, A strip of hair generally removed from the back of the head. This strip is dissected into small pieces to implant over recipient site. This method is faster than harvesting and implanting hairs from various locations.

 

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

In this method small groups of hairs are harvested from various locations of head and then implanted into recipient sites. This method is time consuming but there is less bleeding, scar are small and scattered all over head and no sutures needed!