Hair transplant: what to expect

 

 Like health and youth, most of us take curls for granted. For many people, a hair transplant can help restore a fuller, or at least fuller, head of hair.  If thinning or thinning hair is really bothering you, this procedure will help you feel more confident about your appearance. But first, talk to your doctor about what to expect during and after surgery.

 • What is a hair transplant?

 This is a type of surgery that involves moving hair that must fill in areas that already have thin or no hair. Physicians have performed these transplants in the United States since the 1950s, but the technique has changed significantly in recent years.  First, the surgeon cleans your scalp and injects a drug that numbs the back of your head. The doctor chooses one of his two methods for

transplantation: follicular unit removal surgery (FUSS) or follicular unit extraction (FUE). In FUSS, a surgeon removes 6 to 10 inches of skin from the back of your head. You set it aside and stitch the scalp. This area is quickly hidden by the surrounding hair. A team of surgeons then divides the removed strip of scalp into 500 to 2,000 small grafts. Each graft has only one or a few hairs. The number and type of grafts you receive will depend on your hair type, quality, colour, and size of the area to be grafted. When you have FUE surgery, a team of surgeons will shave the back of your scalp. The doctor then removes the hair follicles one by one. This area heals with small dots that cover the existing hair. The subsequent steps are the same for both. After preparing the grafts, the surgeon cleans and numbs the area where the hair will enter, creates a hole or slit with a scalpel or needle, and carefully places each graft in one of the holes. You may also get help from other team members to plant the graft. This process takes about 4-8 hours, depending on the size of the graft you are receiving. If hair loss continues or if you decide to thicken your hair, you may need another procedure later.

 • Hope And Recovery

 After the treatment, the scalp becomes very sensitive. You may need to take pain relievers for several days. Your surgeon will have you bandage your scalp for at least a day or two. They may also prescribe antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs that are taken for several days. Most people can return to work 2 to 5 days after surgery. The transplanted hair will fall out 2-3 weeks after surgery, but new growth will be visible within a few months. Most people see her 60% new hair growth after 6-9 months.