Here Is What We Learn About The Hair Transplant （2024）
What causes hair loss?
- Male Pattern Baldness Caused by Gene and Hormo
- Aquired Factors Lead to Hair Loss
- What is Hair Transplant?
- Different types of hair transplant.
- Applicable Crowd
- Risks and Side Effects
- How to care it?
- Recovery time
Hair losshas become so common in the UK, according to The Daily Telegraph, that almost two in three men will suffer from hair loss before the age of 60. Data studies show that 80 percent of European men have inherited their parents' hair loss gene, compared with about 15 percent of Asians. The UK is ranked fifth in the world in baldness, about two-fifths of men will be bald before the age of 45, and two-thirds of men will not escape the fate before the age of 60.
At present, there are two solutions to hair loss: Non-Surgical Hair Replacement and Surgical Hair Transplant. Hair transplants, which are gaining popularity in the UK, can reverse the pattern of female or male hair loss so that no one will know you have lost your hair.
But first, you need to know the causes of hair loss, which can be divided into two types, congenitaland acquired.
1. Male Pattern Baldness Caused by Gene and Hormone
Pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of male hair loss, accounting for more than 95% of hair loss in men. It can begin in your teenage year, but more commonly occurs in adult men, with the likelihood increasing with age. Men who have close relatives with male pattern baldness will be more likely to it, especially, when their relatives are on the maternal side of the family.
Androgenetic alopecia is associated with male sex hormones called androgens which contributes to the development of what is thought of as “male” sex characteristics, such as body hair. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen and it is derived from testosterone. Both of them are androgens or hormones that contribute to male sex characteristics when people go through puberty. They are responsible for muscular growth, deeper voices, and sex drive, etc. When the testosterone was converted to the less useful dihydrotestosterone, men will experience hair loss because dihydrotestosterone will attack and shrinks the hair follicles. Male pattern baldness sufferers have the hair follicles with a genetic sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Hair follicles sensitive to DHT are easy to miniaturize, which will shorten its lifespan. The shrunken hair follicle gradually produces shorter and finer strands of hair, and finally, it stops growing hair.
2.Aquired Factors Lead to Hair Loss
Obviously, both physical and psychological stress can lead to hair loss. When the capillaries contract, the scalp hair follicles are prone to hair loss due to insufficient blood supply. Meanwhile, the eyesight fatigue of a long time, overweight mental pressure, excessively nervous, impatient or anxious mood, staying up late, etc., all can bring about hair growth cycle to shorten, accelerate hair loss.
Hair loss may also be caused by drugs such as gentamycin, allopurinol, hyperthyroidism, thiouracil, trimethyldione, propranolol (propranolol), phenytoin, aspirin, and anti-inflammatory. In addition, Radiation therapy, as a cure for cancer, is also a major cause of hair loss.
Hair loss is common as you age, but it can also occur due to medical conditions or trauma to the scalp. People who have hair loss opt for hair transplants for reconstructive reasons.
Hair transplant is one of the solutions to hair loss, It is a type of surgical technique that removes hair follicles from one part of the body to a bald or balding part of the scalp. In this minimally invasive procedure, an implant containing an anti-balding hair follicle (such as the back of the head) is transplanted onto the bald scalp to regenerate new hair. If you don't have any hair on your head, unfortunately, a hair transplant is not for you.
The hair transplant is effective to restore hair growth caused by hair loss. The success rate depends on factors such as:
- The surgeon’s experience
- The thickness of the donor's hair
You are more likely to get a change in hair fullness from hair transplant surgery. Most of the people who go for the FUE technique get effective results.
At times, the hair loss does not return and you may end up having thinner hair than before. Thus, you must understand whether you are a good candidate for a hair transplant procedure or not. It is advisable to consider hair transplant only after trying other options without any luck.
There are some questions you need to ask yourself before you consider going for a hair transplant. These include:
- Do I have a healthy area of donor's hair?
- What is my level of baldness?
- Do I have a clear understanding of what to expect from a hair transplant?
- I have done research and thought about hair transplants form all directions?
- I have tried all other options?
- Do I know the advantages and disadvantages of having a hair transplant procedure?
- Do I know of the consequences of having hair transplants such as financial costs?
Suitable candidates for hair restoration surgery are:
- Men with realistic expectations and who clearly understand that they may continue to lose hair even after the surgery. Some men are required to continue with the medications to help retain their hair.
- Men whose hair loss is attributed to male pattern baldness for over five years.
- Men who have experienced balding for several years and want to add hair to get that youthful look.
- Men and women whose hair loss is caused by burns or trauma.
- Men and women who lost their hair due to cosmetic procedures.
Different types of hair transplant
There are two different types of hair transplant surgery options available today. The most common methods of hair transplants are FUE(Follicular Unit Extraction) and FUT(Follicular Unit Transplantation).
Hair transplant in UK may cost between £1,000 and £30,000, it depends on the extent of the hair loss, the type of procedure you have and the quality of the clinic and its team. Follicular Unit Extraction surgery will cost anywhere from £5,000 to £12,000, Follicular Unit Transplantation may cost less, about £5,000 to £8,000. That's a huge amount, isn't it?
Some factors that affect the cost include:
- Amount of hair to be removed: it will cost more to if you want to increase hair to the whole scalp. The cost will be less when you do the procedure in small areas.
- Type of hair transplant procedure: The cost will depend on whether you choose a follicular unit transplant or follicular unit extraction.
- The surgeon: a more experienced surgeon will charge more for the treatment. Even though the higher cost is not a guarantee for better results. Make sure you research the surgeon.
- Location: surgery costs will be higher in areas with a high cost of living. The price is also affected by competition. It means that areas with few surgeons, the transplant will be expensive.
- Travel cost: travelling to the clinic adds on to the total cost you will use on the transplant.
Therefore, which treatment method to choose is particularly important. The differences between the two treatments are described below.
FUT
(follicular unit transplantation)
In this hair transplant procedure, there is the donor's hair is not trimmed. The procedure leaves a thin scar that is tucked in the permanent hair to avoid it being seen after the procedure.
The surgeon uses a scalpel and cuts a thin strip of scalp from back of the head. The strip is always about 6 to 10 inches long and stretches from ear to ear. The incision made is usually various inches long. Then surgeon closes the incision with a few stitches.
The next thing is to separate the removed scalp into sections with the help of a magnifying lens and a surgical knife. The sections assist you get natural-looking hair. The surgeon inserts hair into the punched holes. The number of grafts you get depends on:
- Hair color
- Size of transplant site
- Quality of hair
- Type of hair
Pros：
1.Maintain the integrity of the elements needed for hair growth, postoperative results are more natural.
2.Which fine hair can be transplanted to a small implant incision.
3.A large number of hair follicles can be obtained in one operation, which maximizes the transplantation effect and avoids the pain of multiple operations for patients with large area of hair loss.
4.The damage rate of hair follicles is low.
Cons:
1.A linear scar will be left at the donor region of scalp after surgery.
2.Postoperative recovery time is slow.
FUE
(follicular unit extraction)
In this hair transplant procedure, the hair in the donor area has to be trimmed. However, most of the hair is left intact.
In FUE, the surgeon cuts the follicles directly from the back of the head. He does this through tiny punch incisions. The surgeon uses tiny holes with a needle on the areas of the scalp where the hair transplant is done.
Hairs are then placed on these holes. The one treatment session requires the surgeon to transplant thousands of hairs. Once the procedure is complete, the gauze, graft, and bandages are used to cover the scalp for a few days.
The hair transplant procedure can take more than fours. The stitches are usually removed 10 days after the treatment. For effective results, you will need up to about three of four sessions. However, the sessions take place months apart to give each transplant the time to heal completely.
Both techniques are effective but they have different results. You will get the best results from FUE if it is done with an experienced surgeon. Most surgeons take to use the back of the head as their donor areas. However, the chest and chin, and back can also be effective. If you do not have hair on the back of your head, then body hair will be helpful. Both techniques are done under local anaesthetic.
Pros：
1.You don't need surgery, you don't need stitches.After the operation, the donor region was left with small, dotted scars, which were scattered and could not be seen even with very short hair. There is no linear scar.
2.The recovery time is much shorter with the patient often returning to work the next day himself.
Cons:
1.The damage rate of hair follicle is high.
2.The operation took longer.
Applicable Crowd
Obviously, hair transplants are for people with hair, and the more resources available, the better coverage you get.But you might be surprised to find that you only need a few healthy follicles to achieve a reasonable effect.
Who is suitable for FUT?
1.People who has larger areas of baldness and would like it covered in single sitting.
2.People who doesn’t mind cuts, stitches, longer recovery period.
Who is suitable for FUE?
1.People with smaller areas of baldness.
2.People who wants to wear shorter hair styles.
3.People with active lifestyles, like sportsmen, etc.
4.People who prefers less invasive procedures and don’t want cuts, stitches on the scalp.
5.Those who want faster recovery.
It is not suitable for people with the following conditions：
1.People with multiple diseases or heart problems, uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure.
2.People with a burning, itching or rash on the scalp, the condition needs to be identified and corrected.
3.People who has psychological problems and often pull their own hair.
4.People with low density in the back of their head will not be able to produce enough follicles for transplantation.
Risks and Side Effects
The hair transplants are safe when you go to a qualified surgeon. However, there are still some side effects even when the hair transplant is successful.
Infection
The hair transplant procedure requires making incisions on the skin. The incision is vital to remove the donor follicles. A tiny incision is also made on the areas where the hair follicles are placed. With these incisions, you risk getting infections.
Scars
There is a risk of scarring in the area of transplant and the donor area. Scarring cannot be avoided in any procedure. You need to talk to your surgeon on such risks before you go with the procedure.
The FUT method leaves a linear scar on the area where the scalp strip has been removed. The scar can be camouflaged when with the growth of new hair. However, it can become visible when you wear a short hairstyle or the surrounding hair is too thin.
The FUE method also leaves scars on the area where the hair follicles have been removed. However, they are not as large as those left with the FUT method. You may even have some bumps around the transplanted hair.
Pain and swelling
You may also experience some pain and swelling as the skin heals. Your surgeon will provide pain relievers for this. You can also have swelling on the face and head.
Other side effects include:
- Bleeding
- Pus drainage around surgical sites
- Itching
- Inflammation
- Losing sensations around surgical sites
- Numbness
- Bruising around the eyes
- Shock loss
The minoxidil medications also has some side effects which are:
- Chest pain
- Irritated scalp
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Irregular heart rate
The side effects clear up within a few weeks.
How to care it?
FUT The posterior donor region is incised and wrapped with a dressing. 7 days after the surgery, you can wash your hair with shampoo, you could see some hair follicles falling out during the process, but don’t worry it’s okay and inevitable in order to clean the blood scab. In the FUT method, postoperative scar care is very important, and sutures should be removed after a week.
FUE The posterior donor region should be wrapped with aseptic dressing and changed at least once a day without affecting normal work. On the fifth day, the hair can be washed normally. Hair begins to grow in 7-10 days and can be combed normally.
For both methods,It is important to follow post surgery instructions and take good care of the grafts. Swelling of the scalp, face is common for a few days. You will be on antibiotics, steroids, painkillers for a few days and will be asked to use Minoxidil and or Finasteride.
Recovery time
No matter what surgery you choose, the transplanted hair will usually fall out within 2 to 3 weeks after the surgery, so your baldness will last for a while, but you should start to notice new hair growth within 3 months. Most people will see 60% of their new hair growing after six months, 90% by the ninth month, and by the 12th month, the implant area is fully grown and ready for perming and dyeing. Although the hair transplant extracts healthy follicles from the donor region and is not affected by androgens, it is not permanent. Excessive late nights, chronic stress and tight ponytails can also cause hair loss.
FUT and FUE procedures take hours or even days to complete. You will go home on the same day after the procedure. The surgeon will advise you on the recovery time. The recovery time depends on the area of the transplant and the type of hair transplant. Your scalp will be sensitive after the surgery. The FUE has a faster recovery time. If stitches were used, they will be removed within 10 days.
Upon a successful surgery, the surgeon removes the bandages. You may experience some swelling on the area and you may be injected with triamcinolone to keep it down. You will feel some pain in the transplant area and the area the hair was extracted. The surgeon will prescribe some antibiotics to prevent infections, pain medications, and minoxidil for stimulating hair growth.
There are some aftercare tips you should follow to have a fast recovery.
Wait for a few days after the hair transplant surgery before washing your hair. It is also advisable to stick to mid shampoos for a few weeks.
- You should resume normal activities in about three days.
- Do not press a comb down over new grafts for about three weeks
- Do not wear hats or any pullover attire until your surgeon gives you the go-ahead
- Do not exercise for one week
You should not be worried when you notice some hair falling out because it is part of the process. The transplanted hair may not match the surrounding hairs for some months. Expect to see some new hair growth from 8 to 12 months after the surgery.
Takeaway
You need to talk to your doctor before you go for hair transplant surgery. You need to know that scarring is a risk you will encounter. You may also not qualify for the procedure depending on your hair volume. The doctor will help you choose the appropriate technique to reduce the side effects.
What causes hair loss?
- Male Pattern Baldness Caused by Gene and Hormo
- Aquired Factors Lead to Hair Loss
- What is Hair Transplant?
- Different types of hair transplant.
- Applicable Crowd
- Risks and Side Effects
- How to care it?
- Recovery time
Hair losshas become so common in the UK, according to The Daily Telegraph, that almost two in three men will suffer from hair loss before the age of 60. Data studies show that 80 percent of European men have inherited their parents' hair loss gene, compared with about 15 percent of Asians. The UK is ranked fifth in the world in baldness, about two-fifths of men will be bald before the age of 45, and two-thirds of men will not escape the fate before the age of 60.
At present, there are two solutions to hair loss: Non-Surgical Hair Replacement and Surgical Hair Transplant. Hair transplants, which are gaining popularity in the UK, can reverse the pattern of female or male hair loss so that no one will know you have lost your hair.
But first, you need to know the causes of hair loss, which can be divided into two types, congenitaland acquired.
1. Male Pattern Baldness Caused by Gene and Hormone
Pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of male hair loss, accounting for more than 95% of hair loss in men. It can begin in your teenage year, but more commonly occurs in adult men, with the likelihood increasing with age. Men who have close relatives with male pattern baldness will be more likely to it, especially, when their relatives are on the maternal side of the family.
Androgenetic alopecia is associated with male sex hormones called androgens which contributes to the development of what is thought of as “male” sex characteristics, such as body hair. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen and it is derived from testosterone. Both of them are androgens or hormones that contribute to male sex characteristics when people go through puberty. They are responsible for muscular growth, deeper voices, and sex drive, etc. When the testosterone was converted to the less useful dihydrotestosterone, men will experience hair loss because dihydrotestosterone will attack and shrinks the hair follicles. Male pattern baldness sufferers have the hair follicles with a genetic sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Hair follicles sensitive to DHT are easy to miniaturize, which will shorten its lifespan. The shrunken hair follicle gradually produces shorter and finer strands of hair, and finally, it stops growing hair.
2.Aquired Factors Lead to Hair Loss
Obviously, both physical and psychological stress can lead to hair loss. When the capillaries contract, the scalp hair follicles are prone to hair loss due to insufficient blood supply. Meanwhile, the eyesight fatigue of a long time, overweight mental pressure, excessively nervous, impatient or anxious mood, staying up late, etc., all can bring about hair growth cycle to shorten, accelerate hair loss.
Hair loss may also be caused by drugs such as gentamycin, allopurinol, hyperthyroidism, thiouracil, trimethyldione, propranolol (propranolol), phenytoin, aspirin, and anti-inflammatory. In addition, Radiation therapy, as a cure for cancer, is also a major cause of hair loss.
Hair loss is common as you age, but it can also occur due to medical conditions or trauma to the scalp. People who have hair loss opt for hair transplants for reconstructive reasons.
Hair transplant is one of the solutions to hair loss, It is a type of surgical technique that removes hair follicles from one part of the body to a bald or balding part of the scalp. In this minimally invasive procedure, an implant containing an anti-balding hair follicle (such as the back of the head) is transplanted onto the bald scalp to regenerate new hair. If you don't have any hair on your head, unfortunately, a hair transplant is not for you.
The hair transplant is effective to restore hair growth caused by hair loss. The success rate depends on factors such as:
- The surgeon’s experience
- The thickness of the donor's hair
You are more likely to get a change in hair fullness from hair transplant surgery. Most of the people who go for the FUE technique get effective results.
At times, the hair loss does not return and you may end up having thinner hair than before. Thus, you must understand whether you are a good candidate for a hair transplant procedure or not. It is advisable to consider hair transplant only after trying other options without any luck.
There are some questions you need to ask yourself before you consider going for a hair transplant. These include:
- Do I have a healthy area of donor's hair?
- What is my level of baldness?
- Do I have a clear understanding of what to expect from a hair transplant?
- I have done research and thought about hair transplants form all directions?
- I have tried all other options?
- Do I know the advantages and disadvantages of having a hair transplant procedure?
- Do I know of the consequences of having hair transplants such as financial costs?
Suitable candidates for hair restoration surgery are:
- Men with realistic expectations and who clearly understand that they may continue to lose hair even after the surgery. Some men are required to continue with the medications to help retain their hair.
- Men whose hair loss is attributed to male pattern baldness for over five years.
- Men who have experienced balding for several years and want to add hair to get that youthful look.
- Men and women whose hair loss is caused by burns or trauma.
- Men and women who lost their hair due to cosmetic procedures.
Different types of hair transplant
There are two different types of hair transplant surgery options available today. The most common methods of hair transplants are FUE(Follicular Unit Extraction) and FUT(Follicular Unit Transplantation).
Hair transplant in UK may cost between £1,000 and £30,000, it depends on the extent of the hair loss, the type of procedure you have and the quality of the clinic and its team. Follicular Unit Extraction surgery will cost anywhere from £5,000 to £12,000, Follicular Unit Transplantation may cost less, about £5,000 to £8,000. That's a huge amount, isn't it?
Some factors that affect the cost include:
- Amount of hair to be removed: it will cost more to if you want to increase hair to the whole scalp. The cost will be less when you do the procedure in small areas.
- Type of hair transplant procedure: The cost will depend on whether you choose a follicular unit transplant or follicular unit extraction.
- The surgeon: a more experienced surgeon will charge more for the treatment. Even though the higher cost is not a guarantee for better results. Make sure you research the surgeon.
- Location: surgery costs will be higher in areas with a high cost of living. The price is also affected by competition. It means that areas with few surgeons, the transplant will be expensive.
- Travel cost: travelling to the clinic adds on to the total cost you will use on the transplant.
Therefore, which treatment method to choose is particularly important. The differences between the two treatments are described below.
FUT
(follicular unit transplantation)
In this hair transplant procedure, there is the donor's hair is not trimmed. The procedure leaves a thin scar that is tucked in the permanent hair to avoid it being seen after the procedure.
The surgeon uses a scalpel and cuts a thin strip of scalp from back of the head. The strip is always about 6 to 10 inches long and stretches from ear to ear. The incision made is usually various inches long. Then surgeon closes the incision with a few stitches.
The next thing is to separate the removed scalp into sections with the help of a magnifying lens and a surgical knife. The sections assist you get natural-looking hair. The surgeon inserts hair into the punched holes. The number of grafts you get depends on:
- Hair color
- Size of transplant site
- Quality of hair
- Type of hair
Pros：
1.Maintain the integrity of the elements needed for hair growth, postoperative results are more natural.
2.Which fine hair can be transplanted to a small implant incision.
3.A large number of hair follicles can be obtained in one operation, which maximizes the transplantation effect and avoids the pain of multiple operations for patients with large area of hair loss.
4.The damage rate of hair follicles is low.
Cons:
1.A linear scar will be left at the donor region of scalp after surgery.
2.Postoperative recovery time is slow.
FUE
(follicular unit extraction)
In this hair transplant procedure, the hair in the donor area has to be trimmed. However, most of the hair is left intact.
In FUE, the surgeon cuts the follicles directly from the back of the head. He does this through tiny punch incisions. The surgeon uses tiny holes with a needle on the areas of the scalp where the hair transplant is done.
Hairs are then placed on these holes. The one treatment session requires the surgeon to transplant thousands of hairs. Once the procedure is complete, the gauze, graft, and bandages are used to cover the scalp for a few days.
The hair transplant procedure can take more than fours. The stitches are usually removed 10 days after the treatment. For effective results, you will need up to about three of four sessions. However, the sessions take place months apart to give each transplant the time to heal completely.
Both techniques are effective but they have different results. You will get the best results from FUE if it is done with an experienced surgeon. Most surgeons take to use the back of the head as their donor areas. However, the chest and chin, and back can also be effective. If you do not have hair on the back of your head, then body hair will be helpful. Both techniques are done under local anaesthetic.
Pros：
1.You don't need surgery, you don't need stitches.After the operation, the donor region was left with small, dotted scars, which were scattered and could not be seen even with very short hair. There is no linear scar.
2.The recovery time is much shorter with the patient often returning to work the next day himself.
Cons:
1.The damage rate of hair follicle is high.
2.The operation took longer.
Applicable Crowd
Obviously, hair transplants are for people with hair, and the more resources available, the better coverage you get.But you might be surprised to find that you only need a few healthy follicles to achieve a reasonable effect.
Who is suitable for FUT?
1.People who has larger areas of baldness and would like it covered in single sitting.
2.People who doesn’t mind cuts, stitches, longer recovery period.
Who is suitable for FUE?
1.People with smaller areas of baldness.
2.People who wants to wear shorter hair styles.
3.People with active lifestyles, like sportsmen, etc.
4.People who prefers less invasive procedures and don’t want cuts, stitches on the scalp.
5.Those who want faster recovery.
It is not suitable for people with the following conditions：
1.People with multiple diseases or heart problems, uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure.
2.People with a burning, itching or rash on the scalp, the condition needs to be identified and corrected.
3.People who has psychological problems and often pull their own hair.
4.People with low density in the back of their head will not be able to produce enough follicles for transplantation.
Risks and Side Effects
The hair transplants are safe when you go to a qualified surgeon. However, there are still some side effects even when the hair transplant is successful.
Infection
The hair transplant procedure requires making incisions on the skin. The incision is vital to remove the donor follicles. A tiny incision is also made on the areas where the hair follicles are placed. With these incisions, you risk getting infections.
Scars
There is a risk of scarring in the area of transplant and the donor area. Scarring cannot be avoided in any procedure. You need to talk to your surgeon on such risks before you go with the procedure.
The FUT method leaves a linear scar on the area where the scalp strip has been removed. The scar can be camouflaged when with the growth of new hair. However, it can become visible when you wear a short hairstyle or the surrounding hair is too thin.
The FUE method also leaves scars on the area where the hair follicles have been removed. However, they are not as large as those left with the FUT method. You may even have some bumps around the transplanted hair.
Pain and swelling
You may also experience some pain and swelling as the skin heals. Your surgeon will provide pain relievers for this. You can also have swelling on the face and head.
Other side effects include:
- Bleeding
- Pus drainage around surgical sites
- Itching
- Inflammation
- Losing sensations around surgical sites
- Numbness
- Bruising around the eyes
- Shock loss
The minoxidil medications also has some side effects which are:
- Chest pain
- Irritated scalp
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Irregular heart rate
The side effects clear up within a few weeks.
How to care it?
FUT The posterior donor region is incised and wrapped with a dressing. 7 days after the surgery, you can wash your hair with shampoo, you could see some hair follicles falling out during the process, but don’t worry it’s okay and inevitable in order to clean the blood scab. In the FUT method, postoperative scar care is very important, and sutures should be removed after a week.
FUE The posterior donor region should be wrapped with aseptic dressing and changed at least once a day without affecting normal work. On the fifth day, the hair can be washed normally. Hair begins to grow in 7-10 days and can be combed normally.
For both methods,It is important to follow post surgery instructions and take good care of the grafts. Swelling of the scalp, face is common for a few days. You will be on antibiotics, steroids, painkillers for a few days and will be asked to use Minoxidil and or Finasteride.
Recovery time
No matter what surgery you choose, the transplanted hair will usually fall out within 2 to 3 weeks after the surgery, so your baldness will last for a while, but you should start to notice new hair growth within 3 months. Most people will see 60% of their new hair growing after six months, 90% by the ninth month, and by the 12th month, the implant area is fully grown and ready for perming and dyeing. Although the hair transplant extracts healthy follicles from the donor region and is not affected by androgens, it is not permanent. Excessive late nights, chronic stress and tight ponytails can also cause hair loss.
FUT and FUE procedures take hours or even days to complete. You will go home on the same day after the procedure. The surgeon will advise you on the recovery time. The recovery time depends on the area of the transplant and the type of hair transplant. Your scalp will be sensitive after the surgery. The FUE has a faster recovery time. If stitches were used, they will be removed within 10 days.
Upon a successful surgery, the surgeon removes the bandages. You may experience some swelling on the area and you may be injected with triamcinolone to keep it down. You will feel some pain in the transplant area and the area the hair was extracted. The surgeon will prescribe some antibiotics to prevent infections, pain medications, and minoxidil for stimulating hair growth.
There are some aftercare tips you should follow to have a fast recovery.
Wait for a few days after the hair transplant surgery before washing your hair. It is also advisable to stick to mid shampoos for a few weeks.
- You should resume normal activities in about three days.
- Do not press a comb down over new grafts for about three weeks
- Do not wear hats or any pullover attire until your surgeon gives you the go-ahead
- Do not exercise for one week
You should not be worried when you notice some hair falling out because it is part of the process. The transplanted hair may not match the surrounding hairs for some months. Expect to see some new hair growth from 8 to 12 months after the surgery.
Takeaway
You need to talk to your doctor before you go for hair transplant surgery. You need to know that scarring is a risk you will encounter. You may also not qualify for the procedure depending on your hair volume. The doctor will help you choose the appropriate technique to reduce the side effects.
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