Hair transplant surgery is a procedure used to treat hair loss. There are various methods, but all hair transplants include carrying hair from one part of the head and inoculating these parts of the skin onto bald or thinning areas of the scalp or the area of injury.
Hair loss can be caused by general male pattern baldness (also known as androgenetic alopecia), inflammation of the scalp, or damage to the scalp. Injuries from burns, surgery or car accidents can cause permanent hair loss.
Some inflammatory diseases such as lichen, lupus or localized scleroderma can lead to permanent hair loss.
If you are worried about how you look, or thinking about cosmetic procedures, to increase confidence, there are alternatives. These include prescription drugs, minoxidil, or accepting yourself for who you are.
Hair transplantation is not a cure for baldness. The transplant will cover a bald scalp, but will not protect you from further hair loss. Since male pattern baldness is a progressive condition for most men, it may be worthwhile to consider the possibility of combining surgery with medical procedures to slow down the balding process.
1. Before surgery
Before choosing a hair transplant, some important points to consider include:
- It is important to have realistic expectations. The thicker and denser the remaining hair, the better the results.
- As a rule, thick, light-colored hairs give better results than thin and dark hair.
- After hair transplantation, it may take up to nine months before the hair takes root and begins to grow.
- Think about the cost. Ask your surgeon about any costs you can expect.
- Smokers are at increased risk of complications from surgery. If you are serious about surgery, you should try to quit smoking.
- May require further treatment after surgery.
2. Search for a hair transplant surgeon
You can consult a doctor for advice regarding a suitable and experienced doctor or hospital where hair transplants are performed.
At the first consultation, you should ask the surgeon about his training and experience. Preferably, these procedures are performed by a reputable specialist who is specially trained for hair transplantation and has extensive experience in performing such operations.
3. Medical problems with hair transplantation
Before surgery, discuss the following medical issues with your doctor or surgeon:
1. Physical health - An examination will help the doctor or surgeon decide if the treatment is appropriate.
2. Medical history - Some pre-existing conditions and operations that you have had in the past may influence the decisions about the operation, including the type of anesthetic.
3. Hair grade - Includes a hair growth pattern, degree of hair loss, family hair loss history and any previous surgical or medical hair loss procedures you may have had.
4. Risks and possible complications - It is important to understand the risks and complications so that you can assess whether a hair transplant is suitable for you.
5. Medicines - Tell your surgeon about any medications that you take on a regular basis or have recently taken, such as fish oil and vitamin supplements.
6. Drug reactions - tell the surgeon if you have ever had a bad reaction or side effect from any medication, including anesthesia.
7. Preparation for surgery - The surgeon will give detailed instructions on what you should do at home to prepare for the operation. For example, it may be recommended to take a particular medicine or change the dose of an existing drug. Follow all instructions carefully.
4. Hair transplant surgery
Various methods of transplant surgery are available. Your surgeon will choose the most suitable operation for you based on your circumstances.
Hair transplantation
Transplant grafts are usually performed under local anesthesia. Each treatment session can last from two to eight hours, depending on the amount of hair that is transplanted.
Usually from 1000 to 2000 hair follicles are transplanted in one session, but in large areas of hair loss, up to 4000 follicles may be required in each session. A session can take several hours, many people prefer to have two or three separate sessions.
The operation usually includes:
- Hair on the “donor” area of the head is clipped to facilitate its treatment.
- The surgeon relieves this area of the head where hair grows thick.
- The surgeon takes small areas of the scalp and transplants them into the desired area (usually in front of the head above the forehead).
4. Various tools can be used to collect donor skin. For example, you can use a round tube (punch) or a scalpel. One shunt graft, depending on the size of the tube, can collect from 2 to 15 hairs. The slit graft can contain from 4 to 10 hairs, and a much longer striped graft has up to 40 hairs.
Patch surgery
Patch surgery is used if hair transplantation is extensive (for example, large grafts require large tissue flaps). May require general anesthesia.
The flap operation includes:
1. The surgeon implants spherical devices (called tissue expanders) under the skin of the scalp. The tissue expanders are pumped with saline for several weeks. This helps to increase the area of skin cells.
2. After about two months, the scalp has enough skin for a transplant operation.
3. Removal of bald head areas. The newly grown area is partially cut, moved to a new location and stitched. Since the flap is not completely separated from the scalp, it must maintain a good blood supply.
Scalp reduction surgery
The scalp reduction surgery is suitable for the treatment of bald patch on the back of the head and on the top of the head, and not on the face of the head. The operation includes:
- Local anesthesia on the scalp.
- The surgeon cuts a strip of bald skin in the shape of a U or Y.
- The scalp is loosened, and the incisions are gathered together and stitched.
6. Complications
The whole operation carries a certain degree of risk. Some of the possible complications include:
- Risks of general anesthesia, including an allergic reaction, which can (rarely) be fatal.
- Surgical risks such as bleeding or infection.
- Scars that can be severe, reddened and itchy.
- Nerve damage.
- Death of skin grafts.
- Death tissue along the wound.
- Further surgery for the treatment of complications.
This is not a complete list. For example, a medical history or lifestyle may put you at increased risk for certain complications. Talk to the surgeon for more information.
7. Personal care after surgery
Be guided by the suggestions of the surgeon. General self-service offers include:
1. Follow all wound care instructions.
2. Avoid exercise or any strenuous activity that can increase blood pressure, as this can lead to bleeding of your wounds. The surgeon may advise to avoid sex for about 10 days.
3. Report bleeding, severe pain, or unusual symptoms to the surgeon.
8. Long-term perspective
Most hair transplants are successful, although it can take up to nine months before the hair takes root and begins to grow. It is not uncommon when transplanted hair falls out after a few months, and then restored.
As soon as the hair begins to recover, it should look natural, because the hair is transplanted in the direction in which it usually grows in this place. Most scars should be covered with hair. Any visible scars will be permanent, but should disappear over time.
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The problem of baldness and enhanced hair loss has generated the emergence of a variety of techniques and cosmetic products designed to combat this unpleasant phenomenon. There are many remedies for hair loss for men and women, but, unfortunately, due to individual predisposition, they do not help everyone. According to the observations, many local remedies have a therapeutic effect only during use and do not give a prolonged effect. It is believed that the way out in this situation can be a hair transplant, let's see if it really is.
The most common causes of baldness
Excessive hair loss, which causes baldness or alopecia, may be due to various reasons, among which are the following:
- burdened heredity
- hormonal dysfunction
- unbalanced diet,
- past infections
- emotional or physical overload.
Under the influence of testosterone, atrophy of the hair follicles gradually occurs, with their subsequent loss. When a person notices that his hair begins to rapidly thin, he is very anxious and rushes to look for ways to solve the problem. To a greater extent this applies to women who are more reverent about their appearance, but many men can not but worry about the increasing baldness on his head.
Operational method
The classic transplant method is surgery (or patchwork). The most traumatic and painful method of transplantation, the essence of which is to remove a scalpel with a scalpel with hair follicles and transfer it to the skin without hair.
Of the benefits You can note the coverage of a large area for transplantation.
Disadvantages refers to the high invasiveness and risk of complications in the postoperative period.
The cost of a transplant depends on the number of follicular associations - the average price of each is 150 rubles.
Non-surgical methods
The essence of non-surgical methods consists in the following: hair follicles are selected from the donor zone with the help of a needle (without incisions) and also with the help of a special tool (micropunch) implanted on the prepared skin area.
The peculiarity of this technique is as follows: using a special tool (punch), single hair follicles are cut out. Then, skin is punctured in the balding area and donor hair follicles are inserted.
Advantages of the method:
- no scars
- hair follicles from different areas of the body can be used,
- transplanted hair grows throughout life.
Disadvantages:
- you cannot get the desired thickness of hair,
- the duration of the procedure,
- the average cost of a transplant of one follicular union is 150 rubles.
The peculiarity of the technique is the group of donor hair follicles is extracted by a special microtubule. There is no need for cutting skin patches. Hair taken from the upper layers, keeping the nerve endings. When donor follicles are implanted, an implanter is used - a tool to preserve the natural tilt of the hair.
Benefits:
- maximum survival of hair follicles (up to 98%),
- no side effects
- the absence of incisions of the skin.
Disadvantages:
- does not allow to cover large areas of baldness,
- the duration of the operation reaches eight hours.
The average cost of a graft transplant is 200 rubles.
Recovery period
The first day after surgery, transplantation must be devoted to rest.
Important! During the rehabilitation period, it is necessary to sleep in such a position that the transplanted hair does not touch any surface.
After twenty-four hours, the doctor removes the protective bandage and carefully inspects the head for damage to the transplanted areas.
In the first few days after transplantation, the patient may experience severe pain. This is the norm, which should not cause concern.
Restrictions and prohibitions
In the first ten to fifteen days after transplantation, the patient should observe the following recommendations:
- stop smoking and taking alcohol
- limit sun exposure
- stop active sports.
It is necessary to be prepared for the fact that in a month the transplanted hair will fall out. Do not be afraid. This is a natural process that triggers the growth of new hair follicles.
You can wash your hair after surgery with warm water using baby soap foam. The procedure of washing the head should take place no more than once every three days.
Contraindications and negative consequences
Graft transplantation is strictly prohibited for patients who are intolerant to anesthesia and bleeding disorders.
A transplant operation may be delayed in the event of:
- exacerbation of mental disorders (syndrome of uncontrollable desire to pull hair out of oneself),
- bleeding disorders,
- diabetes - impaired metabolism provokes rejection of a new hair bulb,
- intolerance to local anesthesia,
- age restrictions - up to twenty-five years hair transplant is not recommended.
Disruption of the transplantation process and improper hair care after transplantation may provoke such side effects:
- the process of inflammation and decay at the point of implantation of the hair follicle,
- the appearance of scars at the sites of donor follicular associations and the transplantation zone,
- minimal percentage of survival of donor hair follicles,
- severe pain, itching, redness and burning at the transplant site.
How much trouble brings significantly thinned hair to men and women. In most cases, hair transplantation is the only way to return a beautiful appearance. Properly chosen methods and timely access to specialists are a guarantee of full restoration of the scalp.
Hair transplant on the head
The course of androgenic alopecia differs in women and men. The concentration of the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which damages the follicles, is higher in the stronger sex; they become bald faster, especially in the parietal and frontal areas. Female androgenetic alopecia is characterized by thinning of curls in the area of the middle parting of the head with bald spreading to the lateral areas.
The clinical picture of cicatricial alopecia is more difficult and worse diagnosed. Strands fall out asymmetrically, large foci of irregular shape, not having a specific location. The affected areas on the surface of the head tend to merge and expand, the skin with such alopecia gradually atrophies, and connective tissue forms at the site of the follicles.
Hair transplantation in women and men is an effective way to cope with androgenic and scar baldness. Transplantation involves the implantation of healthy follicles or their clusters from donor sites to problem areas. With extensive alopecia, especially the cicatricial form of the disease, surgical transfer of whole strips of skin with grafts is possible.
Where does hair transplant on the head?
In the lower areas of the scalp, follicles are resistant to damaging factors and the action of dihydrotestosterone. In these places there is an intensive blood circulation, which ensures the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the roots. There are two zones from where the hair is transplanted - the back of the head and the side portions.Sometimes the follicles from the body become donor, but they are used only in the absence of the necessary number of live grafts on the head. Men practice hair transplant from the face. The follicles are extracted from the skin of the chin, where there is a maximum growth of the beard.
How to transplant hair on your head?
Graft transplantation is performed using two progressive methods:
- surgical implantation of skin strips,
- non-surgical hair transplant technology.
Modern specialists prefer minimally invasive methods of transplantation due to several advantages:
- painlessness
- the absence of scars and traces of stitches after transplantation,
- good cosmetic effect.
Is it possible to transplant other people's hair?
For the radical treatment of alopecia, only one's own follicles or their groups are suitable. Hair transplantation from another donor is not performed due to poor immunological compatibility of biological material. The body perceives third-party grafts as foreign objects trapped in skin tissue. The protective system produces hostile immune cells, so foreign transplanted hair falls out without being restored in the future. This mechanism is often accompanied by inflammatory and putrid processes in the skin.
Eyebrow hair transplant
Follicle transplantation is carried out for cosmetic purposes. With partial or complete loss of hair in the eyebrows, the desire to make them thicker, you can transplant single grafts. The treated zones acquire excellent aesthetic characteristics immediately after the procedure. For hair transplantation in the brow arches, donor follicles are removed from the skin behind the ears and from the back of the neck. The material in these zones has the required density, thickness and length, which provides the most natural result.
Facial hair transplantation is also popular with men. The representatives of the stronger sex are turning to specialists for transplantation in the field of beard, mustache and eyebrows. Within a few hours, an experienced surgeon can fully restore facial vegetation, even if in some areas it is completely absent. Donor grafts are removed from the occipital zone of the head.
Hair transplant methods
In specialized clinics, surgical and non-surgical follicle transplantation is practiced. Hair transplantation in a minimally invasive way provides the best aesthetics, is not accompanied by painful sensations and scars. The rehabilitation period for such a procedure is short, skin lesions heal quickly and without scars. The only drawback of the non-surgical procedure is that the results of hair transplantation are mild, especially on the head. In the presence of extensive areas affected by cicatricial alopecia, it is advisable to use a surgical method of transplantation.
Non-surgical hair transplant
This minimally invasive procedure is performed under local anesthesia, therefore it does not cause any sensible pain. The most advanced technology is hair transplantation using the FUE method or Follicular Unit Extraction (extraction of follicular units). During the transplantation, no cuts and sutures are used, the surgeon uses a special tool to extract microscopic skin areas along with live follicles. Rehabilitation after transplantation lasts about a week.
- Training. The donor site is shaved and anesthetized. The surgeon cuts grafts with 1-4 live follicles with a pointed tube for a transplant with an inner diameter of 0.5-1 mm. The remaining small wounds are bloody spots that heal quickly without stitching.
- Extraction and processing. Microscopic pieces of skin with hair are taken and placed in a special composition that stimulates the activity of the follicles on the eve of the transplant.
- Implantation. In the problem area, micro-cuts or tubules are formed to transfer grafts to them. The doctor gently implants donor materials into these voids, taking into account the natural angle of hair growth and its direction. To consolidate the result, you can perform plasma skin lifting with grafts.
Useful videos
How is hair transplantation.
Myths about hair transplantation.
When hair transplantation is indicated
Even if the patient is determined to make himself a hair transplant, he will have to undergo a thorough examination in a medical institution. On the basis of the results obtained and an external examination, a trichologist will determine the cause of baldness and assess the general state of health. The skin of the head is studied using a special camera that allows you to visually see the condition of the hair. This procedure is called a photo trichogram.
If the number of dying hair is high enough, the doctor looks at the state of the follicles. In the case when they are open, conservative treatment is recommended, as there is still hope for the revival of their own hair. If the follicles are already closed for receipt of nutrients from the outside, then there is almost no chance of their recovery, and transplantation is the only way to reanimate the hair.
Technique of hair transplantation
Different zones of the scalp have different sensitivity to testosterone, and the top and forehead are the most vulnerable in this regard. The occipital part is practically not affected by the hormone, so the hair for transplantation is taken mainly from this area. In addition, there is a method of artificial hair transplantation. However, this method is practiced infrequently, since a reaction of rejection can develop on synthetic foreign material.
In addition, artificial hair requires special, careful care and regular medical procedures to prevent hair loss. Hair taken from another person is not used for the same reason - the risk of transplant rejection is very high. The problem that is relevant for all transplantology has not bypassed hair transplantation.
Surgeons performing hair implantation use various tactics and technologies in their work:
- mini-grafting - transplanting small groups of follicles,
- microfollicular transplantation - transplantation of single follicles.
The first method is gradually losing its popularity, since after it there are small scars in the donor area and worsen hair survival. The second method is considered more modern and progressive, and is increasingly being adopted by leading clinics. After it does not remain scars, transplanted hairs take root better in a new place, and the number of useful bulbs can be significantly increased due to careful separation.
The growth of transplanted hair continues throughout life, just as they would have grown in their former place. The likelihood of loss is extremely low, since the occipital follicles contain almost no receptors that are sensitive to the action of testosterone. If the prescriptions and recommendations of the doctor are followed, there is simply no reason for the recurrence of baldness.
Useful information about hair transplant
The transplantation procedure is carried out under local anesthesia, so that patients do not experience pain and any discomfort during its implementation. The duration of the operation may be different and depends on the volume of the graft area. On average, follicle transplantation takes from 4 to 5 hours. During one session, it is possible to transplant a certain amount of hair follicles - from 1.5 to 3 thousand.
If the balding area is too large, another or more operations may be required. Repeated intervention is recommended not earlier than 4-6 months after the first implantation. After the procedure, it is not recommended to wash and massage the hair for 14 days, as well as to visit the sauna and the bath at this time. After completion of the postoperative period, care for transplanted hair is no different from the usual.
Agreeing to a hair transplant, it should be borne in mind that the visible effect does not come immediately, and you will not be able to slay all the chic hair immediately after the operation. During the intervention, it is not the hair itself that is transplanted, but only the follicles, so it is necessary to wait until the bulbs give new growth. This usually occurs 2-3 months after their implantation. According to statistics, 90-99% of follicles take root in the new place.
Contraindications for hair transplantation
Although the procedure usually does not have side effects, there are a number of pathological conditions in which it is contraindicated:
- diabetes,
- malignant neoplasms,
- infectious and inflammatory processes in the acute phase,
- blood diseases
- serious hormonal disorders
- mental disorders.
In the absence of contraindications, hair transplantation can be carried out in full, in one or several step-by-step procedures. For men suffering from baldness, this is a great opportunity to regain self-confidence, and for women - not to worry more about their appearance.
Keywords: Hair Transplant, what you need to know, procedure, Hair Transplant: everything you need to know about the procedure, Technique
