What to know about Hair Transplantation
September 13, 2020
In this article, Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation will be briefly discussed. When the hair transplantation is done properly by experts, there are almost no side effects but there could be risks. There are many risks that the hair transplantation procedure is not performed by experts rather than its side effects.
Let’s start with the question of “What are the Pros and Cons of hair transplantation?” by first stating the benefits.
Pros of Hair Transplantation
Here are benefits of hair transplantation for the Pros part of “Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation”
Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure aimed at correcting hair loss caused by baldness, trauma or burns in men. Hair loss is also treated by living a healthy lifestyle, dieting with vitamins and micronutrients, and regular exercise.
However, hair loss caused by genetic or hormonal conditions cannot be easily changed with these measures or drug use. The best option that shows immediate and guaranteed results is hair transplantation. Here are some of the advantages of hair transplantation for list of Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation.
Natural hair
Appropriate views are the biggest advantage of hair transplantation. After transplantation, the appearance of the hair is natural. The donor area is not visible after surgery and the hair lines blend well with the person’s characteristics.
The transplanted hair grows naturally and the result is better than other methods using synthetic hair or other techniques. Experts place grafts taken from the donor area (transplanted hair is taken from this area) to create natural hair.
Guaranteed Result
Instant result is the advantage of hair transplant surgery that attracts many candidates. It is your choice of which part and how much hair you want to transplant. It guarantees healthy hair transplantation on your head. The hair you gain will last for a lifetime. You can see that new hair grows 50% in 6-9 months.
Well-Distributed Hair
The distribution of the roots is done in a balanced way. The general appearance of the hair is solid, which improves the final result and increases the chance of successful transplantation. Taking hair from follicular components makes transplantation easier.
Simple Procedure
The whole process is carried out under anesthesia only. It may require more than one treatment, but the result is permanent immediately after transplantation. Follicles are often removed from areas such as the back of the scalp, and it stops hair loss permanently.
Hair follicles are taken from the area genetically resistant to hair loss. Small but scary treatment can be included in the advantage of hair transplantation.
Long Term Results
Other treatments such as minoxidil require finasteride repetition, but hair transplantation is done in multiple sessions but at the same time. Nothing is required after implantation treatment, post-operative care and touch-ups. The most important advantage of hair transplantation is that it produces long-term results.
Safe and Painless
As hair transplant surgery requires only anesthesia, its effect does not last long and is manageable. Much sharper blades are not used and no incisions or stitches are required. It proves to be safe and painless. Such an effective process is carried out safely and is painless.
One-time Action
After the hair transplant, its life is long. The advantage of hair transplantation is that it is a one-time process. When hair transplantation is done, you do not have to compromise your hair style for a long time. You can apply and change the process you want, but the hair continues to grow.
Increases Self Confidence
Premature hair loss and hair thinning have caused many problems among young people. As a matter of fact, appearance is the most important thing in today’s world. After the treatment is over, the person will have a satisfying hair.
Hair transplantation makes the person look young and gives self-confidence by increasing the inner trust in both social and business interactions.
Cons of Hair Transplantation
Here are side effects of hair transplantation for the Cons part of “Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation”
Hair transplant is a simple procedure that uses anesthesia as a sedative to perform the surgery. However, the risk of skin swelling and scarring is still possible. If the doctor is not experienced, your hair may not be the same or look natural.
One of the most important CONS or disadvantages of hair transplantation is that this procedure is expensive. Apart from being expensive, the main complications after heat transplant operations are listed below:
- Bleeding : Bleeding may occur from the areas where the grafts are taken or placed: In order to avoid this complication, the bleeding profile of the patient should be evaluated before the procedure and the necessary laboratory examinations should be performed and the drugs with the potential to increase bleeding should be discontinued sufficiently before the operation.
- Infections : Infection development in the areas where hair is taken or transplanted are very rare complications. The reason for this is the natural resistance to infections due to the very good blood supply of the scalp. However, if an infection is detected, it should be treated with systemically administered antibiotics.
- Bad scar tissue formation in the area where the hair follicles are taken : It is more common in hair transplants with the FUT method. It is more likely to be seen in those with suitable skin or those who use poor technique.
- Loss of sensation in the area where the hair is taken : It is rarely seen in patients who undergo FUT technique, it usually disappears with appropriate treatments.
- Dermoid cysts : They appear a few weeks after the procedure and are caused by the planted hair follicles being placed too deep. Before placing the hair follicle, the person who performs the transplantation should press the recipient area thoroughly and place the root later.
- Cobblestone appearance : It occurs when the transplanted roots remain on the scalp. An appearance in the form of bubbles occurs on the scalp.
- Hair growing in the wrong direction : Hair follicles growing in a direction unrelated to the direction of other hair follicles in the area where the hair is transplanted are usually caused by poor hair transplantation technique. The main reason for this problem is that the hair is not transplanted at an angle of 30-35 degrees to the direction of the hair growth.
- Fast hair loss : While hair follicles are being transplanted, it may be caused by damage to other hair follicles around; It may also be caused by the stress of the hair transplant operation. Sharp tools should be used during the operation, and blunt tools should be changed immediately.
In order to minimize the risk of the complications listed above , it is absolutely necessary to work with competent people.
Hair Transplantation Procedure
( This part of post titled “Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation” is taken from Wikipedia)
Pre-operative assessment and planning
At an initial consultation, the surgeon analyzes the patient’s scalp, discusses their preferences and expectations, and advises them on the best approach (e.g. single vs. multiple sessions) and what results might reasonably be expected. Pre-operative folliscopy will help to know the actual existing density of hair, so that postoperative results of newly transplanted hair grafts can be accurately assessed. Some patients may benefit with preoperative topical minoxidil application and vitamins.[1]
For several days prior to surgery the patient refrains from using any medicines which might result in intraoperative bleeding and resultant poor grafting. Alcohol and smoking can contribute to poor graft survival. Post operative antibiotics are commonly prescribed to prevent wound or graft infections.[2]
Harvesting methods
Transplant operations are performed on an outpatient basis, with mild sedation (optional) and injected local anesthesia. The scalp is shampooed and then treated with an antibacterial agent prior to the donor scalp being harvested.
There are several different techniques for harvesting hair follicles, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of the harvesting technique, proper extraction of the hair follicle is paramount to ensure the viability of the transplanted hair and avoid transection, the cutting of the hair shaft from the hair follicle. Hair follicles grow at a slight angle to the skin’s surface, so transplanted tissue must be removed at a corresponding angle.
There are two main ways in which donor grafts are extracted today: strip excision harvesting, and follicular unit extraction.
Strip harvesting
Strip harvesting (also known as follicular unit transplantation or FUT) is the most common technique for removing hair and follicles from a donor site. The surgeon harvests a strip of skin from the posterior scalp, in an area of good hair growth. A single-, double-, or triple-bladed scalpel is used to remove strips of hair-bearing tissue from the donor site. Each incision is planned so that intact hair follicles are removed. The excised strip is about 1–1.5 x 15–30 cm in size. While closing the resulting wound, assistants begin to dissect individual follicular unit grafts, which are small, naturally formed groupings of hair follicles, from the strip. Working with binocular Stereo-microscopes, they carefully remove excess fibrous and fatty tissue while trying to avoid damage to the follicular cells that will be used for grafting. The latest method of closure is called ‘Trichophytic closure’ which results in much finer scars at the donor area.
The surgeon then uses very small micro blades or fine needles to puncture the sites for receiving the grafts, placing them in a predetermined density and pattern, and angling the wounds in a consistent fashion to promote a realistic hair pattern. The technicians generally do the final part of the procedure, inserting the individual grafts in place.
Strip harvesting will leave a thin linear scar in the donor area, which is typically covered by a patient’s hair even at relatively short lengths. The recovery period is around 2 weeks and will require the stitches/staples to be removed by medical personnel or sub cuticular suturing can be done.
Follicular unit extraction (FUE)
With Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE harvesting, individual follicular units containing 1 to 4 hairs are removed under local anesthesia; this micro removal typically uses tiny punches of between 0.6mm and 1.0mm in diameter. The surgeon then uses very small micro blades or fine needles to puncture the sites for receiving the grafts, placing them in a predetermined density and pattern, and angling the wounds in a consistent fashion to promote a realistic hair pattern. The technicians generally do the final part of the procedure, inserting the individual grafts in place.
FUE takes place in a single long session or multiple small sessions. The FUE procedure is more time-consuming than strip surgery. An FUE surgery time varies according to the surgeons experience, speed in harvesting and patient characteristics. The procedue can take anywhere from a couple hours to extract 200 grafts for a scar correction to a surgery over two consecutive days for a megasession of 2,500 to 3,000 grafts.[3] With the FUE Hair Transplant procedure there are restrictions on patient candidacy.[4] Clients are selected for FUE based on a fox test,[5] though there is some debate about the usefulness of this in screening clients for FUE.
FUE can give very natural results. The advantage over strip harvesting is that FUE harvesting negates the need for large areas of scalp tissue to be harvested, so there is no linear incision on the back of the head and it doesn’t leave a linear scar. Because individual follicles are removed, only small, punctate scars remain which are virtually not visible and any post-surgical pain and discomfort is minimized. As no suture removal is required, recovery from Micro Grafting FUE is less than 7 days.[6]
Disadvantages include increased surgical times and higher cost to the patient.[7] It is challenging for new surgeons because the procedure is physically demanding and the learning curve to acquire the skills necessary is lengthy and tough.[citation needed] Some surgeons note that FUE can lead to a lower ratio of successfully transplanted follicles as compared to strip harvesting.
Follicular unit transplant
Follicular unit transplant (FUT) is the traditional hair transplant method which involves extracting a linear strip of hair bearing skin from the back or the side of the scalp. The strip is then dissected to separate individual grafts.
Robotic hair restoration
Robotic hair restoration devices utilize cameras and robotic arms to assist the surgeon with the FUE procedure. In 2009, NeoGraft became the first robotic surgical device FDA approved for hair restoration.[8] The ARTAS System was FDA approved in 2011 for use in harvesting follicular units from brown-haired and black-haired men.[9]
Types of surgery
There are a number of applications for hair transplant surgery, including:
- Androgenetic alopecia
- Eyebrow transplant
- Frontal hair line lowering or reconstruction (naturally high hairlines without an existing hair loss condition)
If donor hair numbers from the back of the head are insufficient, it is possible to perform body hair transplantation (BHT) on appropriate candidates who have available donor hair on the chest, back, shoulders, torso and/or legs. Body hair transplant surgery can only be performed by the FUE harvesting method and, so, requires the skills of an experienced FUE surgeon. However, there are several factors for a potential BHT candidate to consider prior to surgery. These include understanding the natural difference in textural characteristics between body hair and scalp hair, growth rates, and having realistic expectations about the results of BHT surgery.
Post-operative care
Advances in wound care allow for semi-permeable dressing, which allow seepage of blood and tissue fluid, to be applied and changed at least daily. The vulnerable recipient area must be shielded from the sun, and shampooing is started two days after the surgery. Some surgeons will have the patient shampoo the day after surgery. Shampooing is important to prevent scabs from forming around the hair shaft. Scabs adhere to the hair shaft and increase the risk of losing newly transplanted hair follicles during the first 7 to 10 days post-op.
During the first ten days, some of the transplanted hairs, inevitably traumatized by their relocation, may fall out. This is referred to as “shock loss”. After two to three months new hair will begin to grow from the moved follicles. The patient’s hair will grow normally, and continue to thicken through the next six to nine months. Any subsequent hair loss is likely to be only from untreated areas. Some patients elect to use medications to retard such loss, while others plan a subsequent transplant procedure to deal with this eventuality.
Side effects
Hair thinning, known as “shock loss”, is a common side effect that is usually temporary.[10] Bald patches are also common, as fifty to a hundred hairs can be lost each day. Post-operative hiccups have also been seen in around 4% of transplant patients. Shock loss being a cons under the “Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation” make many people get shocked
FAQs about Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation
Related qestions about Pros and Cons of Hair Transplantation
- Who can have a hair transplant? Anyone over the age of 18 who has hair problems due to age, hormones and genetics can have a hair transplant.
- What is the latest and most common technology applied in hair transplantation? Hair transplant operation consists of two stages. The first stage is the removal of the hair follicle from the nape of the planned number of grafts, and the second stage is the transfer of the hair follicles to the targeted area. The latest and most widespread technology currently used in the purchasing phase is the “Micro Motor” technique. The most common and advanced technology used in the planting of the roots is the “DHI (Direct Hair Implant) Pen Technique”.
- How long does a hair transplant operation take? The most curious issue for those who will have hair transplantation is the operation time. The operation time varies according to the patency of the patient and the number of grafts to be implanted. However, hair transplant operations take 7-8 hours on average.
- How many grafts can be transplanted in a day? The maximum number of grafts that can be transplanted in one day with the DHI technique is 4000-4250. The operation of patients who need grafts over this number is spread over two days. The reason for this is that the hair follicles have a limited time in the cold chain.
- Who should do a hair transplant operation? Hair transplant operation is a surgical procedure. Therefore, it should be done under the control of a doctor with the support of specialist health personnel.
- Under what conditions should the hair transplant operation be performed? Since the hair transplant operation is a surgical procedure, it should be done in a hospital environment that is suitable for the conditions. Sterilization is a very important point in hair transplantation operation.
- What is the importance of age in hair transplant operation? Hair loss is a condition that continues throughout human life, and the expected rate of hair loss slows down after the age of 35. Therefore, considering that hair loss will continue in patients under the age of 35, the patient should be informed that the patient may need a second session in the future.
- When can I start working after the hair transplant operation? The patient can start working on the second day, provided that the patient should rest the day after the hair transplant operation.
- What kind of anesthesia is applied in hair transplant operation? Is it a painful procedure? Hair transplant operations are performed under local anesthesia. Thanks to the special device we use during local anesthesia, patients do not feel pain in any way. This device is needle-free and allows patients to undergo a painless and painless operation. In very rare cases, sedation may be preferred.
- Can the hair transplant operation be done more than once? Yes, it can be done. In cases where the number of grafts that can be taken from the donor area of the patient is not sufficient to cover the open area, a second operation can be performed six months after the patient. Sometimes it can be done for the third time.
- When will I get results from a hair transplant operation? The final result is available in 12-14 months. New vascular restructuring occurs between 90-100 days after transplantation. For this reason, the transplanted hair follicles begin to be nourished and grow in the 3rd month. By the 6th month, an average of 60-65% of the transplanted hair follicles grows, and by the 8th month, an average of 75-80% of the hair follicles will grow.
- Does the hair transplant operation cause a health problem? There are no recorded side effects of hair transplant operations to date. Therefore, it is a risk-free process.
- Can hair follicles be taken from another person? The only situation where hair transplantation from two different people is possible is twins, of which only identical twins. Since the hair transplant operation is a tissue transplant, tissue compatibility is sought, just like in organ transplant operations. Immunosuppressive drugs used by organ transplant patients after the operation are costly and have serious side effects. As these operations are vital, fees can be covered by insurance. Since hair transplantation is an aesthetic operation, it is not vital and is not covered by insurance. In other words, it is a process that can be applied in theory but has no equivalent in terms of both financial and health.
- Does hair require special care or control after transplantation? Since the transplanted hair is your own hair, there is no need for special care. The same way you care for your existing hair, you can also do transplantation hair.
- When can I swim? When can I dye my hair? It is not recommended to swim in the sea, pool, Turkish bath or sauna for 2 months after the hair transplant operation.
- Will the transplanted hair fall out again? No. Only the transplanted hair may become lifeless from time to time. In such cases, it is useful to have maintenance.
- Which drugs are used after hair transplant operation? After the hair transplant operation, antibiotics and anti-edema drugs are used for 5 days.
- How many days does recovery take after hair transplant operation? The recovery period of the donor area is 7 days. In the planting area, the first three days are the crusting period. Hair washes then begin. As the hair is washed twice a day, the scabs are shed in 5-6 days and recovery is completed.
- How long after the hair transplant surgery can sport be done? Walking can be started 3 days after the operation. However, heavy sports are not recommended for 2 months.
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