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Beauty defines consciousness. And often beauty is skin deep and hair long. Hair is an integral part of the beauty regime and affects your looks. Very few people can carry off the bald look attractively. And that only includes the male gender. For females going bald does not even bear consideration. You might even need therapy to get over that shock. The good news is that medical science has your back. There are lots of options available to you to not only prevent hair fall and baldness but even cure baldness with the hair transplant. The best thing will be if your body behaves in the fashion that it should and gives you a thick head of healthy lustrous hair straight off the magazine cover. Unfortunately, the reality is generally bitter. This article will help you understand the science behind transplanting hair thereby armoring you with the option of making an informed choice.
In absolute layman terms, it is a procedure wherein the hair follicles are transplanted from one part of the head to another part where the hair is judged to be thinning or bald patches are occurring. It is a surgical process not a cosmetic process and requires a qualified medical practitioner to perform. The area from which the hair is removed to be transplanted is called the “donor site” and the area that receives the hair is called the “recipient site”.
You must be wondering why you need a hair transplant, to begin with? The obvious answer is to increase the density of hair on various parts of the body caused due to hair loss. Typically, an average adult loses about 100 strands of hair daily. Anything over this is not normal and will result in hair thinning over time. The American Academy of Dermatology lists the signs and symptoms of hair loss as:
The next question that will you have is what causes hair loss? Mayo Clinic lists some of the basic reasons to help you understand this:
And now the final question to settle the topic of hair loss is prevention. The million-dollar question that everybody wonders about is can hair loss be prevented? You can easily prevent hair loss to an extent by following these points:
Are You the Right Candidate for Hair Transplant?
Before contemplating a hair transplant, you need to decide if you are even the right person for it. Making an informed choice will help you avoid both future disappointments and unrealistic expectations. Generally, people keep hair transplant as their last go-to option, when all the other methods to stop hair loss and improve hair density have been exhausted. There are a lot of issues to consider when deciding if a hair transplant is the correct choice for you. These can broadly be classified as:
Out of these, the most important factor is whether you have enough healthy hair on your scalp to transplant to the affected area and if that area will be able to regenerate the hair that has been removed. Age, of course, plays a vital role in these two points. The younger you are the better your scalp’s ability to regrow hair.
To assess your scalp’s health the dermatologist will do a scalp test or even a scalp biopsy if required. Some people also need to undergo blood tests to understand the hormonal levels of your body which affect hair growth.
Types of Hair Transplant Surgeries
The method of Hair Transplant has a few applications differing on the needs of the patient. The main types as per Health. Vic is:
It’s important to understand that the donor hair follicles don’t necessarily have to come from the scalp. Though scalp donor hair is the most convenient. Different parts of the body can also be used for this purpose. The popular parts are:
This type of surgery is called “Body Hair Transplant” (BHT) and can only be performed using the FUE method of harvesting. Further, not everyone can undergo the FUE method. There are restrictions on the candidates where the appropriate candidates are chosen following a “Fox” test. Further, take care that FUE requires a higher more specialized level of expertise.
It can be daunting to think about undergoing a procedure without knowing what it would entail. Here’s the guide from MedLine Plus to take you to step by step through the actual procedure:
Harvesting in hair transplant refers to the act of removing healthy hair follicles from the dense area of the scalp to graft it in the bald areas. Even the way the hair is removed can differ according to the method used. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Whichever type is used the result has to be proper extraction of the hair follicles. You have to understand that this process of extraction can be very tricky since your hair grows at a particular angle and the extraction has to be done at that corresponding angle. The basic types of harvesting are:
Out of these, the strip harvesting technique is the most commonly used. It is the easiest and the most convenient way of harvesting but it will leave a scar on the scalp. Also, the stitches or the staples applied will have to be removed by the dermatologist. FUT is an extension of the stripping process wherein the follicles harvested are only removed from the back of the head. The FUE, on the other hand, is a very time-consuming process. It can be one single long session or it can be broken down into multiple shorter sessions. It does provide very natural results and the biggest advantage is that it leaves no scar on the scalp, unlike the strip method. Disadvantages would include the higher cost and increased surgical time. Robotic hair restoration is the FUE process where the hair is harvested with the help of robotic arms.
You must be wondering what you can expect immediately after the transplantation surgery. Some of the points to prepare for are:
Taking Care of Yourself Post Operation
Your body has just undergone a stressful event especially your scalp or other affected body areas. To help yourself get over this invasive process you need to take special care over the next couple of weeks. Some of how you can do that are:
Patience is the main key here. You have to remain patient for at least 6 to 9 months. For some people, the results only appear after about a year or so. Remember that the transplanted hair will fall out after 6 to 8 weeks. This is perfectly normal and there’s no cause for panic. Also, your hair will look progressively thinner than before by the third month. Again this is perfectly normal and shouldn’t worry you. It takes about nine months for the hair follicles to take root in the scalp and start redeveloping or filling in. So, you will probably see the desired result of that full head of hair only post nine months.
After reading through the details of this procedure you are probably wondering whether it’s even advantageous to go through such a tedious process. Some of the pros of transplantation are:
Complications arising from transplantation of hair are far and few. True complications are an exception and not the norm. The few that you can expect in the worst-case scenario are:
Apart from the risk and complications, it will also be helpful to keep certain other points under consideration. These include:
It is more successful than other hair revival products that are available in the market. But you must remember that even the transplanted hair will grow and thin like regular hair over time.
In one word “Yes”, it is permanent. The hair follicles used to fill the balding areas are from your body. The process of removal and subsequent insertion makes these follicles resistant to the hair loss hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) making the process permanent.
It’s generally postoperative and is experienced primarily in the FUT procedure.
On average transplanting, about 1000 hair grafts can cost you anywhere between Rs 25,000 to Rs. 100,000. The exact amount will depend on factors like the area, expertise, location, etc.
Transplantation of hair on the scalp is a very attractive alternative especially when other methods to revive hair growth have failed. However, it is an invasive method requiring surgery. The ultimate results will depend and vary according to the expertise of the selected surgeon. Remember that ultimately you have to undergo the procedure. Knowing about the science behind the transplantation procedure will help you in making an educated decision.
No matter the type of hair that you have, you always need some help to get a look different from the rest. While a knowledgeable professional is a must, it is...
The trend of keeping a beard is evergreen and is unlikely to vanish in the near future. Do you want to flaunt the same style but do not have the desired...
Who doesn’t want to have a relaxing head massage? Hair spa is a therapy for the hair that lets you enjoy a calming massage while nourishing the hair and...
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