How does hair transplant work? Cost, side effects?

FUE hair transplant is one of the best hair transplant procedures to treat hair loss. But how does hair transplant work, how much does it cost, and does it have any side effects?

Full hair on our heads complements our facial beauty. Many take hair for granted until it stops growing. That is when they realize how important hair is. Unlike what many young people think, hair loss is real, and it can affect anyone. When it does, it doesn’t only affect your facial beauty but also your self-confidence. The good news is that medical advancements have made it easy and effective to restore lost hair. There are several hair restoration techniques that work quite well, and they don’t cost that much. One of these methods is known as hair transplant treatment, and it allows hair loss patients to restore their hair permanently. If you are suffering from any form of hair loss, this hair restoration technique will help you get your hair back for good. However, before opting for this kind of procedure, you first have to consult your doctor to find out if you are the right candidate and whether you can afford it.

Today we are going to focus on the best hair transplant procedure for hair restoration, how it is done, how much it costs, and what side effects are expected from these procedures.

What Is a Hair Transplant?

Hair transplant is a minor surgical procedure that involves extracting healthy hair from a healthy region of the scalp and implanting them to the area experiencing hair loss. Although transplanting hair has been there for over 50 years, the only thing that has changed is how it is administered to patients.

Hair transplant treatment is done by a doctor at his office or clinic. Before starting the hair transplant procedure, the doctor will start by shaving and cleaning the donor area. The donor area refers to the region of the scalp that hair follicles are supposed to be harvested. After cleaning that area, he will inject the scalp with anesthesia to numb it so that the patient won’t feel any pain while the procedure is taking place. Hair thinning or balding usually happens at the front of the scalp. And the area which has healthy hair that is to be harvested is at the back of the scalp. After cleaning and sedating both areas, the surgeon will either use the FUE hair transplant technique or the FUSS technique. FUE hair transplantation in full means follicular unit extraction.

If you are going to get a hair transplant through the FUE best hair transplant procedure, the surgeon performing the procedure will shave the back of the donor area (the area where healthy hair grows). After that, he or she starts harvesting hair follicles one by one using a punch like a device that cuts individual hair follicles. This machine doesn’t leave any scar on the scalp, just tiny scars that hair will cover when it starts growing back.

If the doctor feels that the FUSS method of hair transplant is proper, after washing and numbing the shaved parts from the back of the head, he will remove a strip of skin. The strip of skin that usually measures between 6 – 10 inches is going to be removed. There’s because this skin strip contains hair follicles called follicular units. The strip of skin is set aside, and the doctors performing the procedure sew the skin together. What follows is that the doctors will start dividing the strip of skin removed from the scalp in 500 to 2,000 tiny grafts, each having one hair follicle or a few. The type and the number of grafts to be harvested will depend on the quality of the hair from the donor area.

That is where the difference between the two hair transplant techniques ends. After that, every step that follows will be done the same way on both techniques. The next thing is cleaning and numbing the recipient area. The doctor will then create holes or slits where the hair grafts will be implanted. Hair grafts are then implanted in these holes or slits. The procedure is done with a team of surgeons to ensure everything goes through smoothly. The procedure may last 4-8 hours, depending on the size of the recipient area.

If the patient continues to lose hair, he or she may need another procedure later on to transplant a fresh batch of hair or if the patient needs thicker hair in the balding area.

What to expect before and after recovery

When the doctor is done with the surgery, the patient’s scalp will be a bit tender. Pain-relieving drugs are necessary a few days after the surgery. Antibiotics are also needed to help stop infections. Five days after the hair transplant procedure, the patient may go back to his or her normal routine. Since the patient will need to prevent direct sunlight from reaching the scalp, he will need to wear bandages for a day or two. The transplanted hair grafts will start falling within two or three weeks. After that, the patient will start noticing new hair in a few months. In 6-9 months, the majority of patients will start seeing about 60% of new hair growth. After transplantation, some of the doctors may ask the patient to take minoxidil (Rogaine), which is a drug that stops further hair loss.

Conclusion

Among the best hair transplant methods used today is the FUE hair transplant procedure. If you are suffering from hair loss, then you should pursue this technique of hair restoration. It is preferable because it guarantees new and permanent new hair. Before settling for any hair loss procedure, it is good to seek the doctor’s advice first, who will tell you if you are the right candidate.