What is a Hair Transplant?

A hair transplant is a permanent, medical solution to hair loss or hair fall problems. It is a procedure in which hair follicles are removed from the donor area and planted on the recipient site. There are two methods that surgeons use across the world to carry out a hair transplant. One is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and the other is Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). FUE is the more popular one due to the quality of the results.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

FUT is also known as the strip method, this is one of the oldest methods of hair transplantation. In this method, the hairs are removed from the strip, i.e from the back side of the head. As the strip is removed so it leaves scars behind and due to which it looks very odd behind the head. Later then FUE hair transplant was born.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE)

The FUE method is a hair transplant method in which the doctor extracts follicular units of hair one by one, from the donor area of your head. The doctor will punch tiny incisions around a hair follicle before extraction. They will do this using a small microneedle. Each follicular unit contains one to four hairs. These follicular units are then transplanted into the balding areas of your head. After the surgeon prepares the graft, they will clean and numb the recipient area. The surgeon then makes small holes or slits with a punch or scalpel. They will then place individual grafts in each hole.

The number and type of grafts will depend on:

• Your hair type
• Quality of the hair
• Colour of the hair
• The size of the area where you will be getting the transplant
• The duration of the procedure may vary based on the transplant size. The procedure generally takes between 8-12 hours. At Hair MD, we divide the procedure over a period of two to three days.

Donor sites for hair transplant

The surgeon will select the donor site after analyzing the thickness of your hair, the density of the hair and the quality. Mostly the donor sites are back and sides of the head, beard area, body hairs etc.

• Back and sides of the head:

The hair in the occipital and temporal areas remain unaffected by baldness. The hair in these areas is not susceptible to the action of DHT (Di Hydro Testosterone). Hence, they don’t fall and offer a good source of hair that the surgeon can transplant in the bald area.

• Beard:

People with a healthy growth of beard hair have the advantage of using this hair for hair transplant. Beard hair is thick and coarse. Hence mixing them with the scalp hair, leads to increased density and coverage on the scalp.

• Body hair:

In cases of severe baldness, a large number of hair grafts need to be transplanted. In this situation, the surgeon may use hair from the chest, underarms and pubic area.

Advantages of FUE:

• FUE is minimally invasive.
• This technique has a lower chance of complications during the procedure.
• FUE patients experience lesser post-operative pain.
• Hair follicles can be harvested from several areas, even the body or beard, instead of from a single site.
• Absolutely natural looking hair.
• Donor site heals well with small dots, which your existing hair will cover.
• No linear scarring.
• The patients can resume their daily activities soon after an FUE hair transplant.

Postoperative care:

Surgeons perform hair transplants under local anesthesia. Hence, the procedure itself is not painful. The post-operative discomfort will be minimal if the patient takes the prescribed medication and aftercare measures.

Here is a general idea of what you can expect to post the surgery:

• There may be a little bleeding on the day after the surgery. You should gently wash off this blood.
• You can expect slight soreness, numbness and dizziness.
• After 10 days, the grafts get permanently settled and you cannot dislodge them post this.
• After 3 weeks, the hair will start to shed. This is normal and a sign that the Hair Transplant has been a success.  
• Within 2-5 months, the hair will start growing from the implants.

Ensure that you get clear guidelines from your surgeon regarding all the precautions and aftercare you need to take.

Cost of a hair transplant

The cost per graft may vary. The total cost of hair transplant differs based on various factors, such as the:

• Recipient place or area
• The experience & qualifications of doctor you go to,
• The city you get it done in,
• The infrastructure  of the clinic and of course,
• The number of grafts you need.

Just like all good things, the results of your Hair Transplant will take some time. It is essential that you have realistic expectations and be patient. For more information, you can call us on +91-7888 091 119 we will help you out.

Thank you for reading!