Suffering from baldness? Here’s all you need to know about the Procedure of Hair Transplant!

By : Admin

Posted: 2021-07-04

As we live in a busy world, people get less time to give attention to their care, and hair care is one of the most neglected things. And this situation eventually turns into hair loss. Initially, you lose a few hairs, but with time this quantity increases, and at last, it turns into baldness.

The procedure of hair transplant in India helps to add more hair to an area on your head that is thinning or balding. This involves taking hair from thicker parts of the scalp or other parts of the body and transplanting it to the thinning or balding area of the scalp.

Worldwide, about 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women suffer from some form of hair loss. People often use over-the-counter products to manage this situation, including topical treatments such as minoxidil (Rogaine).

Facts about hair transplant

Hair transplantation is another method of restoration.
The first transplant was performed in 1939 in Japan using single hairs from the head.
In the following decades, doctors developed the "plug" technique. This involves transplanting large clumps of hair.
Over time, surgeons began using mini- and micro-grafts to minimize the appearance of the transplanted hair on the scalp.
The proper hair transplant surgery was performed by Dr. Norman Orentreich in 1952 in New York City on a male patient.

Do hair transplant work?

Hair transplants are usually more successful than over-the-counter hair restoration products. But there are some factors to consider:

Between 10 and 80 percent of transplanted hair grows back entirely in an estimated three to four months.
Like regular hair, transplanted hair thins over time.
People with dormant hair follicles (sacs that typically contain hair under the skin but no longer grow hair) may have less effective grafts. Still, a 2016 study suggests that plasma therapy can fully regrow up to 75 percent or more of transplanted hair.
Hair transplants don't work for everyone. They are mainly used to restore hair if you are naturally balding or thinning or have lost hair due to an injury.

Most transplants are done with your existing hair, so they are not as effective for treating people with:

Hair loss due to medications and chemotherapy
Baldness due to lifestyle disorders
Hair loss due to head injury

Types of hair transplant procedure or operations

There are several methods of transplant surgery available. Your surgeon will choose the most appropriate surgery for you based on your circumstances. Here we are mentioning all the surgeries with their explanation to decide which one you should go to and which one suits best to your events.

Hair Transplant Graft

The procedure of hair transplant in India is usually performed under local anesthesia. Each treatment session can take between two and eight hours, depending on the number of hairs to be transplanted. Therefore, less hair to be transplanted needs less time, and more hair transplanted needs more time.

In one session, commonly 1,000 and 2,000 hair follicles can be transplanted, but for larger areas of hair loss, this number goes up to 4,000 strands per session. A session can take several hours, and many people opt for two or three separate sessions so that they can get breaks in-between.

Flap Surgery

Flap surgery is used when hair transplantation is extensive (e.g., large tissue flaps are needed instead of tiny grafts). For this type of hair loss surgery, you may need to stay in the hospital, and general anesthesia is required.

The surgeon implants balloon-like devices called tissue expanders under the skin of a hair-bearing section of the scalp. The tissue expanders are inflated with more and more saline solution over weeks. This stimulates the area to produce more skin cells.

Scalp reduction surgery

Scalp reduction surgery is appropriate to treat bald patches on the back and top of the scalp, not on the front of the scalp. The surgery includes:

Local anesthesia is applied to the scalp.
The surgeon cuts out a strip of hairless skin in a U or Y shape.
The scalp is loosened, and the incisions are brought together and sutured.

What is the procedure for a hair transplant?

After your scalp is thoroughly cleaned, the surgeon uses a small needle to numb an area of your head with local anesthesia.

Two main techniques are used to harvest follicles for transplantation: FUT and FUE.

In Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT):

The surgeon uses a scalpel to cut out a strip of the scalp at the back of the head. The incision is typically several inches long.
This is then closed with sutures.
Next, the surgeon separates the removed portion of the scalp into small sections using a magnifying glass and a sharp surgical knife. When these sections are implanted, they provide natural-looking hair growth.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) involves cutting the hair follicles directly from the back of the head through hundreds to thousands of tiny punch cuts.

The surgeon uses a blade or needle to poke tiny holes in the area of your scalp that will receive the hair transplant. Into these holes, he carefully places the hair.
During one treatment session, a surgeon may transplant hundreds or even thousands of hairs.
Afterward, the graft, gauze, or bandages will cover your scalp for a few days.
A hair transplant session can last four hours or longer. Your stitches will be removed about 10 days after the procedure.

You may need up to three or four sessions to get the full head of hair you want. Sessions are spaced several months apart to allow each graft to heal completely.

Is hair transplant successful in India?

This is quite a common question asked by people who want to know about India's management. The truth is India is one of the places with a large number of successful hair transplant treatments. But, for example, your scalp may be sore, and you may need to take medications after your hair transplant, such as:

Painkillers Antibiotics are given to the patient to reduce the risk of infection. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also provided to reduce swelling.
Most people can return to work a few days after surgery, but that depends upon the condition of the specific person.
It is usual for transplanted hair to fall out two to three weeks after the procedure. This clears the way for new hair growth. Most people see some amount of new hair growth 8 to 12 months after surgery.
In some cases, doctors prescribe minoxidil (Rogaine) or the hair restorer finasteride (Propecia) to improve hair regrowth. These medications also help slow or stop future hair loss.

Complications of hair transplant surgery

There is a certain amount of risk involved in any surgery. Some of the possible complications of hair transplant surgery are:

Risks of general anesthesia, including allergic reactions that can (rarely) be fatal
Scars that can be heavy, raised, red, and itchy
Surgical risks such as bleeding or infection
Skin graft death
Nerve damage, including permanent loss of sensation
Additional surgeries to treat complications.
Tissue death along the wound

It is not an exhaustive list. For example, your medical history or lifestyle may put you at increased risk for certain complications. Talk to your surgeon for more information.

Self-care after hair transplantation

Seek advice from your surgeon. General suggestions for self-care include:

Follow all instructions for caring for your wounds.
Avoid exercise or any strenuous activity that may increase blood pressure, as this can cause bleeding in the wounds. In addition, your surgeon may advise you to avoid sex for about 10 days.
Report any bleeding, severe pain, or unusual symptoms to your surgeon.

Long-term outlook after hair transplant surgery

Most hair transplants are successful, although it can take up to nine months for the hair to take root and begin to fill in. It is not uncommon for transplanted hair to fall out after a few months and then grow back.

Once the hair begins to grow back, it should look natural because the hair is transplanted in the direction the hair would normally grow at that point.
Most scars should be covered with hair and are barely visible. Any visible spot is permanent but should fade over time. Be patient - scars can take a year or more to improve.
You will almost certainly need follow-up surgery to improve the appearance of your hair transplant.