FAQ

What is hair transplantation?
Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure to cover bald area with patient’s own hair. Other terms used to describe hair transplantation are hair grafting, follicular unit hair transplantation (FUHT) etc.

Can I undergo hair transplantation?

Hair transplantation can be carried out if you fulfill following criteria: 1. Age 25 years and above 2. Good general health. 3. Significant balding is present. 4. Good density of hair is present in the back and sides of head.

Is there any other option to treat baldness?

Artificial hair (biofibre) implantation uses synthetic fiber instead of patients’ own hair to implant in the bald area. Being synthetic it suffers from following disadvantages: 1. Rejection: the body reacts to the fibers, which are then extruded. 2. Allergic reaction: it can vary from mild to severe with symptoms of itching, red nodules, pain etc. This requires another surgical procedure to remove them.3. infection. However hair transplantation uses ones own hair so there is no question of rejection, allergic reaction etc.

Laser hair transplantation uses laser energy to make holes in the balding area to receive the hair graft. However it still causes some thermal damage to the bald area therefore adversely affecting the take of graft.

Hair weaving is non-surgical form of hair restoration. Here the wig needs constant readjustment and care and often looks unnatural.

Medication is helpful in the early stages in young patient. Medication such as Minoxidil solution for local application and Finasteride tablets can stop the progression of hair loss and also increases the volume (diameter) of the hair shaft. Medication cannot grow new hair and certainly are ineffective in totally bald area or advanced hair loss. The hair loss will resume once the medication is stopped.

What tests do I require to undergo prior to hair transplantation?

Blood tests are required prior to any surgery. Additional tests such as X-Ray, cardiogram, physician check-up etc may be required depending on your health status. These tests are carried out for your safety.

If non-androgenetic hair loss is suspected then you may require blood test for various hormone levels.

Do I need to have anesthesia for the procedure?

Hair transplantation is done under local anesthesia. Medications are often given prior to procedure to reduce anxiety.

What does hair transplantation involve?

A strip of skin containing hair is removed from the back and sides of head. The resultant wound is stitched up meticulously so as to leave no tell tale sign. The strip of skin is about 1 cm wide and 20 to 30 cm long. This strip is then sectioned into tiny grafts each containing 1 to 3 hairs (follicular unit hair graft).

Small multiple holes are made in the bald area to receive the grafts. These holes are made with the help of needle. Needle obviously does not cause any thermal damage and is the ideal way of making holes in the bald area. As mentioned above laser hair transplantation uses laser energy to create hole in the bald area. Laser invariably causes some thermal damage, which compromises the survival of hair graft.

Hair grafting procedure is teamwork. Doctor harvests the strip from the back and side of the head. Group of 3 to 4 nurses or doctors then cut the strip into the tiny grafts (follicular graft). The doctor makes the recipient site in the bald area. Another team then places the graft in the recipient site. It takes total of approximately 6 to 7 hours for completing a hair grafting procedure involving 2000 hair grafts.

What to expect immediately after the operation?

There will be a small dressing covering the stitches on the back and side of the head. This dressing will be removed in 1 or 2 days. The bald area, which has received the hair graft, is left open without any dressing. Antibiotic and painkiller are prescribed for a period of 5 days after the operation.

How long do I need to stay in hospital?

After the hair grafting procedure is over you will be discharged the same evening.

What is the recovery period like?

You will be up and about immediately after the procedure is over. Light activity can be resumed immediately and heavy activity such as going to the gymnasium and swimming can be done 1 month after the procedure. Hair can be washed from 3^rd or 4^th day onwards. A cap needs to be worn for about a month to protect the grafted area.

Minoxidil solution, to be applied to the scalp and finasteride tablet may be prescribed to aid the growth of hair graft.

What can go wrong?

Hair grafting is a very safe procedure.

Swelling often appears on the forehead the day after the operation. This gravitates down over the eyelid and eventually disappears in a week or so. Some crust formation is seen over the area of grafting which resolves in 2 to 3 weeks.

The scar on the back and sides of the head is not visible.

What result to expect?

The hair grafts starts growing after 3 months and final result to be evident can take up to a year. During this period the hair grows in length and diameter. The ways the grafts are placed have an important bearing on the final result. Usually the frontal hairline is the most densely packed and the grafts are more spaced out further back. Along with the placement, hair styling also gives a boost to the final result. It is recommended to comb hair backward so that the layering effect will give the appearance of increased density.

More then 95% of the graft survive and grow hair. Follicular unit hair transplantation is currently the only technique, which gives natural and permanent result and leaves majority of patient satisfied.

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