Hair Regrowth Transplant

Hair Regrowth Transplant

Hair transplantation is a technique in which hair follicles are taken out from “donor site” and are moved to the “recipient site”. A “donor site” is the part of the body (usually hairy part of scalp) from which hair follicles are extracted to put those in the respective bald part with thin or no hair and “recipient site” is the bald part where hair transplant has to be done. These hair transplant procedures can only be done in doctor’s office under local anesthesia.

Before starting any Hair Transplant Surgery, doctors will clean the scalp area and anesthetized the back of your head form where 3-4 inch strip of scalp through scalpel will be removed in order to use those to transplant. He sets it aside and closes the scalp by sewing them. This sewed part is hard to differentiate because it will be immediately covered by surrounding hairs.

Next step is to divide the removed scalp strip into around 500-2000 minute grafts, with one or two hair per graft. There are numerous factors involved in grafting which depends on where you are getting your hair transplant done. After grafting, doctor cleans the numb area and starts making minute holes and slits through scalpel and needle. Placing these grafts requires keen concentration and an expert hand, as it needs to be drafted very delicately. This hair transplant process can take around four to eight hours depending upon number of grafts to be inserted.

POST TRANSPLANTATION SCENARIOS AND RECOVERY

Scalp becomes extremely delicate as well as soft after this surgery, and might require medications especially for pain relief for several days. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are also prescribed. You need to put bandage on scalp for around 24-48 hours depending on your scalp conditions. Within 2 weeks to 3 weeks of this surgery, all the transplanted hair will fall out, but very shortly you will start noticing new hair grown all over the transplanted area of scalp

It has been observed that people can spot 60% of hair growth within 6-9 months of treatment. To be on safer side, some surgeon may prescribe few drugs (minoxidil in most cases) to ensure the hair growth on time.

HOW DOES HAIR GROW AFTER TRANSPLANTATION?

There are several phases of hair growth after transplantation:

1. Dormant period (0-4 months): First of all transplanted hairs usually shed their original hairs. Typically no hair growth is seen at this time, but later on new hair growth can be spotted on the same area.

2. Emergent period (4-8 months): New hairs will gradually starts appearing. For most of the patients 80% of the hairs grow within 8 months. But, crown hairs can be spotted little bit late and looks absolutely fine when it appears.

3. Maturation period (8-12 months): All new hairs which are now visible on your scalp, starts getting thick in this period.

The first two weeks after the hair transplant surgery are most important and crucial phase. The patient may feel little bit uncomfortable by observing swelling or redness around the donor area. The skin may turn red around the area where hair follicles are inserted or the area where hair has been transplanted. But redness usually disappears within one week and till the end of second week of surgery, tenderness of donor site ends completely.

As a part of natural healing process, all transplanted hairs will start shedding by 2nd week and will shed completely by end of 3rd or 4th week. While this shedding process, the shaft for actual hair is released and the real follicular unit as well as bulb works towards a new hair shaft. This process is nothing but a part of natural hair growth cycle.

By the end of one month, hair follicles will already be in resting stage. The duration of resting stage may vary from person to person. New hair growth can be seen in between two to four months depending upon person to person and by the end of 9th month, scalp will be full of new hairs of around 3 inches longer. Patient may need to visit doctor in between this process to ensure proper development in every stage.

Within 12-18 months, effect of hair transplant can be seen prominently. Hairs will gain volume and density over time, depending upon patient to patient.