What is Hair Transplantation?
Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that removes hair follicles from one part of the body, called the 'donor site', to a bald or balding part of the body known as the 'recipient site'. The technique is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness.
Who Should undergo Hair Transplantation?
Men or women who is having a stabilized rate of hair loss can undergo this procedure.
They're mainly used to restore hair if you are balding or thinning naturally or have lost hair.
How Do I Prepare For The Hair Transplantation?
There are just a few more things you need to take care of.
- Trim hair day before surgery to zero using trimmer. If you have white hair Dye it with black colour.
- Shampoo using betadine scrub night before and on the day of surgery and come down by 7:00 in the morning after having breakfast.
- Avoid caffeine on the day of the transplant.
- Wear shirt and pyjama.
- Get socks.
- Avoid spicy food on the day of surgery, have a soft breakfast and get a packed lunch(non-spicy of your choice).
Also get:
1. Tab. Augmentin 625mg - 21 tablets.
2. Tab. Diazepam/valium 10mg - 8 tablets.
3. Tab. Dolo 650mg - 16 tablets.
4. Tab. Ketorol -DT - 4 tablets.
5. Tab. Sporolac - 7 tablets.
6. Mupirocin ointment - 6 tubes.
7. Normal saline 0.9% - 2 bottles. (keep in the refrigerator).
8. Betadine scrub - 1 bottle.
What Happens During The Hair Transplantation?
After thoroughly cleaning your scalp, Plastic surgeon uses a small needle to numb an area of your head with local anesthesia.
PROCEDURES:
Two main techniques are used to obtain follicles for transplantation: FUT and FUE.
- In Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT):
The Plastic surgeon will use a scalpel to cut out a strip of scalp skin from the back of the head. The incision is typically several inches long.
This is then closed with stitches.After, the graft, gauze,or bandages will cover your scalp for a few days. The Surgical team next separates the removed portion of scalp into small sections using a magnifying lens. When implanted, these sections will help achieve natural-looking hair growth.Your stitches will be removed about 10 days after surgery if FUT method was used
- In Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE):
The hair follicles are cut out directly from the back of the head through hundreds to thousands of tiny punch incisions.
The Surgical team implants the hair using Implanters or needles . During one treatment session, a Plastic surgeon may transplant hundreds or even thousands of hairs.
- A hair transplant session can take 2 to 12 hours depending on area of restoration
- In FUE method there are no stiches to remove and all of Donor area heals in 1 week .
- No dressings necessary with FUE method
- You may need further Sessions several months apart to allow each transplant to fully heal.
What To Expect After Surgery? (post operative care)
- Saline spray to transplanted area for every 1 hour for two days. Then every 4 hours for next two days.
- Apply mupirocin ointment at the donor area twice a day for 10 days.
- Shampoo gently after one week using johnsons baby shampoo (wet hair using luke warm water), produce lather in hand and apply shampoo along the direction of the hair.
- Donor area heels in 7 days.
- Hair growth seen in 2 -3 weeks usually.
- Hair falls from 1-3 months.
- Full growth can be seen in 6-9 months.
Benefits:
- Compared to other hair restoration procedures low maintenance.
- Natural remedy by using one’s own hair.
- Improved confidence.
- Permanent treatment for baldness.
- Improved social interactions and relationships.
Dr. Sharath Chandra Reddy
MS (General Surgery), M.Ch (Plastic Surgery),
MRCS (Edinburgh), MRCS (Ireland), MRCGP,
DFFP Consultant Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery
KIMS Plastic Surgery, Kondapur.