Procedure | Surgical
Hair Transplantation
A hair transplant is a procedure 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’. Typically, grafting contains the hair follicles that will be transplanted from the donor to the recipient site. Hair transplantation can also be used to restore eyelashes, eyebrows, beard hair, chest hair, pubic hair and to fill in scars caused by accidents or surgery.
Two main techniques are used to obtain follicles for transplantation: FUT and FUE.
• In follicular unit transplantation (FUT):
The surgeon uses a scalpel to cut out a strip about several inches long of scalp skin from the back of the head and removed a portion of the scalp into small sections. When implanted, these sections will help achieve natural-looking hair growth.
• 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. They gently place hairs in these holes. During one treatment session, a surgeon may transplant hundreds or even thousands of hairs.
Pre-operative assessment and planning
- The surgeon analyzes the patient’s scalp and advises them on the best approach (e.g. single vs. multiple sessions).
- Some patients may benefit from preoperative topical minoxidil application and vitamins.
- For several days prior to surgery, the patient might be advised to refrain from some medicines, alcohol, and smoking.
The session starts with local anesthesia. The techniques used are user-dependent.
- In follicular unit transplantation (FUT):
The surgeon will use a scalpel to cut out a strip about several inches long of scalp skin from the back of the head and removed portion of scalp into small sections. When implanted, these sections will help achieve natural-looking hair growth. - 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. They gently place hairs in these holes. During one treatment session, a surgeon may transplant hundreds or even thousands of hairs.
After the graft bandages will cover your scalp for a few days.
The session can take more than 4 hours.
Your stitches will be removed about 10 days after surgery. Most people can return to work several days after surgery. It’s normal for the transplanted hair to fall out two to three weeks after the procedure. This makes way for new hair growth.
Don’t worry if some hairs fall out immediately. This is part of the process. The transplanted hair may not grow much or seamlessly match the hair around it for a few months.
Most people will see 60% of new hair growth after 6 to 9 months. Some surgeons prescribe the hair-growing drug minoxidil (Rogaine) to improve hair growth after transplantation, but it’s not clear how well it works.
You may require up to three or four sessions to achieve the full head of hair you desire. Sessions occur several months apart to allow each transplant to fully heal.
Aftercare tips for hair transplant surgery:
• Wait a few days before you wash your hair. Only use mild shampoos for the first few weeks.
• You should be able to return to work or normal activities in about 3 days.
• Don’t press a brush or comb down over the new grafts for about 3 weeks.
• Don’t wear any hats or pullover shirts and jackets until your doctor allow that.
• Don’t exercise for about a week.
Possible side effects can include:
• Bleeding.
• Infection.
• Itching.
• Swelling of the scalp.
• Bruising around the eyes.
• Numbness or lack of sensation.
• Unnatural-looking tufts of hair.
• Inflammation or infection of the hair follicles, which is known as folliculitis.
• Shock loss, or sudden but typically temporary loss of the transplanted hair.
