What’s Involved In A Hair Transplant Procedure?
A hair transplant requires a section of skin to be removed from a part of the body so that its hair follicles can be transplanted to a bald part of the scalp. The sites are referred to as the ‘donor’ and the ‘recipient’ sites, respectively. While this operation is commonly performed on bald men, it is also used to restore eyebrows, eyelashes and even beard hair.
The surgery is also carried out to hide scars that may have been caused by plastic surgery, a previous hair transplant, or an accident. When the hair follicles are harvested, both the epidermis and the dermis encasing the follicle are taken. The procedure is basically mimicking nature.
Harvesting can be done in two ways, either Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) or strip harvesting. When strip harvesting is done, the patient will be given a local anesthetic before a portion of skin is taken. This is then cut into very small pieces, known as grafts, and carefully transplanted into the bald area. The patient recovers within 2 weeks, but will need to return to have the sutures removed.
If FUE harvesting is chosen, singular follicles are removed with a special micro tool while the patient is under local anesthesia. The follicles can then be grafted in a balding area with a micro knife. In FUE harvesting, the follicle can be obtained with much less surrounding tissue, as opposed to strip harvesting. After FUE, the patient will recover within a week and, because no stitching is involved, there is no need for a follow-up visit.
If you are considering a hair transplant, you will first have to visit a surgeon. Your scalp will be analyzed and the surgeon will discuss your expectations and assess if they are realistic or not. You will not be allowed to take medications or drink alcohol for several days before your surgery to reduce the risk of bleeding or some of the grafts failing to take.
These surgeries can be done at outpatient clinics, and are about four hours in duration. The patient will be given a topical anesthetic by injection and, if required, he can be mildly sedated. Prior to the harvesting of the follicles, the whole scalp will be intensively shampooed and treated with a powerful antibacterial chemical.
When the harvesting is complete, the surgeon’s helpers can start removing all excess fatty or fibrous tissue from the follicles, making sure that no cells are harmed. In order to do this with precision, the assistants will use stereo microscopes. The follicles can then be grafted into the head. A hair transplant can have very pleasing results if the surgery is done by an experienced surgeon.
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