Before and after hair transplant: Step-by-Step Situation

Hair transplantation is one of the most effective treatments available to patients struggling with hair loss. When we look at examples before and after hair transplant, we can see that people’s hair grows in a healthy way that makes them feel better with the right procedure. Although it is not a permanent solution for thinning hair, it can help restore hair fullness and self-confidence in many people. In this post, we will give details about the whole procedure, explain the recovery process, what to consider, and what to expect after hair transplantation.

Hair transplantation is the procedure of transplanting healthy hair follicles to areas where the hair follicle is no longer active and baldness develops utilizing microsurgical technologies. In other words, hair transplant surgery may be a suitable choice for people suffering from hair thinning or loss. In hair transplantation, the patient’s own healthy hair is added to the spilt area.

Hair transplantation is designed and performed completely individually. Hair follicles resistant to shedding are collected in the patient’s nape area. Afterwards, these are transplanted into the channels established in the thinning or entirely shedding areas during the hair transplantation procedure. The goal of this method is to give hair the most natural and healthy appearance possible.

The most common type of hair loss we encounter today is male pattern hair loss.

The regression of the hairline in the forehead area and the opening of the apex are the most common symptoms. Male pattern spillage is also a similar thing in women.

Today, about half of all men over the age of 50 struggle with hair loss.

Things to consider before Hair Transplant

Hair transplants are typically more successful than over-the-counter hair restoration products. But there are some factors to consider:

• Anywhere from 10 to 80 percent of transplanted hairTrusted Source will fully grow back in an estimated three to four months.
• Like regular hair, the transplanted hair will thin over time.
• People with dormant hair follicles (sacs that usually contain hair beneath the skin but no longer grow hair) may have less effective transplants, study suggests that plasma therapy can help up to 75 percent or more of the transplanted hairs fully grow back.

Hair transplants don’t work for everyone. They’re mainly used to restore hair if you’re balding or thinning naturally or have lost hair due to an injury.

Transplants are done with your existing hair. They’re not effective for people with:

• widespread thinning and baldness
• hair loss due to chemotherapy or other medications
• thick scalp scars from injuries

Expectations

After the surgery, your scalp may be very tender. You may need to take pain medications for several days. Your surgeon will have you wear bandages over your scalp for at least a day or two. He may also prescribe an antibiotic or an anti-inflammatory drug for you to take for several days. Most people can return to work 2 to 5 days after the operation.

Performing a Hair Transplant

Simply put, a hair transplant takes hair you have and transfers it to an area where you don’t have hair. It’s typically taken from the back of your head, but can also be taken from other parts of your body. Before starting a transplant, your surgeon sterilizes the area where the hair will be removed and numbs it with a local anesthetic. You can also request sedation to stay asleep for the procedure.

Your surgeon then performs one of two transplant methods: FUT or FUE.

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT)

FUT is sometimes known as follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS). To perform a FUT procedure, your surgeon follows these steps:

1. Using a scalpel, the surgeon removes a piece of your scalp, usually from the back of your head. The strip size is typically about 6 to 10 inches long but can stretch from ear to ear.
2. They close the area where the scalp was removed with stitches.
3. Your surgeon and their assistants separate the scalp strip into smaller pieces with a scalpel. They may split the piece up into as many as 2,000 smaller fragments, called grafts. Some of these grafts may contain only one hair each.
4. Using a needle or blade, the surgeon makes small holes in your scalp where hair will be transplanted.
5. The surgeon inserts hairs from the removed piece of scalp into the puncture holes. This step is called grafting.
6. They then cover the surgical sites with bandages or gauze.

The specific number of grafts you receive depends on the:

• type of hair you have
• size of transplant site
• quality (including thickness) of hair
• hair color

Follicular unit extraction (FUE)

• After shaving the back of the head, individual hairs are extracted one by one (grafts)
• Hair grafts are inserted into small wounds in the scalp.
• You’ll have a lot of tiny scars, but they won’t be noticeable.

Hair transplants typically take one day, but two or more treatments spaced a few months apart may be required if a large area is being treated.

Your surgeon will instruct you on how to care for your transplant. To help recovery and hair restoration, you should be provided with a spray to apply.

FUE Hair Transplant Procedure

FUE technique process is now performed using micromotors, which shortens the time. This technique may also be done with hair from the neck, breasts, and back. The transplanted hairs grow in the place where they were transferred.

First, this procedure is used to create customized hairline designs. The most crucial stage of this approach is the creation of special channels in the transplanting region since these channels must be extremely narrow and at the original angle.

Hair in the donor area is trimmed, a local anesthetic is administered, and the grafts are removed with a specific surgical instrument with a 1 mm diameter. These hair grafts are inserted into the channels created in bald or sparsely hairy regions.

It is essential to open channels thickly and perform dense transplantation in order for the region where hair is transplanted to be thick. 3000-4000 grafts may be obtained with this technique, which requires a team and lasts quite longer than the FUT technique.

In recent years, FUE hair transplant has mostly overtaken the FUT technique.

Reconstructing The Frontal Hairline

The frontal hairline is often the most apparent part of a completed hair transplant. However, hairline requirements vary from patient to patient.

Some individuals want a hairline that is rather low and dense. For instance, a person in his 30s may have minor hair loss (receding temples) and want to lower his hairline and fill up his temples.

On the other hand, the individual must be made aware of the prospect of his hair loss increasing, say, in his 40s, to the point where he will require more hair transplant treatments. As a result, young patients seeking a hair transplant operation should keep in mind that their hair loss may continue, needing further and recurrent hair transplant procedures.

Hair Restoration Procedure

Hair transplantation is a one-year process that includes both before and after transplant. Following the hair transplantation procedure, reddening, and crusting, crust shedding, and shock shedding may occur. These are entirely typical processes. It takes a year for all of the transplanted hair to grow and for the treatment’s success to be fully noticeable.

• Redness and Crusting:

Hair transplantation is performed by transferring grafts from the source area to the target area one by one.Redness emerges on the skin as a result of this operation. Crusting happens during the healing phase of this location after the operation. The formed crusts can come off in the next fifteen days.

• Shock Shedding Process:

Shock shedding occurs when the remaining pieces of the transplanted hair on the skin are shed, and new hair fiber growth begins. It happens one to three months after the crusts have shed. The transplanted hair follicles are not damaged during the shock shedding period.

What To Expect: Hair Transplant Post-op Timeline

A hair transplant is a sensitive procedure. To see the best before and after hair transplant results, following the post-operative recommendations is critical for achieving the best outcomes. Most patients see benefits six to nine months following surgery. It might take up to a year for some people. It is critical to understand that the transplanted hair will fall out between two and eight weeks following the procedure.

Recovery after Hair Transplant

FUT and FUE may each take several hours to several days to complete. In part, this depends on the amount of work performed by the surgeon. You will go home the same day of the procedure.

Once the surgery is done, your surgeon carefully removes any bandages. The area may be swollen, so your surgeon might inject triamcinolone into the area to keep the swelling down.

Within 2 to 3 weeks after surgery, the transplanted hair will fall out, but you should start to notice new growth within 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’ll likely feel pain or soreness at the transplant site as well as in the area where hair was taken from. For the next few days, your surgeon may prescribe:

• pain medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil)
• antibiotics to prevent infections
• anti-inflammatories, such as an oral steroid, to relieve swelling
• medications such as finasteride (Propecia) or minoxidil (Rogaine) to help stimulate hair growth

Here are some aftercare tips for hair transplant surgery:

• Wait a few days after the surgery to 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 says it’s OK.
• Don’t exercise for about a week.

Don’t worry if some hairs fall out. This is part of the process. The transplanted hair may not grow much or seamlessly match the hair around it for a few months.

Tips on post-surgical FUE hair transplant

Want to have a better FUE hair transplant effect, you should at first consult to a professional doctor and have an assessment; alike, post-surgical treatment and care are also important, or more important for a better hair transplant effect.

Day 1: Do not touch and wash the surgical area the first night. If possible, cover the head with a hat while going out. On sleeping time, do elevate your head to avoid rubbing off or detaching any of the grafts. 3 or 4 pillows are helpful to achieve an ideal angle.

Day 2 – Day 4: Do avoid touching, scratching or rubbing the transplanted area and exposure under sun for a long period, as sunburn may affect the pigmentation of the skin and also damage the transplanted hair.

Day 5 – Day 7: While on this period, you can shampoo a little longer on the surgical area to make the scabs soften. And you can resume all your physical activities and sports.

Week 2 – Week 4: As hair follicles at this period have entered the resting phase, so it will temporarily start losing hair shafts. Do not panic. Just continue to wash and even dye your hair as you normally do.

From Month 2 to Month 3: Do follow the doctor’s recommendation and take finasteride, monoxide or any other treatment to minimize shock loss.

In Month 4 untill Month 6: Do remember to use a strong sunblock SPF 30 while going outside in the sun.

After Month 6 to Month 12: As the transplanted hair continues to become thicker and longer from fine baby hair, you can style them the way you desire.

Month 12 to Month 18: Congratulations to you the final hair stage and you make a change in your life, Enjoy your new hair.

Hair transplant side effects

The common side effect is scarring. It cannot be cured with any procedure.

Other potential side effects include:

• infections
• crust or pus drainage around the surgical sites
• scalp pain, itching, and swelling
• inflammation of hair follicles
• bleeding
• losing sensation around the surgical sites
• visible areas of hair that don’t match the surrounding hair or are noticeably thinner
• continuing to lose hair if your hair is still balding

Minoxidil and Propecia can also have side effects, such as:

• irritated scalp
• dizziness
• chest pain
• headaches
• irregular heart rate
• hand, foot, or breast swelling
• sexual dysfunction

Does Hair Transplant Help to Recover Hair Loss?

Hair loss can affect either your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It is caused by genetics, hormonal changes, medical disorders, or with age.Anyone can lose hair on their head, but males are more likely to do so

Hair transplants are performed to add extra hair to a thinning or balding region of your head. It is accomplished by transplanting hair from thicker areas of the scalp or other regions of the body to the thinning or balding area of the scalp.

It is normal to have hair loss following a hair transplant. After a hair transplant, temporary hair loss is common. This is a short-term adverse effect of the hair restoration procedures.

It is usual for transplanted hair to fall out from shock two to eight weeks following surgery. By the third month after the transplant, the hair seems normally thinner.

Once the initial shock wears off, the transplanted follicles continue to create hair regularly. Your hair will seem thicker and healthier as your transplanted hair grows. Therefore, a hair transplant is one of the excellent treatments for a variety of hair loss conditions.

What Causes Hair Thinning?

Hair loss or thinning hair happens for a variety of causes, many of which are beyond your control. Hair loss is often caused by genetic factors. Women and men have distinct types of hair loss. The hair transplant is done with real tissues from the donor men’s neck.You can regenerate your hair with hair follicles obtained from the donor region with a delicate hair transplant, and reclaim your former image or the image you want.And it is a really simple procedure.

The region to be transplanted does not have to be fully hair-free in thin hair. Tightening is another method of hair transplanting. Hair transplantation accomplished by combining them. In other words, it is possible to transplant hair that seems thinner more frequently.

By transplanting hair into thinning hair, people can regain their self-confidence and happiness when they are in an uncomfortable situation or are unable to socialise. As a result of sparse hair transplantation, the individual’s quality of life improves.

Consequently, hair transplants are successful treatments for restoring hair growth after a variety of reasons of hair loss/hair thinning. The success rate of hair transplant surgery depends on multiple factors; the surgeon’s expertise and experience and the thickness of the donor’s hair.

What happens after the surgery?

We wash your hair at the clinic in three days after the thinning hair transplantation. The patches on your skin torns during the surgery.Your new hair begins to grow in the place where you transplanted your hair 2 to 3 months following surgery. After 6 months, all of your hair will have grown. At the end of the 12th month the hair transplant development process completes.