Get free medical advice on your first query
2228 Doctors Online
Cardiology
Dentistry
Dermatology
Otolaryngology (E.N.T)
Orthopedician and Traumatology
Geriatrics
Orthopedician and Traumatology
Neurosurgery
Psychiatry
Dermatology
Ask your health query to our experienced Hair Transplant Surgeons online and receive instant medical advice and second opinion.
Our medical panel consists of over 100 highly skilled hair transplant surgeons . Get professional medical advice and second opinion now!
Click here to see a Sample Answer
Hair transplantation is a surgery where the hair transplant surgeon moves hair follicles to a bald spot from other areas of the body. Hair transplant surgery is mainly indicated in male baldness, women with male-pattern baldness, bald spot due to any injuries, etc. It can also be used to restore hair in the eyelashes, eyebrows, beard, etc.
The site from where the hair follicle gets harvested is the ‘donor site,’ and the balding part that receives the harvest is the ‘recipient site.’ The donor site is mostly the back or side of the head. There are two conventional methods for hair transplantation, which are:
1.Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS): Otherwise called strip harvesting, involves harvesting the hair follicles as one group from the donor site.
2.Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE): It is a newer technique, where the surgeon cuts around a single hair, thus harvesting a single hair follicle at a time.
There are several reasons for hair loss and the treatment for which varies with the cause. So, before deciding to get hair transplantation done, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist or a trichologist to determine the cause of your hair loss.
The doctor who transfers hair follicles from one part of the body to a bald or thinning spot is called a hair transplant surgeon, and the procedure is called hair transplantation.
In all types of hair transplantation, the surgeon will harvest hair follicles, most commonly from the back of the head. These hair follicles are then placed on a bald or thinning area of the scalp.
Depending on the area of hair loss, the number of hair follicles being transplanted, and the technique used, it takes anywhere between 2 to 8 hours.
The two main techniques used for hair transplantation by most hair transplant surgeons are:
- Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) - Here, a strip of scalp skin is cut from the back of the head, which is then cut into small sections and then implanted into the balding area.
- Follicular unit extraction (FUE) - In this technique, instead of cutting out a strip of scalp from the donor area, hair follicles are harvested with many tiny punch holes. These hair follicles are then implanted one by one.
It helps men with male pattern baldness, thinning hair in women, and burn and accident victims. As hair is harvested from the patient’s body, the cold and texture are the same.
It is not helpful for a woman with a wide hair loss area, for people who do not have enough hair in the donor area, in victims who have thick scars on the scalp, and if the hair loss is due to chemotherapy. And with every surgery, there are chances of bleeding, infection, swelling of the scalp, itching, scar formation, and numbness of the scalp.
You will not have pain during the procedure, as local anesthetic agents will be injected into the scalp to numb it. But after the surgery and until the incisions heal, you will have pain and swelling in the scalp.
Both FUT and FUE are good techniques. Your surgeon will decide the type of technique depending on your condition, area or hair loss, and the density of hair on the donor site.
Yes, hair transplantation will leave a scar. The size and extent of the scar will depend on the technique used and other various factors. But, there are various procedures and techniques available to hide or remove these scars to an extent.
Yes, hair transplants do look natural. But it will depend on the technique used, your surgeon’s skills, how your body responds to the transplant, and the presence of any underlying health condition.
The success rate depends on many factors like age, condition of the donor area, scar formation, and the presence of some health condition. Hair transplantation is more successful than topical and other over-the-counter hair growth products. Anywhere from 10 to 80 % of the transplanted hair will grow back in about 3 to 4 months.
"Very useful, made me worry a lot less about my situation"
--Someone from Sacramento,United States.
"Thank you so much for a prompt response. I am relieved. Grateful to you doctor"
--Someone from Singapore,Singapore.
"Very fast and detailed answer, especially with how I didn't expect this one to be answered ... "
--Someone from The Hague,Netherlands.