When to Get a Hair Transplant

Hair transplantation is a popular medical procedure in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Hair transplants are especially common among those suffering from male or female pattern baldness. Although some accept going bald as part of the aging process, you don’t have to! A hair restoration transplant can help you keep your hair and look as young as you feel.

What Is a Hair Transplant?

A hair growth transplant is a surgical procedure in which a doctor takes healthy hair follicles or follicular grafts (donor hair) from one part of the scalp (called the “donor area”) and inserts them onto the balding or receding part of the scalp (called the “recipient site”).

What Are the Two Main Types of Hair Transplants?

There are two types of hair transplant procedure:

• FUT or FUSS: Follicular Unit Transplantation (aka follicular unit strip surgery) is a hair transplant method where your surgeon removes a strip of skin from the donor area of the scalp and then uses microscope-powered tools to separate the tissue into multiple small “follicular units” which are grafted onto the recipient area.
• FUE procedure: Follicular Unit Extraction involves your surgeon using a small “punch” tool that your doctor will use to take out individual follicles from your scalp’s donor area, which will be then seeded into your bald areas.

What Do You Need to Get a Hair Transplant?

To become eligible for a hair restoration procedure and increase the surgery’s chances of success, you must have enough healthy and well-developed scalp hair at the back of your head or the sides of your scalp. An experienced doctor can easily tell if you should do it or not.

Although hair restoration surgery doesn’t work the same for all patients, most of those who have tried it were satisfied and experienced great results.

Then, you must consider the cost of such a treatment. Prices vary and involve all the elements involved in the procedure, including both pre and post-op treatment:

• The chosen surgical technique;
• The hair transplant surgeon’s experience;
• The extent of your procedure.

Who Makes a Good Hair Transplant Candidate?

Even though you may need a hair transplant, it is best to still have healthy hair development at the back of your head or around the sides because those can be the sources that can play the role of donor areas. Good candidates are those people who are worried about their appearance and are searching for effective ways to improve their ook and feel better about themselves.

Patients go to hair transplant clinics deal with issues such as thinning hair areas around their scalp. Others have bald spots, and many individuals, especially men, complain about one single bald area on the crown of their head. You are also a good candidate for a hair transplant if your main goal is to restore your receding hairline.

Here are some of the best hair transplant candidates:

• People who have been dealing with significant hair loss for more than five consecutive years;
• Future patients who have realistic expectations and those who are aware of the fact that even prescription medication might fail to solve the issue;
• People with low hair density
• Individuals who want to adjust their hairline to gain a more youthful look;
• Both men and women who deal with serious hair loss as a result of trauma;
• Those who have tried other cosmetic procedures like facelifts that led to hair loss.

Hair Transplant Success

In the last couple of years, hair transplants have become a popular cosmetic procedure adopted by celebrities and your average Joe alike. What many people don’t know is that this process doesn’t work the same for everybody. One must meet certain qualifications to be a successful and eligible applicant for a hair transplant.

Hair Transplants Sometimes Work Best On Specific Hair Colors

The best candidates are those that feature a low contrast between the color of their hair and the hue of their scalp. When the shade of the skin blends well with the color of the hair, the hair transplant will help you achieve better coverage.

Shape and Thickness Are Also Important

Individuals with thicker hair make better hair transplant candidates. Hair caliber is extremely important. The shape of the hairs is also essential and wavier hair provides better coverage. So, thicker and curlier hair blocks the light and makes you a great hair transplant candidate.

Flexible Scalp Can Also Help

A looser scalp allows the doctor to insert new hair follicles a lot easier. Individuals with a tight scalp might have a harder time achieving optimal results after this type of procedure. Also, those who suffer from scalp diseases might not be the ideal candidates for a hair transplant.

How Long Will It Take to Recover from My Hair Transplant?

Some people might experience minor post-op pain after their procedure. But this is quite normal, especially if you tend to have sensitive skin. Your surgeon may prescribe you mild pain killers or suggest you buy an over-the-counter pain relief supplement.

After the procedure, most patients can return to their normal routine in as little as a day, with minimal aftercare. Keep in mind that in a few weeks after your hair transplant, those newly transplanted hairs will begin to fall out. After that, the new hairs will naturally begin to “sprout” and grow over the course of the next few months.

Although it is safe to resume your normal routine soon after your hair transplant surgery, there are still some things you should avoid. Including:

• Avoid exposing your scalp to sunlight;
• Don’t work out for at least seven days after the procedure;
• Try not to smoke for at least 30 days;
• Avoid overly intenseive exercises for a minimum of 10 days;
• Wait around five days before returning to work;
• Listen and follow all the instructions given by your doctor.

Keeping the area moist and sleeping in a certain position (at a 45-degree angle) for the first couple of nights are also good recommendations that you should consider.

According to Dr. Jae Pak(an experienced physician), as long as the operation is done correctly, there should be no pain during and after the procedure. The only thing that some of his patients could feel is a slight discomfort that goes away on its own in a few days.

If you suffer from notable hair loss, you can and should consider getting a hair transplant. Before making a decision, you should do your research and find out if you’re eligible for this kind of operation. Most importantly, seek a qualified doctor’s opinion who can address all your doubts.