Hair Transplantantion:

Baldness or loss of hair is a common problem in mostly males but can also be seen in females.

The techniques for restoring hairline in many men with male pattern baldness have improved, and we are now often able to provide an acceptable hairline.

There are a number of techniques available, and we will try to cover those after we have seen what questions you might have.

Hair transplantation refers to the surgical movement of permanent hair with its roots to an area of bald or balding skin. Hair transplantation is an effective and permanent solution for hair loss.

EFFECTS:

In almost all cases of so-called "male-pattern baldness", there is a permanent fringe of hair along the side and back of the scalp. This hair demonstrates "donor dominance". This means it will grow permanently even if it is moved to an area which is bald or balding.

PROCEDURES

Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure performed on men and women who have experienced significant hair loss. It helps to correct androgenetic alopecia, scarring alopecia and other types of permanent alopecia. In some cases, patients with hair loss from lupus, injuries, or other medical problems may be treated with hair transplantation. In a nutshell, hair transplantation involves transferring hair grafts (skin and hair units of 1 to 4 hairs extracted from a single donor strip) from the back and sides of your head (the donor area) to balding or thinng areas where you would like new hair to grow.

Since every hair transplant clinic has their own unique methods of conducting a hair transplant procedure, this site will not try to explain every method possible. Instead, we will take a look at the procedure with wide angle lense to describe the basic steps behind every hair transplant procedure.

A typical hair transplant procedure has at least six steps:

1. Consultation
2. Blood Tests
3. Anaesthesia
4. Extraction of donor hair
5. Implanting of donor hair
6. Post operative care

1). When it comes to hair transplant information on the internet or in promotional cd-roms and brochures, the consultation usually receives the least amount of attention. However, since this is first step in the process, and the one in which you alone will play the largest part, the consultation is perhaps the most important step for the individual. The information exchanged during this meeting will outline your goals and expectations for the outcome of the procedure. The information you receive during this consultation is the only factor you have in choosing either the right clinic or the wrong clinic for you. For more information, read our: Realistic Goals, your Consultation and Choosing a Doctor pages.

2). Once you have decided on a clinic and scheduled an appointment, most clinics require blood tests to be performed as required by law. These blood tests will take place approximately 24 to 48 hours before your surgery. If you live far away from the clinic, the blood tests can be performed by your family doctor or a laboratory which then fax the results to your clinic.

3). After your blood tests are confirmed, the doctor can begin your procedure. Each clinic will give you certain instructions to follow before your surgery which will probably include not to take an aspirin product before the surgery, and not to eat or drink 12 hours prior to surgery. The day of your procedure, patients might be given a small sedative to take.This will help to relax you before the surgery and calm your nerves.

Using a local anesthesia, the doctor will numb the recipient area and donor area. This is the only time patients will feel pain which can range from a mild discomfort for some patients to very painful for others. Women tend to endure this step better then men due to their higher capacity for pain.

4). Once the anaesthesia has taken affect, the doctor can remove the donor hair grafts which is done using one of two methods in common practice today.

The single strip harvest method is the traditional and most widely used method. A scalpel containing 2 or more blades mounted in parallel is used to cut strips of donor tissue 10 to 20 cm long. The donor strip is then carefully divided into follicular units under a microscope and surgical light. In order to remove this strip, you will have to lay on your stomach so doctors can get a topside view of your donor area.

While the donor strip is being divided and counted into micro grafts, the doctor will suture the donor area together. A number of new techniques have been introduced lately to minimize scarring in this region.

The Follicular Unit Extraction method is another technique some doctors used to harvest donor hair. In this labor intensive technique, doctors use a small punch-like circular scalpel to remove follicular units one at a time. See Follicular Units for more information.

5). Following the suturing of your donor area or the Follicular Unit Extraction step, you will recline comfortably in the surgery chair as the medical team begins preparing your hair loss affected area for the follicular unit hair grafts to be implanted.

This step involves making tiny incisions or apertures with a small gauged needle or scalpel in the recipient area. These tiny incisions is where your scalp will receive the new grafts of hair.

Often, a hair transplant team will work together - one making the recipient incision while the other implants the new grafts.

It's during this step in the hair transplant process that the experience and care of the doctor are most needed. The pattern in which the grafts are implanted must appear natural and care is taken by the doctor to insure blood flow to the new grafts. your hair transplant doctor will be looking at your recipient incisions and must invision in his mind how the hair will look as it grows in over the next 12 months and last for the next 20 years.

Depending on the number of grafts you are having implanted, the entire procedure can last from 2 to 4 hours.

6). Once the medical team has finished implanting the grafts, the procedure is basically over with. The clinic may keep you there for another hour or so to allow time for the sedative and anesthia to wear off. During this time, your doctor will then go over your post op surgery care with you. He will write you prescriptions for pain, swelling and infection and give you careful instructions on how to take care so that you do not damage the newly implanted hair grafts. See Post Op Recovery for more instruction.

After the surgery, the area will usually be bandaged overnight. you can return to normal activities, but strenuous activities should be avoided in the first few days. During the recovery period after surgery, the scalp is often very tender. Strong pain medications taken orally may be necessary for several days. A bulky surgical dressing, or sometimes a smaller dressing protected by a baseball cap, must be worn for at least a day or two.

Although the procedure only lasts 2 to 4 hours, you may have to wait 3 to 6 to up to 12 months for your new hair to start growing in. The newly implanted grafts will scab as they heal and then fall out. However, do not worry when they fall out because they have gone into the dormant stage of the normal hair growth cycle.

Hair transplantation is done under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. Hair and follicles are removed from the "donor area" of permanent hair along the back and sides of the head. This area is immediately camouflaged by the surrounding hair.

The removed hair follicles are then divided into individual grafts of varying sizes. The smallest grafts contain 1-2 hairs and are often referred to as "follicular units" or "micrografts". Larger minigrafts may contain up to 6 hairs and can provide more density per graft. Choice of number and type of graft is made taking into account you's hair type, quality, color and the area to be transplanted. Once prepared the grafts (hair and its roots) are then inserted into the thin area.

REQUIRED TIME

Hair transplantation is an office procedure that takes approximately four to eight hours depending on the extent of the planned procedure. Most people return to work two to five days after the surgery. Most people require more than one session, each spaced at least six months apart each to complete the hair restoration in an area. The timing and number of transplants depends on the amount of hair you have when you start, how much is anticipated that you will continue to lose without transplanting and how much hair density you desire.

NATURAL LOOKS

In the hands of well-trained and experienced physicians, and using newer techniques with smaller grafts, the hair grows in the proper direction with a feathered hairline, and a highly aesthetic result.

The hair is your own, and just like all of your hair it grows, can be washed, curled, cleaned, permed and styled as desired. Once the transplants are completed, no special maintenance is required.

SCARS

The site from where the hair is taken is usually a fine scar line which is hidden by the permanent hair in that area. After the procedure there are tiny marks where the grafts have been placed. Initially there is some crusting over these areas (5-14 days) but after this, these areas are usually not detectable class="STYLEONE".

HAIR GROWTH

In most cases, immediately after the hair transplant the hairs fall out of the grafts, and do not regrow for 1-3 months. After this they begin to grow as normal hair. With each session there is more hair, and the resulting appearance is thicker hair.

BENEFITS TO A WOMAN FROM HAIR TRANSPLANTS

Women with localized thinning on the top of their heads or thinning around the temples often make good candidates for hair transplantation. Prior to evaluation for hair transplantation, it is important for women to discuss your thinning hair with a dermatologist and/or endocrinologist to make sure there is no other treatable reason for the hair loss.

COSTS INVOLVED

Hair transplantation is a cost-competitive solution for hair loss. Other hair replacement alternatives require additional maintenance over the years. The cost depends on the amount of bald area that will need to be transplanted, and the desired thickness. More grafts are necessary to cover more bald or thin area and to maximize hair density. Because the procedure is individual, costs are usually determined individually.

WHEN TO CONSIDER THE PROCEDURE

Hair transplantation can be done both on patients with advanced baldness and earlier thinning. Newer treatments for men like Propecia or for both men and women, like Rogaine should be considered as well especially in patients with earlier thinning as these medications often slow significantly the progression of hair loss. In general, hair transplantation is not considered for patients younger than their mid 20s because of difficulty in predicting ultimate extent of hair loss.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS :

Hair surgery requires both medical and technical expertise as well as an aesthetic appreciation of natural hair growth. At our Clinic your transplant will be performed by a team led by Dr Manoj Khanna, a recognized board-certified specialist in cosmetic & plastic surgery with training and experience in dermatologic surgery. Dr.Khanna is a plastic surgeon, experienced in hair transplantation, as well as other cosmetic and reconstructive skin surgeries. He received his qualifications in Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery, and completed two further years of training in related surgery. He is amongst the internationally recognized leaders in the field.

APPROACH TO HAIR TRANSPLANTATION

Hair transplantation throughout the world is approached as an important surgical procedure, in which the transplant recipient is viewed as a patient rather than a client. For these reasons, medical consultation and follow-up is always provided by the physician who will oversee the surgery, rather than a sales associate. The procedure itself is carried out by this physician with the assistance of experienced hair transplant technicians.

In keeping with proper medical standards, the possible negatives of transplanting as well as realistic expectations, will be discussed prior to you proceeding with the surgery. For example, it is very important to consider the role of future hair loss in planning, and the possible need for more sessions to achieve desired density. It is our philosophy to provide you with medically sound and realistic information.

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