DURING AND AFTER THE OPERATION

Hair transplantation involves removing a strip of permanent hair-bearing skin from the back of the scalp and then the strip is usually dissected into follicular units and micro-minigrafts.  

Then the grafts are planted into the bald area. Depending on the degree of balding, 1000-2500 follicular units may be transplanted in one procedure. 

More procedures would be done if hair loss progresses. A simple local anesthesia is performed.
There is no pain during the surgical procedure. Hair transplant procedures usually take from 3 to 6 hours, and it depends on the number of transplanted hairs.  

This procedure takes 3-4 hours for 1000 follicular units, and 5-6 hours for 2500 folicular units in Hair Transplantation. After hair transplantation procedure, patient may continue to his/her daily normal activity.

Small crusts may form on each graft. These crusts will flake off by 7-14 days after the surgery. Hairs may be washed the day after the operation. 

The transplanted hair may be shed around one month. The roots will remain dormant for 6-12 weeks.  

After this time the new hairs will begin to grow and continue to grow for a lifetime. A special care is not necessary for transplanted hairs.

WHAT'S HAIR TRANSPLANTATION?

Hair transplantation is an operation, in which hair is taken from the back of the head and moved to the area of hair loss. 

The fringe of hair on a balding scalp is known as donor dominant hair which is the hair that will continue to grow throughout the life of most men.   

The transplantation of hair from back to a bald area does not change its ability to grow. Donor dominance is the scientific basis for hair transplantation. Proper candidates for hair transplantation are those individuals with hair loss that have sufficient donor hair on the fringe of the scalp. Hair transplantation surgery has improved with modern techniques over the past decade. 

Through the use of the mini-micrografts and folicular unit grafts along with new and improved instrumentation, a natural hair appearance can be accomplished for each individual patient.

Single hair-grafts have the finest and softest appearance. Micrografts are small grafts containing 2-3 strands of hairs that are placed behind the hairline to provide a gradually increasing hair density.

Lastly, minigrafts contain 4 or more strands of hairs are placed well behind the hairline so that the single hair and micrografts can blend naturally into the density provided by these larger grafts.

Generally hair does not grow singly, but with the exception of the hairline, it emerges from the scalp in groups called follicular units. These units are comprised of 1 to 4 terminal and 1 to 2 vellus hairs that form a distinct group bounded by a circumferential collagen band, perifolliculum. 

Generally hair does not grow singly, but with the exception of the hairline, it emerges from the scalp in groups called follicular units. These units are comprised of 1 to 4 terminal and 1 to 2 vellus hairs that form a distinct group bounded by a circumferential collagen band, perifolliculum. 

These include; protection of natural scalp contour, minimizing of the surgical wound size at the recipient site, reducing of post operative recovery time, maximizing the oxygen diffusion and probability of transplantation of grafts on maximum numbers per session. Problems of bleeding, scarring, and infection are rare. 

Modern hair transplantation surgery is comfortable and the results are pleasing to most patients. Male pattern baldness continues until approximately 40-45 years of age. Then the entire head of hair thins gradually.  

Hair transplantation with larger number of grafts may be completed with reduced number of procedures with modern techniques.