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What is
hair replacement surgery? Hair transplantation
involves removing small
pieces of hair-bearing scalp
grafts from a donor site and
relocating them to a bald or
thinning area. If you
and your doctor have
determined that hair
transplants are the best
option for you, you can feel
comfortable knowing that
board-certified plastic
surgeons have been
successfully performing this
type of procedure for more
than thirty years.
The truth about hair loss. Baldness is often blamed on
poor circulation to the
scalp, vitamin deficiencies,
dandruff, and even excessive
hat-wearing. All of these
theories have been
disproved. It's also untrue
that hair loss can be
determined by looking at
your maternal grandfather,
or that 40-year-old men who
haven't lost their hair will
never lose it.
Hair loss is primarily
caused by a combination of:
•aging
•a change in hormones
•and a family history of
baldness
As a rule, the earlier hair
loss begins, the more severe
the baldness will become.
Hair loss can also be caused
by burns or trauma, in which
case hair replacement
surgery is considered a
reconstructive treatment,
and may be covered by health
insurance.
Hair replacement surgery
candidates
•Hair replacement candidates
must have healthy hair
growth at the back and sides
of the head to serve as
donor areas.
•Donor areas are the places
on the head from which
grafts and flaps are taken.
•Other factors, such as hair
color, texture and waviness
or curliness may also affect
the cosmetic result.
•There are a number of
techniques used in hair
replacement surgery.
Sometimes, two or more
techniques are used to
achieve the best results.
Hair replacement surgery can
enhance your appearance and
your self-confidence, but
the results won't
necessarily match your
ideal. Before you decide to
have surgery, think
carefully about your
expectations and discuss
them with your surgeon.
It's important to understand
that all hair replacement
techniques use your existing
hair. The goal of surgery is
to find the most efficient
uses for existing hair.
Hair transplantation
techniques, such as punch
grafts, mini-grafts,
micro-grafts, slit grafts
and strip grafts are
generally performed on
patients who desire a more
modest change in hair
fullness. Flaps,
tissue-expansion and
scalp-reduction are
procedures that are usually
more appropriate for
patients who desire a more
dramatic change.
Remember, there are limits
to what can be accomplished.
An individual with very
little hair might not be
advised to undergo hair
replacement surgery
Hair replacement surgery
recovery and follow up. How you feel after surgery
depends on the extent and
complexity of the procedure.
Any aching, excessive
tightness, or throbbing can
be controlled with pain
medication prescribed by
your physician. If bandages
are used, they will usually
be removed one day later.
You may gently wash your
hair within two days
following surgery. Any
stitches will be removed in
a week to 10 days. Be sure
to discuss the possibility
of swelling, bruising, and
drainage with your surgeon.
Because strenuous activity
increases blood flow to the
scalp and may cause your
transplants or incisions to
bleed, you may be instructed
to avoid vigorous exercise
and contact sports for at
least three weeks. Some
doctors also advise that
sexual activity be avoided
for at least 10 days after
surgery. To make sure
that your incisions are
healing properly, your
doctor will probably want to
see you several times during
the first month after
surgery. It's important that
you carefully follow any
advice you receive at these
follow-up visits.
Getting Back to Normal. How soon you resume your
normal routine depends on
the length, complexity and
type of surgery you've had.
You may feel well enough to
go back to work and resume
normal, light activity after
several days. Many patients
who have had transplants
(plugs or other grafts) are
dismayed to find that their
"new" hair falls out within
six weeks after surgery.
Remember, this condition is
normal and almost always
temporary. After hair falls
out, it will take another
five to six weeks before
hair growth resumes. You can
expect about a half-inch of
growth per month.
Follow-Up Procedures. You may need a surgical
"touch-up" procedure to
create more natural-looking
results after your incisions
have healed. Sometimes, this
involves blending, a
filling-in of the hairline
using a combination of
mini-grafts, micro-grafts,
or slit grafts. Or, if
you've had a flap procedure,
a small bump called a "dog
ear" may remain visible on
the scalp. Your doctor can
surgically remove this after
complete healing has
occurred. In general,
it's best to anticipate that
you will need a touch-up
procedure. Your surgeon can
usually predict how
extensive your follow-up
surgery is likely to be.
Hair replacement surgery
risks and safety information. Hair replacement surgery is
normally safe when performed
by a qualified, experienced
physician. Still,
individuals vary greatly in
their physical reactions and
healing abilities, and the
outcome is never completely
predictable. As in any
surgical procedure,
infection may occur.
Excessive bleeding and/or
wide scars, sometimes called
"stretch-back" scars caused
by tension may result from
some scalp-reduction
procedures. In transplant
procedures, there is a risk
that some of the grafts
won't "take." Although it is
normal for the hair
contained within the plugs
to fall out before
establishing regrowth in its
new location, sometimes the
skin plug dies and surgery
must be repeated. At times,
patients with plug grafts
will notice small bumps on
the scalp that form at the
transplant sites. These
areas can usually be
camouflaged with surrounding
hair. When hair loss
progresses after surgery, an
unnatural, "patchy" look may
result-especially if the
newly-placed hair lies next
to patches of hair that
continue to thin out. If
this happens, additional
surgery may be required.
Preparing for hair
replacement surgery. Your surgeon will give you
specific instructions on how
to prepare for surgery,
including guidelines on
eating and drinking,
smoking, and taking and
avoiding certain vitamins
and medications. Carefully
following these instructions
will help your surgery go
more smoothly. If you smoke,
it's especially important to
stop at least a week or two
before surgery; smoking
inhibits blood flow to the
skin, and can interfere with
healing. You should arrange
for someone to drive you
home after your surgery.
Plan to take it easy for a
day or two after the
procedure and arrange for
assistance if you think
you'll need it.
Where your surgery will
be performed. Hair replacement surgery is
usually performed in a
physician's office-based
facility or in an outpatient
surgery center. Rarely does
it require a hospital stay.
Types of anesthesia. Hair replacement surgery, no
matter what technique is
used, is usually performed
using a local anesthesia
along with sedation to make
you relaxed and comfortable.
Your scalp will be
insensitive to pain, but you
may be aware of some tugging
or pressure.General
anesthesia may be used for
more complex cases involving
tissue expansion or flaps.
If general anesthesia is
used, you'll sleep through
the procedure
Hair loss in women. Some doctors estimate that
one in five women will
experience some degree of
hair loss usually caused by
aging, illness, or hormonal
changes after menopause.
Women tend to experience a
subtle thinning all over the
scalp rather than losing
hair in patches as is common
in men. To correct the
problem, some women choose
to wear a wig or hair
extensions. Others have had
some success using a topical
prescriptive drug. The
effectiveness of such drugs
varies in some patients and
simply prevents further hair
loss without stimulating any
appreciable new growth. Hair
replacement surgery may be
the answer for those who
feel uncomfortable with
either of these options.
Because mini-grafts are
usually the surgical
treatment of choice for
filling-in thinning areas,
good candidates for this
procedure should have dense
hair growth at the back of
the head. Mini-grafts are
harvested from this dense
area and replanted in
thinning areas to create a
fuller look. Occasionally
flap and tissue expansion
procedures may be used if
the individual is judged to
be a good candidate. If
you're considering a hair
replacement procedure, it's
important to understand that
you will never have the
coverage you had prior to
your hair loss, but surgery
may camouflage the thin
areas and give you more
fullness. |
