When To Do A Hair Transplant - From Top Hair Transplant Surgeons

Alopecia (hair loss) is a serious problem. Especially if the hair begins to fall out at a fairly young age, forming ugly bald patches. In this case, there are three options:

- leave it as it is, trying to cover the bald patches with the remaining hair. It looks ugly; - shave bald. Not everyone goes or likes to be bald; - make a hair transplant. Return thick hair as in youth.

Why is hair falling out?

The causes of hair loss are different. This is not only hormonal disorders, but also infectious diseases, injuries, surgeries, exposure to chemicals and drugs, and so on. Even stress can cause hair loss.

If you eliminate these problems and choose the appropriate treatment, the process will stop. Moreover, hair can begin to recover on its own. Most often, androgenetic alopecia occurs. It is inherited, and the cause of such alopecia is an excess of testosterone.

Androgenetic alopecia occurs in 50% of men after forty years. 95% of all cases of baldness are associated with such alopecia. Most of all, hair loss during androgenetic alopecia affects the frontal and parietal zone, as well as the crown of the head. On the occipital area, hair is not affected by hormones.

The result is such an "island", bordered by a small crescent of hair. In addition to the above, there is diffuse and focal alopecia. Diffuse alopecia is triggered by the already indicated stress, hormonal disorders, prolonged use of certain medications, surgical intervention, and strict diets.

With diffuse alopecia, hair growth either stops, or they fall out before they grow. This is the second most common type of hair loss. Alopecia areata is caused by malfunctions of the immune system and is least likely to occur.

Does it hurt to transplant hair?

No, a hair transplant does not cause pain, since local anesthesia with lidocaine or xylocaine is used for the procedure. At the same time, the patient is conscious and feels the manipulations of the doctor, but only as light touches.



Before transplantation, the anesthetic was injected with a needle into the areas of the hair where the transplant was made. It was a painful procedure. Currently, instead of needles, special painkillers are used that inject the anesthetic into deeper layers of the skin using pressure.

In addition, this method promotes the uniform distribution of the anesthetic.

Where does the hair come from for transplantation?

Hair is taken from the patient so that rejection does not occur and that the color of the hairline is identical. Most often, this is hair from the occipital zone, but if there is not enough hair left or it is difficult to take it from this zone, then other areas of the body are selected. It can be hair from the chest and abdomen, from the back, beard, axilla, and even from the pubis.

This question is especially interesting for patients because the hair from the same pubis has a slightly different structure. When transplanted to a head, the hair changes its characteristics, straightens and becomes longer.

What methods of hair transplantation exist?

There are several methods for hair transplantation:

- Classic FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). Hair follicles are implanted through micromotors; - robotic FUE; - DHI. The same FUE performed with Choi implants; - sapphire FUE. Performed with sapphire blades.

I want to talk more about the last method. FUE hair transplantation using sapphire blades gives more successful results since wounds created by blades made of smooth sapphire crystals heal faster and leave barely visible scars.

Previously, all methods involved shaving the head before a hair transplant. The DHI hair transplantation technique allowed to exclude this preparation, and now you do not need to completely shave your head for a transplant. We offer our patients four options:

- completely shave off the donor and transplanted part; - shave only the donor; - partially shave a small area in the back of the head; - do not shave hair.

Alas, in many hair transplant clinics, only the first two options are offered to facilitate work. We focused on the third and fourth methods. I’ll tell you more about them.

1. The method when the head is partially shaved. This applies to the donor part. By the way, we will carry out hair extraction so that it will be almost imperceptible to others.
2. Hair transplant without shaving. When follicles are removed, the hair is not shaved, which helps to quickly restore appearance.

Of course, partial shaving or lack of shaving is not suitable for all cases. So, for example, if a patient has lost a lot of hair in the upper region and about 3-4 thousand grafts are required for transplantation, then his head will be completely shaved.

To make a decision on the choice of method, you need a professional approach. Our qualified surgeons will determine if the patient is suitable for a partial or absent shave for hair transplantation.

How to prepare for a hair transplant operation?

You need to prepare for the procedure both morally and physically. Wash your hair, provide quality rest before the procedure, as it will take about six hours. The exact time determines the number of grafts to be transplanted.

Since the operation involves delicate work and concentration, the patient needs to carry out the entire procedure in a stationary state and it is advisable not to talk. This creates head vibrations and also distracts the surgeon.

The day before the procedure, you need to exclude alcohol, as it can affect local anesthetics. It is also necessary to exclude smoking since it can cause narrowing of blood vessels and weak growth of transplanted hair. After surgery, transplants should not be touched.

For some time you will have to forget about tight outerwear and replace it with a shirt with buttons or with T-shirts with a wide collar.

About the Author: Salman Hashmi is a Hair Care enthusiast. He likes to write on hair care tips, skincare tips, and much more. He is associated with Enhance Clinic, which has a hair transplant clinic in Mumbai and a hair transplant clinic in Delhi.