Listed below is the step by step procedure of hair transplant surgery:
Hair transplant surgery is a treatment procedure for severe hair loss to prevent baldness. This procedure is also called as hair restoration surgery. It is done by taking hair follicles from certain part of your body to implant them on your balding area. The implanted part is termed as the “donor site” and the place where it is implanted is called as the “recipient site.”
Hair transplant is not only limited to head, as it can also be performed to restore eyebrows, eyelashes, chest hair, beard hair, pubic hair, etc. This treatment method acts as a permanent solution to restore your hair.
The most common hair problem that requires hair transplant surgery is patchy or complete baldness. Excessive hair loss hampers your outer appearance. It can be due to many abnormal factors in an individual. The most common reason for hair loss is aging. Other reasons for loss of hair can be as follows:
Such issues can lead to excessive hair loss requiring a hair transplant surgery. Other common reason that require hair transplant include:
There are many preoperative preparations taken into consideration to avoid various risks associated with a hair transplant surgery. At the initial part, your surgeon will monitor your scalp and analyze it. Make sure you discuss with your doctor about what you prefer and expect from this transplant surgery. Take suggestions and discuss with him/her the various ideas that can be suitable for your hair line and scalp.
Make a note about which is the best method to implant hair based on your situation. Also, discuss about the necessary results that can be achieved from each method. It can take one or more sessions to completely decide about all the points related to your hair transplant surgery.
Certain tests can be performed on your scalp as well as to calculate your hair density.
Folliscopy is a diagnostic test of your hair follicles. It utilizes a phototrichogram system to monitor your hair follicles. It visualizes the base from where your hair is attached, by using a microscopic camera. These pictures are seen on a computer screen that enlarges and displays it. It not only gives you pictures of your hair follicles but also helps in measuring the density of your hair, hair shaft diameter and the proportions of various types of hair present.
Your surgeon measures and compares these parameters to assess the type of problems you have and decide the best surgery method to treat it. This test also helps to achieve postoperative results more accurately.
Blood tests can be conducted to check if there is any bleeding or blood clots present in your system. Patients who have blood clotting disorder must inform their doctors in advance before the main procedure.
Apart from tests, your doctor will suggest you about all the instructions to be followed before the hair restoration procedure. Avoid using any medicines that can affect your surgical process. Smoking and alcohol intake can badly affect your hair transplant surgery. Avoid it.
You must visit your health care center, a day before your main surgery for various check-ups and other aspects which are important. A physical body check up is mandatory before your surgery. It notifies your surgeon about your health status. Your vitals are also measured to see whether your body is not weak. A general check-up shows you if there are any abnormal conditions present, for example, infections or high blood pressure, etc.
Doctor will advise you regarding how long you should fast before surgery. Do not consume any medicines prior to your surgery. Although, make sure to inform your doctor about the following:
On the day of hair transplant surgery, it is advised to be on time at the surgical center. A hair transplant surgery is conducted under the influence of local anesthesia. The type and amount of anesthesia given to you will depend on the extent of your surgery and grafting mechanism. You can also be awake during the entire procedure. Certain medications can be provided to you to let your body relax during the surgery. The work of local anesthesia is to numb the surgical section. Therefore, nurses will inject it under the skin of your surgical areas.
Hair transplantation can be performed using different methods depending upon the amount of hair being implanted. It can either be performed all together or divided into sessions based on the number of hair follicles. Before we classify various methods, let us first take a note about the two types of grafts involved in this surgery mechanism.
There two main techniques to perform implanting include:
A slit graft consists of 4 to 10 hair strands per cutting (here, called as a graft). A micro graft consists of one or two hair stands per cutting based on amount of scalp required to be covered.
The surgical procedures used for hair transplant are as follows:
Common amount of hair follicles that can be implanted per session can be around 1,000 to 2,000. However, if you have more areas to cover in one session, your doctor may require around 4,000 hair follicles implanted. Every hair transplant graft session may need hours for its completion. Therefore, many patients prefer a hair transplant surgery in two or more separate sessions.
The procedures of a hair transplant graft include:
An extensive type of hair transplant uses a flap surgery methodology. Such type of surgery is performed if the patients need larger flaps of tissues rather than small grafts for hair transplantation. This type of surgery requires general anesthesia. Patients are required to stay back at the hospital after the surgery.
Procedural steps of a flap surgery include:
A scalp reduction surgery is a method used to treat certain bald regions of your scalp; especially its back and top sections. These regions do not include the front section of the scalp.
Steps of the procedure include:
Other types of hair transplant surgeries involve implanting hair on other parts of your body apart from your head.
Such types include:
If you have had a flap surgery or other extensive type of hair transplant surgery, you may require to stay back at the hospital after surgery. Other techniques of hair transplant are out-patient and do not involve hospital stay after surgery.
Based on the extent of your surgery, you may experience some problems during your hospital stay post surgery. If you are injected with general anesthesia, it is possible that you may experience numbness after the surgery is finished. At such times, your doctor will ask you to rest for some time until the influence of anesthesia wears off. You can also experience heavy pain, and throbbing during the stay which is followed by slight discomfort. Your doctor will provide or inject certain medication to ease your pain. Post operative antibiotics are also prescribed to you to avoid any occurrence of graft wounds or other infections.
Nurses will cover your surgical sections with cotton bandages followed by cotton dressing to keep the bandages intact at one place. This also helps to prevent bleeding. Doctor can check whether there are any signs of infection or other abnormal condition developing. Necessary treatments will be carried out if there is occurrence of any such issues.
It is likely that patients experience pain and discomfort for some days post surgery. Some patients also experience intense throbbing in your scalp region. Take necessary pain killers prescribed by your doctor to get relief from such problems. Follow all the important instructions provided by your doctor for a better healing. Also, make sure you take necessary precautions as well.
For earlier few days of your surgery, your surgical areas will be swollen. You can also experience bruising and a tight feeling around your wounds. When you undergo healing, there can be a development of small scabs over your wounds. Your doctor will guide you on how to deal with all these issues at home.
The main aim of conducting follow-up appointments after hair transplant surgery is to monitor your recovery process. Doctor will also check how well are the medicines working and improving your health condition. If there are any other problems seen, he/she will carry out treatment measures to fix them.
Follow-up sessions also involve removal of your old bandages and replacing them with new fresh ones. This also includes cleaning your wounds with anti-septic solution unless they heal completely. Such steps are carried out in order to avoid the occurrence of infections.
When you have undergone a surgery, along with following necessary instructions, it is also important to follow all the precautions. These precautions are taken to avoid any complications.
Precautionary measures after a hair transplant surgery include:
There can be some possible risks involved after your hair transplant surgery. It is advisable to be prepared for some of these common risks and complications that may likely occur.
Some possible complications may also occur out of a hair transplant surgery. Your scalp may stretch back in time and causing the bald spot to reoccur. Also pulling and tightening the skin from the donor's site can reduce elasticity from that area. It can also loosen the scalp causing low hair density.
Sutured areas of your scalp may show large visible scars. Patients may also experience 'slot deformity' development around the hair implanted areas. A slot deformity refers to change in the direction of your hair leading to hair growth at abnormal directions. It can either look like a partition or circular slot.
The above article, illuminates us about hair transplant surgery. Various information regarding hair implantation or hair restoration is also explained. Also, risks and complications associated with this surgery are mentioned. If you are planning to go for a hair transplant surgery, make sure you select the best and suitable method for a better appearance.Provide us with your name and phone number to get an instant callback from one of our healthcare consultants.