Hair loss is starting to become very common especially in young males. Patients often come to us complaining of hair loss however, most times their hairline has receded quite a bit. A receded hairline might make a person look much older than his actual age and the patient might feel a little under confident.

For those patients who are wanting to restore their hairline, hair transplantation is a great option to consider. We at Zolie do hair transplantation using the FUE procedure. The procedure is nearly highly effective and nearly painless.

What is a Hair Transplant? 

Hair transplant is a surgical technique which includes removing hair from one part of your body to transplant it onto another site. The site from which the hair is removed is known as the ‘donor spot’ and the site to which the hair follicle is shifted is known as the ‘recipient site’. It is a minimally invasive procedure and can be used to restore eyelashes, eyebrows, beard hair, chest hair etc.

What is Pattern Baldness?

Mostly this technique is used to cover ‘pattern baldness’. Pattern baldness is a common phenomenon in men which happens due to genetics or a family history of baldness. Other factors like poor diet, high level of stress or some reaction to medications could also be a reason for this. Each hair on your head has a growth cycle and pattern baldness weakens the growth cycle by attacking your hair follicle which causes hair fall and bald spots on the head.

Are there different types of hair transplant?

Hair transplant procedure can be broadly divided into two categories which are

  1. FUT- Follicular Unit Transplant
  2. FUE- Follicular Unit Extraction

Follicular Unit Extraction

The procedure requires a surgeon to harvest healthy hair follicles individually from the donor area for implantation in the affected area. Which means the hair will be directly removed from the donor area with the use of tiny punch incisions. Tiny holes will be made on the recipient site and the hair follicles will be gently placed in them. It is a minimally invasive technique.

In FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method individual follicular units are extracted one by one from the patient’s scalp (donor area) making sure that the density in the donor area is not compromised. Basic aim of this procedure is to extract or obtain follicular units. Each follicular unit or graft is harvested with the help of micro punches. A follicular unit we extract might contain 4 follicles, 3 follicles, 2 follicles or even 1 follicle. More the number of follicles in a follicular unit better it is. What is even better, since we use micro punches no scars are formed after healing.

The FU (follicular units) that we extract are then transplanted into the bald area that we mark at the start of the surgery as a part of the restoration of the hairline. These hair follicular units that we transplant then form healthy hair in a few months time.

Advantages of FUE

  • It leaves no scars after the procedure
  • No stitches are made

Follicular Unit Transplant

This traditional method which is also known as the strip method is where a strip is removed from the donor area and dissected in a laboratory. Which means that a strip of skin from the back of your head is removed, which then further is divided into several sections. These sections are then implanted on the bald patch. The wound is stitched and a bandage may be placed on it to protect it from infections and further injury

The surgery might be done in a day’s time or it might require 2 to3 days, depending upon the number of hair follicles needed to restore the hairline.

Hair Transplant FAQs

From quite some time I’ve been answering a lot of answers related to hair transplant. When it comes to the topic of hair transplant there seems to be a lot of inquisitiveness in the minds of the people related to the procedure and its effectiveness along with a sense of fear regarding the procedure that takes place.

Who should go for a hair transplant?

  • Men with pattern baldness
  • Anyone who has a scar or injury in a particular area

Who should avoid going for a hair transplant?

  • People with thick and fibrous scars
  • People who do not have suffice donor sites
  • People who have lost their hair due to medications like chemotherapy

Are there any side effects of hair transplant?

No, there are no long term effects of hair transplant. There are some minor side effects which eventually clear up in a couple of weeks without any severe complications. Some of the common and minor effects are listed below-

  • Swelling
  • Itching
  • Bruising
  • Inflammation
  • Crust formation on the scalp

What tips should I follow after a hair transplant?

Most of the tips will be given by the doctor after the procedure. However, there are some common tips which one is supposed to follow after the surgery.

  • Do not scratch your scalp with your nails; no matter how tempting it might feel.
  • Switch to a gentle shampoo or an herbal shampoo.
  • Do not remove the scabs on your scalp with your nails in order to avoid infection.
  • If you see scabs falling out after the transplant then do not panic, it is absolutely normal.
  • Do not go for sauna baths for at least 3 months
  • Avoid physical activities which can cause your blood pressure to shoot up or can cause excessive sweating.
  • Proper rest is to be taken after the surgery.
  • Do not skip your medications and use the recommended products only.