This article answers the following questions: What is hair replacement surgery? Does it work for everybody? Does it hurt or cause scarring? Do hair transplants produce natural-looking hair? How to find a qualified doctor.
1. Q. What is hair replacement surgery, and are the results really permanent?
A. Yes, happily, they really are. Hair transplant procedures rely on the genetics of hair growth. For the vast majority of people who lose their hair, a sizable portion of hair never falls out. This hair, usually above the ears and around the back of the head, is genetically encoded to grow throughout life. It is this permanently growing hair that serves as the “donor” region for hair follicles (roots) that are removed and transplanted to a thinning or bald area.
Results vary, but in most cases it is possible to get complete coverage in one or two surgical sittings of three to five hours each. Typically, the hair continues to grow independently the rest of the person’s life.
2. Q. Does hair replacement surgery work for everybody or does your age or how much hair you have make a difference?
A. Contrary to popular opinion, hair loss can be a problem for both sexes and for people of almost any age. Hair transplants have been performed on men and women from 17 to 90 years old. For the procedure to be performed, some remaining hair is necessary, but that’s rarely a problem, as very few people are completely bald.
All types of hair loss except one (alopecia areata) respond well to transplant surgery. People with that disorder (an autoimmune disease) can find help through cortisone injections.
3. Q. Does hair replacement surgery hurt or cause scarring?
A. There is no pain during surgery and no scarring on the top of the scalp afterwards when the operation is performed by a qualified, experienced physician. A patient has little to no down time and can return to work the following day.
One’s choice of physician is very important here. If a surgeon is poorly trained or uses outdated procedures, it can cause pain, scarring, “doll’s head hair” (where hair grows out of little holes in clusters) and other unfortunate consequences.
4. Q. Do hair transplants produce natural-looking hair?
A. The answer is a resounding “yes” with one caveat: the physician must be knowledgeable. A skilled doctor can design a new hairline, fill bald or thinning spots, and provide very good coverage in a minimum of sittings (usually one or two).
Using the latest breakthrough procedures, surgeons implant one to three hair follicles per insertion, creating natural-looking hair and avoiding the weird “doll’s head hair” that was typical of hair plugs and transplants in years past. Unfortunately, some doctors today still create doll’s head hair, and it’s difficult to tell the good physicians from the poor ones merely by asking questions. Both good and bad “talk the talk” with impressive terminology. Only the good “walk the walk.”
5. Q. How do I find a doctor I can trust to do the procedure?
First, avoid hair transplant companies (chain franchises that specialize in sales and hire doctors from outside to come in and do their surgeries). Such clinics provide disappointing experiences and even horror stories.
The only way to really tell if your doctor knows his business is to talk to many satisfied customers and to observe a transplant surgery for yourself. Does the doctor do hair transplants every day? If not, find a different doctor. Physicians who do three or four hair replacements a month are not qualified experts and should never be trusted to do a good job.
Any doctor who pushes gimmicks and gadgets along with or instead of a hair transplant procedure also should not be trusted.
At our Orange County Hair Transplant Clinic, we received an email from a patient who already had a hair transplant from another clinic. He writes: “I received hair restoration surgery… and my hair never grew in the area and I followed all the directions carefully.” He then asks, “Is there any other solutions to bring back my hair?”Hair transplant surgery can seem as a simple procedure but there are certain factors that can cause suboptimal growth of newly transplanted hair. It is OK for any patient who is considering or has had a hair transplant procedure to be concerned about the survival of their newly transplanted hair. These issues can be categorized into two factors:
Both can potentially determine what the outcome of your hair transplant procedure will be.Technical Issues
Patient Factor
Results are usually more evident after about one year so we recommend having your hair reevaluated by a good hair transplant surgeon if there is any doubt. Once a reevaluation is completed your hair transplant surgeon can help you treat the disorder that caused your less than desirable growth results and even tell you what may have caused your condition.
US Hair Restoration Weblog posted the original blog titled Unsuccessful Hair Transplant
If you’re wondering why you’re beginning to lose your full head of hair at such a young age, the answer may lie in your genes. Thinning hair is more a result of your genetic makeup than any other reasons, including such wild presumptions as wearing hats too much, excessive washing, and other misguided myths. Hair thinning is usually a result of alopecia, a condition which is basically genetic in nature, and is clinically-known as Androgenetic Alopecia. Chances are, your scalp’s fate has been predetermined in the womb. The hair follicles are genetically programmed much like all of your other body parts; included in this program is the time and extent of the baldness which you will incur in your entire lifetime. Hair thinning occurs when specific hormones affect those hair follicles which carry an innate susceptibility to their effects. The human body can manufacture male hormones; this function disregards gender factors, and is applicable to women as well. The three hormones which are usually produced are dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone, and testosterone. On the other hand, the hair follicles and skin pores are abundant in an enzyme known as 5-alpha-reductase; this substance can convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) through the help of the bloodstream. An overabundance of this single hormone, DHT, is known as the primary cause of male-pattern baldness. Some people have an inborn vulnerability for baldness at the top of their heads. During maturity or middle ages, this area is specifically targeted by DHT by binding with the receptors of the susceptible follicles, causing the latter to eventually weaken. Now the normal growth cycle of a hair follicle is three to eight years; at the end of this process, the shaft and strand is separated from the hair follicle, in place of a new strand. But with hair thinning, the growth cycles gets progressively shorter in time, and the hair strand which comes out of the follicle becomes ever thinner in volume and thickness. This process is known as miniaturization. This cycle successively takes on a gradual severity, and will eventually lead to baldness in most of the people who experience it. There are even cases wherein the baldness is so extensive that every treatment alternative is practically ineffective in addressing or reversing the hair loss. However, some cases are temporary, and may be a result of a combination of various factors which include genetic predisposition. The best way to ascertain your actual condition is to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment recommendations. The treatment for hair loss comes in a wide variety of topical applications, medications, and even surgery procedures. The most promising alternative thus far is the drug finasteride; it inhibits the conversion of testosterone into DHT, and encourages the hair follicle to bring out new strands in place of old ones. Some of the more drastic procedures involve hair transplants and scalp reduction; these either transplant hair strands on the follicles (one strand at a time), or the scalp itself is ‘stretched’ in an attempt to minimize the extent of the baldness. Consult with your doctor first if you are considering on any of these possible treatment options; your doctor is the best person to decide on which alternative will be the best for you.
