Hair transplantation is a highly-specialized minor surgical procedure for men and women that permanently redistribute living and growing hair follicles into areas of hair loss. Hair follicles, harvested from the back of the head using Micrografts can be transplanted into other areas of the scalp (hairline, temples, top, crown, scars, etc.) or other areas of the body (face, eyebrow, eyelash, chest, pubic region, etc.) where hair is needed or desired. Transplanted hairs remain generally unaffected by the hair loss process in the balding areas.
Patients seeking hair transplantation typically suffer from a lack of hair on the scalp or other areas (such as eyebrow, eyelash, etc.) due to heredity, trauma (injury or surgery) or trichotillomania (hair pulling).
Candidates for hair transplant procedures are those men and women with hair loss that have sufficient 'donor hair' at the back and sides of the scalp to transplant to the thinning, receding or balding 'recipient areas.'
While non-invasive treatments can slow, stop, and even reverse the hair loss process to some degree, hair transplantation is typically the only method of permanently and substantially increasing hair density in areas of significant hair loss.
Hair transplantation is an outpatient procedure that is usually performed using local anesthesia and light sedation.
Hair growth from the procedure starts at 6-12 weeks and typically takes a full 12 months to reach the 'final' cosmetic result.
FDA-approved medications, like Propecia® (Finasteride) pills and Regaine® (Minoxidil 2 or 5%) topical solutions are often prescribed or recommended in conjunction with hair transplantation.
A customized wound-care regimen is usually recommended during the post-operative recovery phase. Options may include special topical scalp soaks or ointments, nutritional supplementation, low level laser therapy, hyperbaric oxygen treatments or other therapies designed to enhance wound healing, accelerate the cosmetic recovery of the skin and minimize downtime.
Some hair transplant patients may require more than one procedure to achieve their desired result.
Successful hair restoration, like other cosmetic procedures and treatments, helps patients by improving self-confidence and self-esteem.
