Hair Transplant

Hair Transplant

Hair loss can be a very distressing problem for both men and women. Hair loss can be the result of genetic, hormonal imbalance, medical conditions, or certain medications. Hair loss can affect anyone though it is more common in men. While minimal hair loss may be unnoticeable or camouflaged with a modified hairstyle, excessive hair loss from the scalp will lead to hair thinning and baldness that is apparent and difficult to conceal.

A healthy adult has roughly 100,000 to 150,000 hair. On average, some 50 to 100 hairs are lost from the scalp every day. However, the body continually replenishes these with new hairs that grow from the hair follicles so that the scalp maintains a constant number of hairs at any one time. When the balance between hair shedding and hair growth is disturbed, a net reduction of hair will occur. Sometimes, thick hairs (terminal hair) may turn into thin and soft hair (vellus hair). These conditions affect the hair density and eventually lead to the loss of hair and baldness.

For mild and moderate hair loss cases, medical treatment is useful to reverse or slow down the hair loss. These medical treatments include minoxidil hairspray, oral finasteride or dutasteride, and oral minoxidil. However, these medical treatments have to go on indefinitely because the hair loss might resume if these treatments are discontinued. For hair loss that is more severe and extensive or unresponsive to medical treatment, hair transplant remains the only effective treatment to restore the hair.

Hair transplantation is a procedure that transfers hair follicles from a donor site to the recipient site, which is where the bald or balding part of the scalp is. The donor hairs usually come from the scalp at the back of the head. The basic form of each of the transplanted hair is called afollicular unit (FU). There are two different techniques to obtain FU:  FUT (follicular unit transplantation) or FUE (follicular unit extraction). In FUT, the operator removes a narrow skin strip from the scalp at the back of the head. The skin strip is then cut under magnification to obtain individual FUs. The wound in the scalp is closed, leaving a fine linear scar. In the FUE technique, each FU is harvested one by one by using a manual punch or motorized punch. Each FU leaves behind a tiny hole in the scalp. These tiny holes heal rapidly without the need for sutures, and there will be no visible scars. The recovery of the donor site is usually fast. FUE is very useful in cases where the patient will not accept a linear scar on the scalp, when a short recovery period is needed, or when the number of hair follicle grafts required is small.

The FUs undergo trimming to remove unnecessary tissues. The FUs are implanted into the target area using a special implanter based on the preplanned design and marking. New hair will grow from the implanted FUs to produce new hair on the scalp.

Hair follicular unit (FU)

Preparation

1. Inform the doctor of any pre-existing medical conditions and drug allergy. All medical conditions must be treated and stabilized before surgery.

2. Stop smoking at least one week before surgery. Smoking is harmful to wound healing, increases the risks of other post-operation complications and adversely affects the survival of the hair grafts.

3. Stop the following medications and supplements from one week before surgery until one week after surgery.

   1. All supplements containing vitamin E, ginseng, ginkgo, garlic, fish oil, and other ingredients that increase bleeding during the procedure. Other supplements, traditional medicine, and herbs, in which ingredients are unknown, have to stop as well.

   2. Medicine that increases bleeding during the procedure such as aspirin, NSAIDs, and warfarin. However, you may need to consult your physician who prescribed the medication before you stop them.

On the day of surgery, wear simple and comfortable clothing. Do not wear any makeup. Do not wear any jewelry and metal objects on the face and body.

Procedure

Duration: 4-6 hours

Anaesthesia: Local anaesthesia

Hospitalization: Not required.

Recovery*: Back to work in 3-7 days, light exercise after 1-2 weeks, heavy exercise after 4-6 weeks. * The actual recovery speed depends on the extent of the hair transplant and may vary from person to person.

Procedure: there are three steps involved in the whole process.

1. FU harvesting: There are two different techniques to harvest FU: FUT (follicular unit transplantation) or FUE (follicular unit extraction). The technique we use is FUE.

2. FU preparation: Trimming of FUs into single-hair FU or 2-hair FU.

3. FU placement: Implantation of the prepared FUs into the target area to create the desired results.

Post-operative Care**

1. What to expect: Swelling usually peaks on the second to third day after surgery and will gradually subside after that. Post-operative pain is minimal.

2. The original hair shaft from the transplanted hair will shed off, and new hair will grow from the FU. The final results may take a few months to achieve.

3. General care:

   1. Avoid touching the recipient site for at least three days.

   2. Avoid smoking for at least one month. Smoking increases the risk of wound complications and adversely affects the survival of the hair graft.

   3. Adequate rest and adequate sleep are helpful for a speedy recovery.

   4. Be relaxed and calm. Contact the clinic if there are any queries.

4. Medicine: Finish the oral antibiotics as prescribed. Take the painkiller as prescribed when necessary.

5. Wound care: For the first three days, gently spray the wound with saline solution. After three days, gently clean the wound with a clean cotton tip soaked with sterile water/saline. Apply antibiotic ointment. No wound dressings are required.

6. Physical activity: Avoid heavy physical activity and exercise for at least one month.

7. Follow-up: Come back one week after surgery for review.

8. Emergency: If there is heavy bleeding, a rapid increase in swelling or severe pain, immediately contact the clinic/doctor for advice.

** The instructions in this list are only for general guidance. If you have any specific queries or concerns during the post-operative recovery, please contact the clinic for further advice.