Hair Transplants: What is it and What to Expect
If you suffer from hair loss, whether due to genetics and aging, or circumstances that have transpired and translated to thinning or loss of hair, transplants are a solution that many consider. If you are thinking about the procedure, here are a few things you should learn and understand regarding what it is and what to expect.
What It Is
Hair transplants are procedures that add more hair to the area of your head that is thinning or balding. This can be done to different parts of the body, but this is usually performed on the scalp. Both men and women seek out these sorts of procedures, although this solution is more common for men. Although there are plenty of solutions to help reduce hair loss or restore hair growth, hair transplants
The Procedure
The first steps during a hair transplant require the doctor to clean your scalp. Once the area is clean, doctors will inject the area with numbing medication right before the transplant. They will then transplant follicles in the thinned areas to restore hair density to fulfill a full head of hair once it grows out.
How Will It Look After?
People come in for a hair transplant not being happy with the hair they have, and come out of a transplant fully expecting to be satisfied with the results. This will not occur right away and it is important to temper your expectations. It will take some time before you see a full head of hair.
Healing Process
Even after a week, you most likely won’t see the result you want. It will require time to heal and for the hair to grow. As the hair grows back, it will not always be in a consistent manner. Your hair will grow in different stages.
During the healing process, you need to be careful around your head and scalp, as the transplanted grafts and follicles are extremely sensitive. If you are not cautious, you might inadvertently or accidentally pull those grafts out and the hair will not grow. You should provide about a week or so for the follicles to cement themselves and be stronger. Once they have settled, and have clotted and solidified into place, they will be less likely to be damaged by trauma or stress, ensuring they can grow.
During this healing and growth process, expect to have hair fall out in some circumstances. In the first month, the hair will shed and not appear as full as they do after the transplant. This is completely normal and you do not need to worry. After the first month, whatever hair remains will continue to grow. It is a long process that you have to remind yourself of. Hair restoration pros at SureHair.com emphasize that it takes about 2 or 3 months to fully realize the effects of the transplant, and around the 4th month is when most patients will see substantial results. At around the 6 or 7-month period, you will see about 60% of the hair coming through, with the rest of the hair coming in throughout the rest of the year. Keep in mind that if you have long hair, as common in women, the hair growth time will be longer.
Can You Speed Up The Process?
The recovery process will take time, and this is important to remember. Consider how slow it takes for natural hair to grow. This transplant is not much different and this consideration should help ease your mind if you are stressing over the length of time the process takes. However, some people may still be impatient to see faster results. If this is the case, some surgeons and doctors have prescribed minoxidil, which is commonly known as rogaine, to help with the hair growth process, acting as a stimulator for the hair grafts to come through. The results will vary from person to person, so it is not fully guaranteed to be successful for everyone. Of course, this is only to speed up the process but will not have an impact on the final result of fuller hair, which is the result for everyone, regardless of the timeframe. Consider the longer process a more natural occurrence that mirrors hair growth, and your family, friends, colleagues, and coworkers are less likely to notice changes with a slower process than if you were to try and speed it up.
Short Term Effects
Aside from hair loss after surgery, other short-term side effects include inflammation of the follicles or even infection in some cases. This is not out of the ordinary and can be addressed by antibiotics and other medications. You might also lose some of your own hair but this is due to stimulation and shock of the scalp, but will grow back over time.
Are There Any Risks Involved?
Hair transplant is a type of surgery at the end of the day. Risks involved with surgery will be bleeding, as well as infection, as previously stated. You might also see your scalp scar. There is also a risk that the hair transplant does not provide a natural look as the result. In such a scenario, you should consult your doctor.
The Cost
Hair transplant treatments are going to be relatively expensive, and range in costs from roughly $4,000 to $15,000. Of course, for some people, this may not be substantial compared to the impact on their self-esteem and psychological benefits, while it may be more significant for other people. Be mindful, as this is an optional cosmetic surgery, most insurance companies will not cover this type of treatment in their health policies.
Hair transplant is a surgery that some people will consider mainly due to how they feel about themselves and how they see themselves. Whether through natural hair loss due to age, or illness that causes it, or other events and circumstances, the treatment should be met with acceptance. Hair loss impacts a person’s self-esteem as the way others see and view them can impact their mental health. There is nothing wrong with considering transplants, and in many cases, the results will appear to be a natural-looking head of hair. Be sure to do your research and develop your understanding to help you feel confident about the procedure.
