Surgical Treatments
Hair Transplantation
You will not get a full head of hair from this procedure. The technique redistributes existing, healthy hair. It does not create any new hair. So it is not possible to provide a full head of hair. However, a comparatively small amount of hair transplanted expertly can produce the illusion of substantially more hair than there actually is.
The transplant is accomplished by removing a strip of hair bearing scalp from the back or sides of the head where hair growth is permanent and not affected by Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The most common donor area is from the back instead of the sides. Some scarring in the donor site may occur. Transplanted follicles may be permanent, or they may last only for a few years.
A doctor or medical staff member then divides the hair bearing scalp into grafts under a microscope. These grafts can vary in size but include: follicular (most common) micro, mini and sometimes even maxi size grafts. Without microscopic dissection, the follicular units can be damaged. Be cautious of any transplant procedure that does not seek to keep follicles intact and protect them from damage, which is impossible without microscopic assistance.
Once divided into grafts, a doctor or staff member will prepare the recipient area of your hair loss affected region for graft implantation. Tiny incisions are made with a surgical instrument in the recipient area which is where your scalp will "receive" the grafts. Some follicular procedures can even implant the donor units singly, with a needle. This type of implant procedure heals more quickly, doesn’t scar or scab over as much, and may even lessen the amount of initial hair loss from the implants.
Once your procedure is finished, your doctor will advise you on how to care for your newly implanted grafts over the next few days. Keep in mind, in all cases of hair transplantation, the new grafts will "scab" as they heal. Eventually, in 7-21 days, these scabs will heal and these grafts will actually shed the implanted hair.
Yes, the newly implanted hair will fall out.
However, do not worry for in about 3-6, and sometimes up to 12 months later, new and permanent hair will grow in its place. It is common for new hair to grow in as fine light hair. It will regain its normal appearance over the course of a year.
Follicular Unit Transplantation
Every hair in a person’s scalp grows in tiny bundles called follicular units (see Fig). Each follicular unit contains 1-4 terminal (full thickness) hair follicles and 1-2 fine (vellus) hairs, sebaceous (oil) glands, a small muscle, tiny nerves and blood vessels and a fine band of collagen surrounding the unit. The follicular unit is the hair bearing structure of the skin and is kept intact to maximum growth and natural appearance. Follicular unit grafts can be inserted into tiny needle-sized sites in the recipient area, which heal in just a few days without leaving any marks or scars.