Hair transplants offer men and women a safe solution to hiding baldness or adding volume to existing locks, unlike many cosmetic surgeries. When performed by a qualified surgeon, this procedure can restore the book and cover bald patches. Select the hair restoration in Arizona.
Your surgeon will begin by administering medicine to numb the back of your scalp before using either the FUSS or FUE methods to extract a strip of skin from its location on your head and use that scar to conceal itself with new hair that grows around it.
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What to expect
Hair transplant patients frequently ask us how long it will take before seeing the results of a transplant, but the timeframe varies based on several factors. First, suppose your hair loss has already begun to accelerate. In that case, scheduling restoration early is vital so you can conceal its progression using styling techniques or products while avoiding further loss.
Once your hair transplant surgery has taken place, the recovery period should be treated as any other medical condition – with particular attention paid to preventing infection and ensuring proper healing. To minimize risk and ensure successful outcomes for yourself and the treated area. This means not touching transplanted follicles directly, refraining from engaging in strenuous activity, and limiting sunlight exposure on your scalp; additionally, sleeping in an elevated position is recommended to decrease inflammation and swelling.
Once shock loss and scabs have subsided, patients can start washing their hair as usual. Most clinics advise against using a shower head or rubbing transplanted follicles; it’s best to gently handwash with only small amounts of shampoo while avoiding direct contact with scabbed areas. Wearing a hat or button-down shirt to protect transplanted regions from friction or rubbing can prevent shifting before complete healing occurs.
At around three or four weeks, most patients will undergo another post-operation check-up to assess healing and provide additional aftercare instructions. This may take place online or in person, depending on your preference, and provides another chance for you to ask any questions regarding the recovery process or results that you might have.
Once scabs have entirely faded away, patients typically begin to see new follicles sprout thick and richly pigmented hair follicles growing back thick and healthy. While recent growth may initially look patchy and uneven, results should become increasingly natural-looking over time – usually within 12 months or sooner for most patients with a hair transplant close-up surgery.
Preparation
Step one in getting hair transplant surgery should be to visit a hair transplant specialist and discuss your goals and expectations for surgery. At this stage, they will give you all the information you require to make an informed decision, including what to expect during and after the process. In addition, any questions can be raised and receive answers.
Step two in preparation for surgery involves following your physician’s orders carefully. This may mean taking certain medications at reduced doses or discontinuing them entirely and taking steps such as removing helmets that could interfere with surgery. Finally, please arrange to have someone drive you home after your procedure and relax for at least a day or two.
Before beginning the surgery, your doctor will inject a local anesthetic into your scalp, making the extraction and transplantation of hair follicles pain-free. Your surgeon will then clean and shave the area they will be transplanting; FUT procedures include the back and sides of head transplanting, while FUE can consist of other sites.
Next, the surgeon will use a specialized tool to extract donor follicles from the donor area – most often from behind and sides of the head, although other donor sites can be chosen depending on patient requirements. They will then prepare these grafts for transplantation using the FUS/SUSS technique. This involves creating a linear scar, which may later be covered with growing hair or scalp micro pigmentation; however, this scar can be less visible for FUE techniques, which use double trichophytic closure.
Once the grafts are prepared, they will be implanted by placing them in holes or slits in the scalp where they will be planted. After closing these slits with stitches, the surgeon will place the grafts as required; other members of their team may assist as needed at this point.
Once the surgery has concluded, your surgeon will apply dressings and bandages to protect the transplanted follicles and wound. Please wear this for several days until the redness diminishes and scabs begin to fall off – do not pull at these, as this could damage follicles and stop them from regenerating correctly.
Surgery
Hair transplant surgery transfers healthy hair to areas of balding or thinning on your scalp. A dermatologist (healthcare provider specializing in skin conditions) or plastic surgeon typically performs this procedure, which may take several hours and require you to be under anesthesia during that time. Your physician will also test your blood for factors that could exacerbate hair loss.
Step one of hair transplantation requires extracting a strip of donor scalp from either the back or sides of your head, known as the donor area. Your surgeon will then cut this into tiny sections known as grafts that can be implanted into areas where there is hair loss, such as your scalp, create new hairlines, or fill in other spots with diminishing density.
Your surgeon will select a type of graft suitable to the area where you’re experiencing hair loss or thinning on your head, such as punch grafts containing one to three hairs that are used to fill thin spots at the front of your head; other graft types, like micro-grafts containing only one or two follicles, are micro-grafts; also available are slit or strip grafts to fill any balding spots on your scalp.
Once your doctor has harvested grafts, they will be prepared for transplantation by your surgeon. They will clean and numb the transplant site before creating holes with a scalpel or needle and placing each graft. Your surgeon may enlist other team members to assist with transplantation as needed.
After surgery, washing your hair regularly starting the day is essential. This will reduce infection risks and keep the grafts looking their best as they heal. Care should also be taken not to pull at scabs that form during healing, as doing so could cause lost graft hairs to fall out while following all instructions provided by your clinic regarding how best to care for a transplanted hair transplant.
Once the grafts have settled and healed, they should produce new hair growth. Although this new growth won’t appear immediately, over one year, it should become fuller and closer to your original hairline.
Recovery
Modern hair transplant procedures are far less painful and require far less recovery than in years past; however, you must follow some post-procedure instructions to help the grafts settle in successfully. These instructions include being mindful not to rub, pull, or tug the area where new growth has formed; refraining from scratching itchy scabs that may form; as well as activities that increase blood pressure on the scalp, such as swimming or direct spray from a shower, head that increase pressure in this region of your scalp.
Swelling, itching, and tenderness will likely appear in donor and transplanted areas following transplantation; these symptoms should subside within one or two weeks. Scabs that form will eventually fall off independently, while you can use a moisturizer to ease any discomfort. You can continue with regular hair washing techniques, but be gentle when toweling off recipient areas – it is recommended to do this once or twice daily for best results.
At first, transplanted hair may start to shed after transplantation; don’t be alarmed. This is normal and occurs due to shock loss experienced by hair follicles. Once scabs form and fall off, you can begin washing and styling as usual without fear of damaging new growth.
Infection is sporadic and typically only affects the donor site, often manifesting with fluctuance, redness, and tenderness at its location. Causes could range from poor hygiene practices, excessive crust formation, or preexisting medical risk factors, so if this happens, you must consult your surgeon so they can advise on necessary treatment measures.
Noting the timeframe and expectations associated with successful hair transplantation is essential. Results typically take at least nine months to mature and fill their areas fully, though this varies from person to person. Thicker, denser, and lighter-colored hair produces better results than thinner, darker-colored, or grayer locks, regardless of which starting point one chooses.
