Hair Transplant
A hair transplant is used to treat any type of baldness that cannot be treated with medication. Permanent baldness can result from may reasons, the most common in Males being ‘male pattern baldness’ resulting from genetics and hormonal effects. Various other factors such as – Diet, Stress, Illness, Hormonal Imbalance and Medications can also result in baldness and in these cases medical treatments are tried before a hair transplant is contemplated.
Treatment
Surgery may involve hair follicle transplantation, flaps or tissue expansion. This depends on the extent and cause of baldness and the surgeon will discuss the options with you that are applicable in your case. Over the last few decades the hair transplant procedure has evolved into a very creative art for ‘Male Pattern Baldness’. From use of scalp flaps and large punches the current concept is to harvest each hair follicle individually by a motorised punch (procedure is FUE) or by cutting out each follicle from a strip of scalp skin under magnification (FUT), taken from the occipital region. These follicles are then transplanted into the bald area in a very painstaking process, by making tiny holes ( needle punctures), which can last over a few hours depending on the number of follicles transferred in a sitting. The concept is based on the fact that the occipital hair is the last to shed on the scalp and the hair follicles shifted to the front region retain the same characteristics and memory.
For hair transplantation- The scalp is shampooed thoroughly the night before the procedure and then painted with antimicrobial solution before the surgery.
The surgery is performed under local anaesthesia and the patient is awake through out the surgery.
Sometimes 2-3 sessions may be required if the bald area is very large. If a scalp strip has been harvested the stiches from that area are removed in 10 days.
The head is washed on the 3rd postoperative day and a cap can be worn for protection for another week. The transplanted hair will shed initially but later fresh hair shafts grow from the transplanted follicles.