Hair Transplants

Many people wonder about hair transplants for a variety of reasons. Are you worried that your thinning hair or receding hairline makes you look older than you are? Just want to have a full head of hair again? A transplant may be an option.

About Hair Transplants

A hair transplant uses your own hair to fill in bald or thinning spots. The surgeon takes the hair from what's called a permanent donor site, an area of the scalp that's not likely to become bald, and move it to a bald location. Think about that fringe that's left on even very bald men. For some reason, transplanted hair from that fringe isn't likely to fall out, even when placed in a previously bald spot.

Early transplants were of questionable success. The transplanted hair certainly grew, but it was arranged in individual plugs like the hair on a doll's head and was very obvious. Today, surgeons have refined the technique. They can now transplant the hairs just one or two at a time, creating a more natural look.

Types of Surgeries

There are several different types of transplant surgeries. A common method involves taking one or more strips of hair from the permanent donor site and then dividing the strips into smaller pieces, called grafts, containing one to six hairs. The smallest pieces, with just one or two hairs, are known as mini- or micro-grafts. The pieces are placed into small incisions in the balding part of the scalp. This type of transplant may require several sessions, over many months, to adequately fill in a bald or thinning area.

Another method involves cutting a flap of hair-bearing skin and then simply rotating that flap into the bald area. This method doesn't allow the careful arrangement of hair that micro-grafting does. Your doctor can help you decide if a flap is a good choice for you.

There is another surgical option which is not a transplant. Scalp reduction involves removing some of the bald skin and stretching the remaining skin over the area. Newer versions of the surgery sometimes use skin expanders, devices placed under the hair-bearing skin to stretch it for a period of weeks before the surgery.

Before and After Surgery

Most surgeons require you to be in generally good health to have hair transplant surgery. If you smoke, you'll need to stop a week or two before the procedure and try to abstain for a while afterward, because smoking can impair healing. You may also need to stop some medications temporarily. Your surgeon may ask you to wash with a special anti-bacterial shampoo before your procedure. Hair restoration surgeries are usually done on an out-patient basis with local anesthesia. You'll need someone to drive you home afterward.

Any surgical procedure requires a period of healing. Expect some pain and maybe a headache, especially in the first couple of days. You will probably be told not to wash your hair for the first day or two. If your procedure requires stitches, expect to have them taken out after about ten days.

Hair transplants take a while to become established. It's perfectly normal for grafted hair to fall out sometime in the first six weeks. In most cases, it will begin to grow again about five or six weeks later and continue growing at about half an inch per month.

Important Considerations

Be sure to find an experienced surgeon who can show you examples of his or her work. If you don't like the way other patients' surgeries turned out, find another doctor! The surgeon should be willing to discuss risks of the surgery candidly and should be honest about what you can expect. Issues like how thick you can expect the hair to be, how natural it will look, how much of your scalp will be covered, and how many treatments will be needed should all be explored thoroughly.

Alternatives to Hair Transplants

There are two proven hair-restoration drugs on the market. Minoxidil is applied as a cream. It slows down hair loss and stimulates new growth. Finasteride is taken as a pill. It helps you hold on to the hair you already have. Women of childbearing age shouldn't use finasteride because it can cause birth defects. Some women will also benefit from spironolactone, which interferes with male hormones that can cause hair loss.

Bald and Sexy

If you're a man, remember that replacing your thinning hair isn't the only way to get a sexy, youthful look. Bald can be just as attractive. Think about celebrities like Yul Brunner (bald as a billiard ball, but a Hollywood heartthrob for decades)… Patrick Stewart (bald, handsome, and sophisticated)… and the many action heroes whose shaved heads give them that tough-guy look.

Women may have a harder time with thinning hair, since it's not "supposed" to happen. A conversation with your hairstylist can give you ideas on how to disguise the balding spot. Fashionable wigs let you change your hairstyle daily. Or you may want to consider a medical treatment like minoxidil.

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