Who benefits from hair transplantation?
- Patients who are concerned about the size or height of their forehead which is not in proportion to their facial features.
- Patients who has experienced permanent hair loss.
- Men with male pattern baldness.
- Some women with thinning hair - female pattern thining.
- Patients with areas of scarring from injuries or hair loss after face lift procedures.
- Patients who want to thicken or restore eyebrows, eyelashes, and beards
How is Hair transplantation surgery performed?
Hair transplantation involves removing a strip of permanent hair-bearing skin from the back or sides of the scalp (donor area) and then, using various techniques, FUE using power or manual punch. the strip is inspected, trimmed, if needed under microscopes, dissected into follicular unit grafts (containing 1-3 hairs then meticulously planted into the recipient area of the scalp. Our clinic uses the latest state-of-the-art punch in hair transplantation industry which can reduce the transection rate and get high quality of hair grafts.
Depending on the degree of balding for the frontal area and similarly for the crown area, 1-3 procedures involving several hundred or perhaps 1,500 or more grafts may be required to achieve the desired density (of course, more procedures could be done if hair loss progresses or greater density is desired). The grafted hairs will often start to grow by 6-12 weeks after the procedure and will continue to grow for a lifetime.
The surgeon may advise additional scalp advancement by incising the galea (the deep fibrous inelastic scalp layer) which allows the scalp to stretch and sutures to secure the scalp at its new forward location.
Pre-Operative Care
Our team will evaluate your medical history to check for conditions that may delay the surgery or the healing process. Some of the common conditions are:
- Bleeding tendencies – problems with blood clotting, or lack of clotting
- Scarring problems you have had in the past – like keloid scars and hypertrophic scars
- Hypertension (High blood pressure) – particularly if it is not under control.
- Smoking – this may affect the hair graft survival and prolong the healing process. Please stop smoking 4 weeks prior to surgery.
- Please avoid aspirin and brufen-containing medication for two weeks prior to surgery to eliminate the chance of post op bleeding. Generally it is best to continue any blood pressure or blood sugar medications. These may safely be taken with a sip of water on the morning of surgery.
- Protect your health prior to surgery. If you do develop an illness right before your surgery, let your surgeon know. On the day of your procedure, do not wear any skin care products, makeup, deodorant, perfume, nail polish or powder.
Post-Operative Care
Following surgery, a soft dressing is placed around the forehead and left in position overnight. The dressing is then replaced on the follow-up care after surgery. Pain is commonly mild and well managed with prescription pain medication.
Patients may be asked to use moist compresses or spray and to sleep in a semi-upright position for 2-3 days following the procedure to minimize swelling and bruising.
The doctor will instruct you after surgery, showering and gentle washing of the hair are permissible but must be done with care. The recovery time takes a few days in majority. Most patients can resume their works a few days after surgery.
Numbness that may occur in the donor or recipient area usually disappears in 2-8 months after surgery.
The scar is almost unnoticeable in majority except those who prone for wide scar. However, do not shave the donor area after surgery because the scars will be obviously shown.
