Hair restoration - Steps to Successful Hair Transplant Surgery

In recent years, there has been a growing popularity in the hair transplant. This is a procedure performed by highly trained doctors, and can dramatically change the appearance of thinning or balding areas on the scalp. The procedure can have great success and the patient’s hair can look as natural as it would if it were never performed. Most cannot even tell that the person had the transplant surgery done.

There are steps that need to be taken before the patient can go through hair transplant surgery. The candidate must have a consultation with the doctor so the physician can assess if the patient meets the requirements for this type of surgical procedure. The doctor will need to check past medical history, current medications, and any past procedures that have been done, if any, to the scalp. If the candidate is approved for the procedure, they will have to have blood work done prior to the day of the surgery.

The actual procedure could take 5-6 hours. During the surgery, the patient is put under a local anesthesia, and once the patient is prepped and ready, the doctor will take a small strip of the patient’s scalp where there are healthy hair follicles and remove it. The removed strip is then sent so the hair follicles can be prepared. Once that is complete, the healthy follicles are then transplanted back onto the scalp, to an area where the hair is thinning or balding. This then completes the hair restoration procedure.

The transplanted hair takes about 5 days to successfully attach to the scalp. The patient will be given mediation to apply to the affected areas and will have to be careful with the scalp until it has healed. Essentially, the patient must take the necessary caution to make sure the hair heals and remains transplanted. The entire healing process should take about 7-10 days.

Hair restoration is a big decision that should not be entered into without proper research. A patient is strongly advised to visit their local hair transplant center and review all of the information and make sure they have chosen the right doctor for the job. The center will be able to go over the steps of the procedure, what to expect after, and the costs associated with the surgery. Scheduling a consultation is the first step and will help the patient find the right physician for them.