Should you be worried?
hair follicles grow normally
Studies have shown that 85% to 95% of the hair follicles that are transplanted will take and in a few months’ time begin to grow normally.
by 2025
This market is set to cross $35 billion by 2025. It is growing at a very fast rate and this growth is mainly based on its success rate. The technology is becoming more and more sophisticated and recovery easier. Therefore, you need not worry about adverse reactions unless you know that your skin does not heal easily or you suffer from a skin or scalp condition which you think might get in the way.
There are a few things you can do to make sure you are as safe as you can be. These are the recommended practices:
⦁ Go to a doctor who you can trust. You can take a look at their history with this procedure and also see how much experience they have in the field. You are completely within your rights to do your research before paying someone to treat your condition. The more experienced the doctor is the better understanding they will have about possible complications and ways to avoid them. They will also be more strategic in their approach to the transplants.
⦁ Share any and all skin or hair conditions you have with your doctor. It is also advised to share any other medical conditions you might be suffering from just to be sure that they won’t affect the healing process, as well as any medication that you are taking.
⦁ Manage your expectations. Don’t go into the procedure thinking that you will come out with luscious hair. The transplanted follicles might take up to 9 months to grow out and you will probably need more than one session to get denser hair. Going in with level expectations will mean that you are not disappointed.
As with any other medical or cosmetic procedure, in which the success rate is never 100%, hair transplant procedures also come with that 1% – 2% risk.
This blog is dedicated to the challenges and potential issues with hair transplant surgery so that you know what challenges might be if you are planning to get it.
It goes without saying though that for a more detailed discussion on risks and what the chances of those risks are for your case in particular you should consult a doctor.
⦁ The transplanted hair not taking to the new site: This means that the hair follicles in the skin grafts taken from the donor area might become inactive. It is very common for the hair to fall out initially after surgery but in the months following the procedure, new hair will grow on the transplanted skin graft. However, if the surgery is unsuccessful this does not happen. It yields no results and the procedure will have to be carried out again.
⦁ An infection might occur: As this procedure requires healing afterwards, during the recovery period there is the chance that the healing wounds might become infected. This can result in bleeding or the scars getting bigger.
⦁ Patchy look: If the procedure hasn’t been performed strategically, it can result in the hair growing in patches. For example if the skin graft is placed in an area where the surrounding hair is still thinning, the final look will not be uniform.
⦁ Formation of small bumps: During the healing process small bumps might develop around the transplanted skin grafts. However, these will not be visible when the transplantation has been completed and the hair is denser.
⦁ Scarring: If after the skin graft has been removed from the donor area, the scalp isn’t sutured or stitched properly and the closure is too tight, the sutures can cause a scar along the edges of the incision line. If the incision is rough and skin grafts are taken in a scattered manner then too scars might form giving a rough look to the scalp.
These are the main issues that you might face. However, if you bring them up during your consultations before the procedure, they shouldn’t arise.
The best way to eliminate your trepidation surrounding this procedure is to communicate openly with your doctor and let them know about the concerns you have. They can tell you what their plan is to avoid any situation of this kind which will tell you a thing or two about their abilities and knowledge of this procedure too.
If you are approaching a doctor or clinic based on a recommendation, keep your mind open. Human bodies don’t react the same way to the same procedures. It is possible that your healing and recovery might look different.
Therefore, do your research and manage your expectations.
Good luck!
Hair transplant is often under discussion because almost 42% of all men suffer from some level of hair loss, either mild or extensive. That’s nearly half the male population, not to mention that women can also be subjected to this problem.
Modern technology and advancements in science allow us to offer a solution to this prevalent issue that impacts a person’s confidence. This process is called hair transplant. There are two types of procedures available.
There is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) in which single hair follicles are transplanted from one part of the skin to the other, and then there is Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS). In this second type of surgery a thin strip of skin with healthy hair is removed, cut into smaller grafts which are then transplanted on to the affected areas.
However, whichever type of treatment you are getting, you first need to make sure that you are a suitable candidate for it. This is so the probability of a complication or infection occurring after the procedure can be minimized.
In this blog we will be discussing some of the standards based on which suitability for the procedure is determined.
These are the main characteristics of a person who will be considered fit for this procedure:
⦁ Someone (usually male but it can be performed on females too) who has been suffering from consistent hair loss for at least 5 years.
⦁ Someone whose pattern has stabilized, meaning their bald patch is not at its early stages and has matured.
⦁ Someone who is suffering from pattern baldness, or hair loss due to burns, other cosmetic procedures or other trauma.
⦁ Someone who is healthy enough to be able to bounce back from a minor surgery like hair transplant
⦁ Someone without scalp diseases
⦁ Someone with the right amount of scalp flexibility for the treatment
⦁ Someone with the right hair type and thickness. Thicker hair with a wave or curl is best suited for this treatment.
An additional quality of a good candidate is someone whose hair colour blends in well with their skin colour. This will mean that they will need fewer sessions because if there isn’t a stark difference between the hair and skin colour then the scalp isn’t too prominent underneath the hair. In this way baldness can be hidden with fewer hair follicle transplants.
Please make sure that you thoroughly discuss any skin or hair issues you have with your doctor before the procedure. Also let them know if you are taking any blood thinning medication, hair loss prevention medication or any other.
If your body has reacted poorly to a treatment before, your hair transplant surgeon should be made aware of it. This is so they can make an informed decision about your case. The aftercare may also vary then and it is better for the patient if the doctor is fully informed about the patient’s medical history.
Full disclosure will greatly decrease the chances of any complications occurring after the treatment is done.
We hope this cleared up some of the confusions you have.
This blog, however, should not be taken as a scientific guide to whether or not you should get surgery. For that purpose we urge you to visit a doctor, at our clinic or any other, and get a professional consultation.
It is best if you go to the same doctor for consultation who you want to get the treatment done by. This will ensure that they know your history and will be able to keep it all in mind during the treatment too.
In fact, recuperation from a surgery is sometimes just as big a feat as getting the procedure done in the first place. In other words, a surgery can’t truly be considered successful until recovery has been made successfully too which is why patients are called back for follow ups.
Recovery after hair transplant, though not as taxing as other cosmetic procedures, can be a little tricky or intimidating. That is what we will be discussing in this blog to help you prepare accordingly if you are planning to get hair transplant done.
While hair transplant is not an incredibly invasive procedure, it does require some healing time for the skin where follicles were extracted from. Therefore, the discomfort associated with any kind of healing is also part and parcel of this procedure.
Here is what you can expect after getting a hair transplant in terms of potential discomfort:
⦁ Soreness
⦁ Bruising
⦁ Swelling of the scalp
⦁ Swelling around the eyes
⦁ Bleeding
⦁ Itching
⦁ Scabs
⦁ Transplanted hair follicles falling out
⦁ Infection
If the list above looks too risky and like the recovery will be an arduous process, we just want to let you know that people are able to return to work after a couple of weeks of having this procedure done. All these side effects are temporary.
It is not a piece of cake by any measure, but it is bearable with the right care. An infection will only develop if the wound does not receive the right care it needs.
Given below are the main aftercare measures you will be required to take.
⦁ The patient will be given pain medication, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication which they will be required to take as per the doctor’s instructions. This will make the recovery more comfortable and reduce the chances of infection.
⦁ The patient may also be prescribed anti-hair loss medication to prevent further loss in the future. This will vary from one person to the other and will have to be taken for an extensive amount of time.
⦁ The patient may be advised to sleep with their head slightly elevated for three nights after the surgery. This is to prevent swelling.
⦁ The patient will be advised about what they can and can’t eat immediately following the surgery.
⦁ The patient is to steer clear of strenuous tasks and exercise for two weeks following the procedures.
⦁ The donor area as well as the part of the scalp that received the transplants should not be touched immediately following the procedure, especially not if there is chance of contamination.
⦁ The patient will be advised about their first wash and the kind of products they should use as the follicles as will still be adjusting to the new area.
⦁ The patient will be advised to not go to saunas, and to try and stay away from smoking and alcohol for a couple of days.
Often the line between what is normal during the recovery period and what is cause for concern is very fine.
There are two kinds of reactions in this recovery phase usually. Some people might take everything in their stride considering it a part of the recovery and assuming that this is how it’s meant to be. Or the other situation is that in which a person is paranoid about their recovery process and so every little thing sets them on edge.
In this section we are going to go over some of these things to show you what is normal and what should be discussed with a doctor.
The following are normal results of getting the hair transplant procedure:
⦁ If the newly transplanted hair follicles seem to be falling out, don’t panic. That is normal. They will regenerate once the scalp has healed.
⦁ Minor bruising is no cause for concern either. It will heal.
⦁ Pain or soreness that can be controlled with the pain medication prescribed (in the amounts prescribed) is normal.
⦁ A little swelling around the eyes is normal.
Do not think, however, that you can’t talk to the doctor about these things if they are really bothering you. If you think there is something out of the ordinary about these symptoms as they happen to you, you can schedule a consultation with your surgeon just to be sure.
If you are facing any of the following problems, discuss with a doctor immediately:
⦁ Pain that cannot be controlled with the pain medication prescribed
⦁ Bruising that only seems to be getting worse. Scab formation is normal and is part of the healing procedure. However, if more of your scalp skin seems to be getting affected, talk to your doctor immediately as it might be an infection.
⦁ If you develop a fever, talk to your doctor. This may also be a symptom of an infection.
Having said all this, during your follow ups, your doctor will be able to tell if there is something wrong or out of the ordinary. If there are any symptoms that you were not warned about and which are causing you discomfort, then absolutely discuss them with your doctor right away.
Recovery from any procedure looks different for different people. Bodies react in varying ways to the same treatments. Therefore, do not compare your recovery with others and reach conclusions based on that.
When you pay an establishment to treat you for something, it is then your right to have all your concerns answered and to get proper guidance for the best results. Therefore, don’t hesitate to give your doctor a call.
Laser hair removal is usually presented in one of two ways. Either it is a magical wand that will get rid of all your problems with one swoop or it is a curse that will ruin everything and leave you bankrupt.
The gap that exists between these two equally harmful portrayals of the treatment is what we are hoping to fill through this piece.
In this blog we want to discuss some reasonable expectations to have if you are planning to get a laser treatment done for hair removal. So let’s get right into it.
Permanence of results
In order to make sure we are on the same page here, let’s describe permanence first.
The meaning you find when you look it up on Google is ‘the state or quality of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely.’
Keeping this in mind, the results of laser treatment can be called permanent because generally the density of hair you are left with at the end of your sessions is the density they will most likely stay at.
However, in some cases slight variations are possible as there might be hormonal changes or an imbalance later. Should that happen, it can affect hair growth.
These cases are not too common though. Usually the results you have at the end of the treatment will persist indefinitely.
The level of reduction
This is probably the concern most people have, and it’s a valid one. If you are getting a treatment to get rid of unwanted hair growth, you will of course want to know what extent of relief can be expected.
90% reduction in hair growth
Majority of the people get 90% reduction in hair growth.
Is it possible to achieve 100% hair elimination? Yes, it is possible. However, in most cases 90% is achieved.
There are a lot of things that factor into these results. For example, some hair follicles might not get exposed to the laser because of the growth cycle. Not all the hair follicles on your body are active and growing at the same time.
Hair growth happens in cycles. Therefore, it is possible that a hair follicle might not appear on the surface of the skin during the time that you’re getting laser treatment but might choose to pop up later. However, there will not be too many of these.
The laser treatment sessions are spaced out to accommodate all hair follicles. Usually two sessions are a month part. This gives ample time for those hair follicles to grow out that might have been hiding underneath the surface of the skin.
The second reason for some hair still growing on the treated area, as mentioned earlier, might be hormonal changesor an imbalance.
Even so, the hair growth you will get after the treatment will only be 10% of what you used to have before.
The number of sessions required
As much as we would all like it, unfortunately laser treatment is not a one-time thing. It requires a few sessions, usually 4 to 6.
Laser treatment should not be thought of as a surgery that you can get done once and the problem is solved. It should be seen as a progressive treatment where every time you go you move a step closer to the end.
The ‘treatment’ refers to a plural number of sessions.
This is done to achieve maximum efficiency and to get all the hair as they all are at different stages of their growth at any given time.
Pain and discomfort during the procedure
You might have heard varying accounts of what it felt like to have laser treatments done. The main reason for the variety of opinions on this topic is the fact that people have different pain thresholds. Some can bear with a lot while others are more sensitive to discomfort.
One thing that you can count on, however, is that you will most likely feel a stinging sensation from the laser. The other thing you can also count is that with each session it will get better. There will be less and less discomfort.
You will build a tolerance for it and as the treatment progresses there will be less hair to treat and so less pain.
Final word
Laser hair removal has been performed on millions by now and its popularity is growing. The fact that there are semi-professional and unprofessional devices that you can use at home to perform it on yourself is testament to this popularity.
If it is picking up this fast, there must be some value in it.
You have every right to have reservations. In fact it is a sign of treating your body responsibly to be concerned before putting it through anything.
We would be glad to answer any further questions you have about this treatment. To get them answered, please visit us for a consultation so we can discuss this procedure or you specifically and put your concerns to rest for good!
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