Hair transplant surgery is a procedure that helps restore hair density and thickness by moving natural or artificial hairs from one part of your head to another. This can help improve the look and feel of your hair, but it’s not a permanent fix. Even after undergoing this procedure, you may find yourself needing another hair transplant surgery in the future if your hair loss recurs or if you continue losing more hair. In this article, we’ll go over some of the considerations you should make when deciding whether or not to have a hair transplant. More specifically, we’ll answer questions like: Does a hair transplant last forever? How long does a hair transplant last? And are there any downsides to getting one?
Does Hair Transplant Last Forever?
Hair transplantation is one of the oldest techniques for hair replacement. This procedure was first performed in Greece in 400 BC and was used to restore hair to bald men. Initially, the recipient’s own hair was transplanted onto his or her bald head. Nowadays, however, most surgeons will take a strip of scalp from the area where the patient wishes to grow hair and use this strip as a starting point for a new set of follicles. Once these follicles have been transplanted onto the patient’s head, they can be allowed to grow normally.
What Is A Hair Transplant Procedure?
A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that moves hair from one part of your scalp to another part of your scalp that has less hair. This may be done to address hair loss, or it may be done to add density to an area of the scalp that has thinning hair. Hair transplant surgery can be done using the following: Strip harvesting or a Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) – The donor area is the area of your scalp that has the least amount of hair. The surgeon will remove a strip of hair from this area, which will serve as the donor for the areas on your scalp that have less hair. A Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) – In this procedure, the surgeon will remove a strip of hair from the donor area of your scalp and make a “wound” in the donor area. Next, the surgeon will take individual grafts (also called follicular units) from the donor area and place each one in the wound.
How Long Does Hair Transplant Last?
- A strip harvesting hair transplant procedure – This procedure is usually done on a patient who has begun to lose their hair. The surgeon will harvest a strip of hair from the donor area of the scalp. This strip of hair will be taken to the recipient site and placed in a new location on the scalp. The recipient site will be tiny, so it is important that you have a good idea of how much hair you would like to have removed from your head before your appointment.
- A Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) – FUE is an older technique used in the past when there was not enough donor area to use as grafts for larger areas of the scalp. In this procedure, the surgeon removes individual follicles or “units” from the donor area and places these follicles into their own wounds on your head. This procedure is usually performed with a smaller number of grafts than with a strip harvesting procedure and may require multiple surgeries over time if you wish to grow more hair in that area after surgery.
- A Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) – This newer method uses fewer grafts than FUE but also requires more time for healing since each graft has to be placed individually. In this procedure, multiple individual follicles are harvested from your donor area and transplanted into their own wounds on your head during one surgery session using only one needle (see below). This can result in a shorter recovery time but also more potential for scarring.
- Hair Transplant Recovery: After surgery, you will have a bandage or staples over the wound for several weeks. You will need to follow your doctor’s instructions and rest as much as possible for at least three days following surgery to allow healing of the wounds. You will be able to return to work after two weeks, but you may experience some swelling in the area where the grafts were harvested and may need special bandaging and/or ice packs during this time period. You should avoid lifting anything heavy until your doctor gives you the all-clear to do so.
- Hair Transplant Results: Hair transplants can last anywhere from two months to several years depending on your individual results and how well you follow your doctor’s instructions after surgery. If you are happy with the results, keep in mind that it is very important that you continue with regular hair care procedures throughout this time period including shampooing, conditioning, and proper blow drying techniques! Your surgeon will also recommend any additional treatments such as laser therapy or hair removal (waxing).
- Hair Transplant Procedure: The hair transplant procedure is performed under anesthesia. The surgeon makes a small incision in the back of your scalp and removes the skin and underlying muscle tissue. A small amount of donor’s hair is then harvested from your scalp using a sterile needle, which is inserted into the incision to pick up the follicles. Once it has picked up enough follicles, the follicle unit is removed from the donor area and placed into its own wound on your head during another surgery session using only one needle (see below).
Conclusion
Hair Transplantation is a procedure that has been in existence for many years. While the efficacy of this procedure remains to be seen, the results can be spectacular and can result in a natural look and feel. The procedure has changed little over time, with small improvements made in the process itself, such as using more advanced technology such as micro-needling. Hair transplantation is still considered a surgical procedure and although the concept is simple, it is not without its complications.
