Introduction

Hair transplant surgery consists of removing a strip of skin containing hair follicles from an area situated on the back or sides of the scalp (the donor site) which is later divided into micro grafts and mini grafts. These mini grafts micro grafts are then carefully implanted in the area of the scalp that presents alopecia or reduction in hair density (the recipient site).

Depending on the degree of baldness in the frontal or crown area, it may take from one to three interventions involving the making of several hundred grafts to achieve the desired density. Within 24 hours small crusts will form on each graft, which will fall off in the next seven to ten days. Usually, the grafted hair starts growing again in about 6 to 12 weeks after surgery, and will continue to grow throughout your entire life.

Types of alopecia surgery

There are three different types of hair transplant used in alopecia surgery: hair implants, scalp reduction and scalp transplants.

Hair implants: the reasonable justification for hair implant is that the hair obtained from an area not susceptible to alopecia, after it is transplanted to an area with alopecia, remains as long as it would have in its original place. The scalp used to obtain hair is usually obtained from the temporal, parietal and occipital areas. The disadvantages of this technique are: the need for multiple interventions to achieve the desired result; the implanted hair falls out and grows back in 3 to 6 months. This intervention can cause pain and discomfort, even when using anesthesia. Moreover, anesthesia also involves risks.

The scalp reduction consists of surgically removing the bald area and joining the edges of the remaining scalp in order to extend the areas with hair to the bald area. The disadvantages of this technique are related to the size of the bald area and scalp elasticity.

Scalp transplant consists of surgically removing an area of skin with hair from the lateral scalp and placing it on its axis on the top of your head. These are also called "scalp flaps". The main advantage of this type of surgery is that the hair continues to grow after scalp transplant surgery, due to the maintenance of blood supply. Among the disadvantages, we can name the "dog ears" that may occur after the inversion of the flap; this can be surgically excised.

Before you have any intervention like the ones described above, you should consult a doctor and the intervention itself should be performed by a qualified plastic surgeon. You must never accept synthetic hair implants because of possible adverse reactions (rejection for being a foreign body, chronic infections).

The surgery

Hair transplant is a surgical procedure that usually takes between 3 and 6 hours. It is performed under local or mild anesthesia on an out-patient basis. The patient is usually awake but relaxed due to the administration of a mild sedative. If at the end of the surgery, a turban-like bandage is placed on the scalp to maintain the implants steady and secure during the night, it will be withdrew the next day. The donor area, where the permanent grafts are taken, is closed with sutures or surgical staples that are removed in 7 to 12 days. Dissolvable sutures may also be used, in order to eliminate the need for you to return for suture removal.

Although complications are rare in this type of surgery, small infections may occur around a of new transplanted hair follicle, similar to an infected ingrown hair or pimple. Minor scars that occur in the donor scalp as a result of the removal of donor skin are narrow and can be easily hidden by the surrounding hair. The graft sites in the recipient frontal area heal with almost no visible scarring and are covered by the transplanted hair. Patients may experience mild swelling to the forehead area for a few days following surgery and on rare occasions may actually experience a black eye if the frontal scalp is transplanted.

The information contained on this page cannot, and does not replace the information provided individually by your plastic surgeon. In case of doubt, your plastic surgeon will provide appropriate clarifications. If you are planning to undergo an intervention or Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, see a specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.