Hair is something most of us are born with and never really realise its importance in our overall appearance and in building our confidence. This is all until we start to lose hair and then all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, something that we had never even paid attention to becomes our primary concern. We try to hide it in every possible way, by a cap, a scarf, a different hair style and what not. But sometimes it is just too late and we need to consider other options. A Hair Transplant is a permanent, painless, scar less and minimally invasive procedure which, in the hands of an expert, can relieve us of all our miseries and can let us go back to concentrating on the real worries of life that we had before our attention was forcefully diverted to the receding hairline on our head. It can get us back on track, only with a lot more value for our hair than what we previously had.
Before considering a hair transplant it is essential to understand the procedures involved and how they have evolved over time and why a certain procedure will be the best for you. Hair Transplantation was done for the first time in the fateful year of 1950. This ground-breaking discovery was made in a very simple way by extracting hair from the back of the head and implanting it in the portions where it is needed most. This may have been a tedious procedure at that time but at present, hair transplantation is a day care procedure and does not require you to remain indoors for too long. It is a quick and painless technique to get your hair back.
Ø The first step to getting a hair transplant is to analyse the level of baldness one is suffering from. You may have to send a few pictures to your doctor of the balding areas or paying a visit to them instead will be even better. The doctor may use a mirror and a surgical pen to show you the areas that would need to be covered by a hair transplant.
Ø The next step is the extraction and is the most controversial of all since different surgeons prefer different methods. Getting an idea about the short term as well as long term effects of all methods is important in determining the method you would prefer.
- Ask your doctor why they would choose this particular method. All methods are invasive and have the usage of a needle.
- Ask about the long term effects of the extraction method.
- Ask about the number of follicles that would be required and from which area the doctor plans to retrieve them.
- About how much of the safe donor area will be affected in a particular method.
- Ask also about the doctor’s plan for you in case of future balding. This becomes an important factor for differentiating between the extraction methods.
The donor area is then given anaesthesia and made numb. This is done to make the procedure painless and comfortable for the patient. Once the anaesthesia has started to have its affect, the extraction process will begin.
Technically, there are two methods for removing the donor hair. Follicular unit extraction and strip harvesting are these two methods. Given below is their description:
1. Strip harvesting - This is the most commonly used method and is the gold standard of procedure for some of the best hair transplant surgeons in the world. This is so because this is the only method that can extract the maximum number of follicles at one go without disturbing the density of the donor area and hence helps aid the scope of future requirement of donor hair follicles if needed. Once the donor area is removed, usually form the back of the head or from the sides, the wound is sutured using a technique known as trichophytic closure. It is important to note here that not every surgeon who performs FUT can do a trichophytic closure as well. This is a very important process because it is through this method of closure that a scar less appearance is obtained at the donor site. High power microscopes are then used to extract the hair follicles by trained technicians. Since it is performed under microscopes, the number of follicles wasted to other blind techniques of extraction is greatly reduced in this method.
2. Follicular unit extraction - Follicular unit extraction is the other technique of extraction. In this method after the local anaesthesia has been given, individual hair follicular units are removed instead of removing an entire strip of them. This is done by using micro-blades and fine needles. It is a slightly time consuming method and may take one or more visits to the doctor depending upon the doctors expertise. There is also a chance of Over Harvesting in this method when too many follicles are removed from the same area which drastically reduces the density of the hair in that area.
- Preparing the follicular units - The next step after extracting the hair from the donor area and covering it is the preparation of the follicular units. You can relax during this time and will also realise the convenience of a Hair Transplant for the patient. The hair follicles will be prepared under high power microscopes in which the technicians will remove all the excess tissues. Working under a microscope gives them the power to avoid any injury to the hair follicles and hence improve the results. Some Hair Transplant centers such as Medispa, Jaipur even allow you to visit these areas where this procedure is going on and see the follicles being separated and prepared to be implanted onto your scalp as well.
- Placing the hair follicles - After the follicular units have been satisfactorily prepared and you have relaxed, another low dose a anaesthesia will be given to you but at a different location this time, the recipient area. The surgeon can implant the follicles in two ways- by making small slits in the recipient area to later fill them with follicular units or by making slits and placing the follicles at the same time. This is the game changing step of the entire process and can make or break your aesthetic appearance. It requires the concentration and art of the surgeon to implant the follicles in such a way that the desired look is achieved without it looking unnatural. The depth of each unit is also taken care of by the surgeon to avoid injury to the blood vessels beneath them.
- After the procedure -After placing the hair follicles and once the surgeon has made sure that they fit well, you will be instructed about taking care of the transplanted area. You will also be provided with medications and a head wash on the next day. You will also be guided about the steps you can take in case you experience any discomfort after the procedure.
Make sure you take good care of the hair after the procedure. There may be slight itching or soreness on the scalp. This should not be of much concern and will subside within a few days. This is a gist of the process of hair transplant in simpler terms. It is best to visit your hair transplant surgeon to get a better idea of the entire process.