Hair Transplant

Hair transplant is all about rearranging hair and not growing new hair. Hair transplant is a surgical procedure where a physician redistributes hairs from an area of thick growth to areas that are bald. When done correctly, hair transplant can cover your bald patches so naturally that it is difficult to spot.

Hair transplant surgery can go a long way in improving the appearance of persons experiencing male or female pattern baldness and hair loss on the front of the scalp. Gone are the days when hair transplants were tacky jobs with large visible plugs and noticeable scarring. Today, micro grafting hair transplant is virtually undetectable. Understand hair transplant surgery procedure and it's associated costs. Find out more on hair transplant centers.

Hair transplant

Hair transplant can be done at a clinic as an outpatient procedure. With minimal discomfort, doctors graft hair follicles into the scalp. In the 1970s, the early hair transplant procedures were conducted by physicians for cosmetic improvement. But these attempts at hair transplant looked unnatural with a 'bristle brush' appearance. These procedures were later improved upon and mini grafts were introduced.

Smaller grafts were effectively used to camouflage balding hairlines and spots. Later hair transplant surgeons started using grafts that have from 1-8 hairs, with 200 to 800 grafts transplanted in each session. The latest technique used in hair transplant is micro grafting. The process of micro grafting involves removal of a strip of scalp. This scalp strip is then embedded with grafts with hundreds of tiny incisions.

Living grafts containing just about 1 - 4 hairs are inserted closely over thinning or balding areas. This lends a natural and aesthetic appearance. Hair transplant surgery must be done under local anesthesia. The scalp has to be thoroughly cleaned before the transplantation procedure. A portion of the scalp is removed with a scalpel and the scalp is sewn closed. Individual hairs are separated from the removed area and placed in holes made on bald areas.

Hair transplant cost

Typically, hair transplant cost varies between different areas of the U.S and depends on the technique used and the difficulty of the case. Usually the cost of hair transplant surgery works to around $3 to $10 per graft. Since women do not have large balding areas, hair transplant cost for men tends to be higher. Average costs for hair transplant surgery could be anywhere from $3500 to $9000. A patient requiring 500 to 700 mini grafts might be charged $3,500 whereas one requiring 2000 to 3000 mini grafts might be charged as much as $8,000 for a session.

Hair transplant surgery

Hair transplant surgery can take several hours to complete and costs in the range of $3,000 and $5,000. Hair transplant surgery is based on donor dominant hair. Hair on the back and sides of a balding scalp forms the donor dominant hair. Hair transplantation was successfully performed by Dr. Okuda of Japan, who used the donor dominance technique to repair scarred eyelashes and eyebrows. He worked with severe burn patients and transplanted round grafts of skin with hair follicles into the scarred areas of scalp.

It was noticed that these grafts continued to produce hair in their new locations. For a hair transplant surgery to be successful, the bald patient must have fringe hair on the scalp that can be transplanted to balding areas. Single hair-grafts have a finest and soft appearance. This is critical in reconstructing a new hairline or supplementing thinning hair. Hair transplant surgery can leave a patient in mild pain and discomfort for a week. In rare cases, it may result in bleeding, scarring and infection.

Hair transplant center

Women are increasingly flocking to hair transplantation centers to combat hair loss and thinning. Advanced techniques in hair transplant surgery have made it possible for female pattern baldness to be camouflaged. Women tend to have diffused thinning throughout the head. Along with hair transplantation, planned hair styling is also undertaken for women by the hair transplant clinic. The styling is done to layer over areas of lesser hair density with hair from other areas.

A patient will need to undergo physical examination, scalp examination and laboratory tests at a hair transplant center to determine whether he is suited for the surgical procedure. His medical history, hair loss history and family hair loss history is examined. Only then a realistic estimate of the cosmetic benefit of hair transplant for that person can be established. Assessment of the patient's supply and quality of potential donor hair is also conducted at a hair transplant center.

The doctor at the hair transplant clinic will also check your scalp laxity before embarking on the transplantation process. Those with looser scalps are better suited for hair transplant surgery. Persons younger than 25 years are not advised to go in for hair transplant surgery since it may result in incorrect distribution of the donor hair. Persons having thicker and coarser hair are more likely to benefit from hair transplant surgery, as the wavy hair will appear denser.