Hair Transplant / FAQ
Common Misconceptions
So, you’ve decided that a hair transplant could be the right hair restoration option for you.
If you’re like most people, you’ll want to do plenty of research, but you might see some conflicting information out there. We always recommend that you schedule an in-person, one-on-one consultation with your hair loss specialist in order to get a full, accurate assessment. Each person is unique, and that means that their transplant considerations and options will be too.
FAQ s
#1. A Hair Transplant will give you fake looking hair
A full head of natural-looking hair will take some time to grow after your procedure – but it is possible. In the past, strip hair transplant methods involved the creation of a long scar at the back of the head and placement of hair plugs which contained a number of follicles closely bunched together. The results varied, but often created the appearance of visible hair plugs in unrealistic patterns on the scalp.
Scarring was also much more visible with older hair transplant techniques. Today, the incredible precision of Follicular Unit Extraction, (FUE) devices allow for just one or two hairs at a time to be delicately extracted, then placed in tiny, micro-slits in the scalp. The careful eye and artistry of your surgeon will allow them to place the hair follicles in the pattern, density and hair growth direction that best mimics your natural hair. Hairlines vary and are unique to each person. That natural variance can be mimicked flawlessly with the NeoGraft hair transplant system. You can have natural-looking hair after your procedure.
#2. You can only successfully transplant small numbers of follicles at a time.
Our scalp blood supply is typically extensive and robust, being fed from multiple different directions and blood vessels. A healthy scalp can support thousands of transplanted hair follicle grafts without compromising blood supply at all, however, there are some considerations and limits for the number of follicles transferred. If the hair graft, or, “plug” is too large, or grafts are placed too close together, this can result in a poor hair survival rate. Large plugs and unnatural placement look less than ideal as well, however, and today’s modern FUE devices allow for very small grafts containing only 1 or 2 hairs to be placed through extremely small slits. The small hole created when the graft is removed will close and become indistinguishable within a few days. There is minimal trauma to the scalp and no incisions to stitch up.
Two things that can negatively affect the blood flow of your scalp are excess sun exposure and smoking. Nicotine constricts blood flow so is a terrible idea if you are having a hair transplant or any surgical procedure, because it delays wound healing and will not allow adequate nourishment of new follicles. For those who are active and enjoy spending time outdoors, sunlight can be hard to avoid, but this restriction will be key to a successful transplant. Talk to your surgeon about these considerations when planning your procedure.
#3. The transplanted hair will fall out.
This is technically true-but don’t panic – it’s not bad news.
Because of the natural growth cycles of the hair take your follicles through the Anagen (growth) phase, then Catagen (regression) then Telogen (resting) phases, newly transplanted hair will typically fall out within a month or two of the procedure. This is a type of “shock loss” which is temporary. Rest assured that the healthy follicles which “take” are alive and well, producing new hairs that will show up at around month 3-4. This stage of the hair transplant journey requires a lot of patience and reassurance from your surgeon. Most people find it troubling to see the first wave of hair fall out, but you can trust that this is normal and by about 1-year post-procedure, a healthy head of hair will be thriving. You don’t need to worry about the hairs falling out if you wash and style normally, but there are some helpful medicated shampoos and complementary procedures like PRP injections which can help boost the hair’s growth and health, so ask your plastic surgeon about them.
#4. Young men should not have hair transplants.
Many young men begin to notice their hair thinning and falling out as early as 20 years old. In these cases, the baldness is typically related to a genetic predisposition and depending on how his relatives appear, a young man experiencing hair loss can often look to his father, uncles and grandparents to see where the hair loss is likely going.
New Jersey hair transplants are certainly a good option for some young men, however, in general, greater patient satisfaction usually comes from restoring hair for an older client who’s lived with their hair loss for some time and has an established pattern of baldness. We recommend that each individual seek an in-person consultation to determine the best options for them.
#5. A hair transplant is a painful surgery.
This is false, especially compared with hair restoration procedures in the past. The FUE- NeoGraft device allows for micro grafts to be extracted and one to two hairs at a time to be grafted in through very fine slits made in the scalp. This atraumatic technique has come a long way from the strip harvesting that was done to supply hair graft implants in the past. During the procedure, a topical anesthetic is applied to numb the scalp and local anesthetic injected through fine needles to ensure the patient is completely comfortable while the tiny incisions are made.
There is no, long, linear scar to care for a heal afterward and because of this, activity restrictions are very minimal as well. Mild swelling can be present for a few days and post operative pain medication is helpful for some, along with ice if needed.
#6. The transplanted hairs will last forever.
False. Most transplanted hairs will, in fact, remain and thrive where they are placed, especially using the advanced NeoGraft system which was designed to carefully extract and handle the follicles in a way that more than 90% survive and take in the graft site. Not all hairs can be expected to remain in place forever though, and in 10, 15 or 20 years you may find that the numbers have shrunk slightly, and hair growth is less dense. A genetic predisposition to losing hair will mean that original hairs which were in place before your transplant, may also eventually fall out. In most cases, we do find that the transplanted hairs have great longevity because they are taken from DHT resistant areas of the scalp such as the back and sides. DHT is a major contributing factor for men experiencing male pattern baldness and for women as well. Many men lose their hair following the pattern of a horseshoe, leaving the hair at the back and sides. The hair shedding here is slower or not a problem in the long run for many men.
Androgenic alopecia, (genetic hair loss) by definition, progresses. Those clients who are on the younger side when they have their hair transplant may expect eventual further thinning to necessitate another, touch up procedure.
It is always important to keep in mind that a number of factors affect the choice for which procedure to have and the success of your procedure.
Begin with seeking an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in hair transplants. You should ask plenty of questions to help you understand the technology used and what you can expect from the procedure. Anecdotal information abounds on the internet but keep in mind that shared stories are not always fact-checked, nor do they necessarily represent a realistic segment of the population. An experienced hair transplant doctor will inform you of risks and considerations, ensure that your expectations are realistic and that you are well prepared to heal well and see optimal results.
Hair Transplant FAQ
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FUE
Hair Transplant Process
The FUE process is an advanced next-generation hair transplant micro-surgery. Click on the steps to get a simplified overview. For more details particular to your case, please consult with our doctor.
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