HAIR TRANSPLANTS, NOT JUST FOR MEN!

Do you know? On an average human scalp bears 1 lakh hairs and most people lose anywhere from 50 – 100 strands each day .On the days when the scalp is washed,people can lose upto 250 strands.Hair grows in 3 different cycles : anagen,catagen and telogen.About 90 % of the hair on the head is in the anagen or growth phase.10 % of the hairs will be shedding.
What causes hair loss?
The common causes are:
1.Heredity – inherited hair loss is called male pattern or female pattern hair loss.
2.Stress – physical or mental (surgery,delivery ,acute illness)
3.Medication – chemotherapy
4.Physical trauma – curling irons,tight braids or ponytails.
5.Age
6. Poor diet – not enough protein or iron.
7.Other illnesses – thyroid disorders,fungal infections,scalp disorders.
Who will benefit from hair transplant?
The best candidates are those who have common male pattern or female pattern baldness.With inherited hair loss, men usually get bald spots around the forehead or on the top of the head, while women have some thinning all over the scalp, but mostly on the top of the head.Typically, each time a normal hair follicle is shed, it is replaced by hair that is equal in size. But in women with female-pattern hair loss, the new hair is finer and thinner – a more miniaturized version of itself.. The hair follicles shrink and eventually they quit growing altogether.
What Is a Hair Transplant?
Hair transplantation is a surgery that involves removing a narrow strip of hair-bearing scalp from the back of the head and using it to fill an area with thin or no hair.Most hair transplants are performed in the doctor’s office under local anesthesia.
To transplant hair, the doctor first cleans the scalp, then injects an anesthetic to numb the area where a 3- to 4-inch strip of scalp will be removed. After removing the strip of scalp with a scalpel, the doctor sets it aside and sews the scalp closed. This area is immediately hidden by the hair around it.
Next, the surgeon divides the strip of removed scalp into approximately 500 to 2,000 tiny grafts containing an individual hair or just a few hairs each. The number and type of graft used depends on the hair type, quality, and color as well as the size of the area where it will be transplanted.
After the grafts are prepared, the doctor cleans and numbs the area where the hair will be placed, delicately places each graftusing an implanter.Depending on the extent of the procedure, the transplant will take approximately four to eight hours. Sometimes additional sessions are needed if you continue to lose hair or decide you want thicker hair.
There are different techniques of grafting the hair follicle, like mini grafting ,micro grafting,follicular unit grafting..FUE(FOLLICULAR UNIT EXTRACTION) is a technique where instead of taking a strip of skin the donor hairs are punched out without actually cutting it.The advantage of this procedure is that there wont be any visible scar at the donor site..But this procedure is more time consuming and expensive.
After hair transplant surgery, your scalp may be tender. You may need to take pain medications for few days. Your doctor will have you wear a surgical dressing over the scalp for at least a day or two. Most people are able to return to work two to five days after surgery.
Within two to three weeks after surgery, the transplanted hair will fall out, but you should start to notice new growth within a few months. Most people will have attained 60% of new hair growth after six to nine months.
If you are bothered by thinning hair or balding, hair transplantation can significantly improve your appearance and self-confidence. However, it is important to understand that hair – transplantation is not a treatment for hair fall.. It does not create new hair.To minimize the risks and improve the success of surgery, it is important to undergo hair transplantation only if you are healthy. You should always discuss the potential risks and benefits of any surgery with your doctor.