Hair Transplant in the Philippines
What is Hair Transplant ?
Hair transplantation involves removing small pieces of hair-bearing scalp from a donor site and using them as grafts to be relocated to a bald or thinning area of the scalp.
The truth about hair loss
Baldness is often blamed on poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff and even excessive hat wearing. All of these theories have been disproved. It’s also untrue that hair loss can be determined by looking at your maternal grandfather, or that 40-year-old men who haven’t lost their hair will never lose it.
Hair loss is primarily caused by a combination of:
- Aging
- A change in hormones
- A family history of baldness
As a rule, the earlier hair loss begins, the more severe the baldness will become.
Candidates for Hair Transplant
- Donor areas are the places on the head from which grafts are taken.
- Other factors, such as hair color, texture and waviness or curliness may also affect the cosmetic result.
- There are a number of techniques used in hair restoration surgery. Sometimes, two or more techniques are used to achieve the best results.
Additional Information
Hair transplant surgery can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but the results won’t necessarily match your ideal. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.
It’s important to understand that all hair restoration techniques use your existing hair. The goal of surgery is to find the most efficient uses for existing hair.
Hair transplantation techniques, such as punch grafts, mini-grafts, micro-grafts, slit grafts and strip grafts are generally performed on patients who desire a more modest change in hair fullness.
Remember, there are limits to what can be accomplished. An individual with very little hair might not be advised to undergo hair transplant surgery.
Consultation
In your initial consultation, your surgeon will evaluate your hair growth and loss, review your family history of hair loss and find out if you’ve had any previous hair transplant surgery. Your surgeon will also ask you about your lifestyle and discuss your expectations and goals for surgery.
Medical conditions that could cause problems during or after surgery, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood-clotting problems or the tendency to form excessive scars, should also be discussed with your surgeon. Be sure to tell your surgeon if you smoke or are taking any drugs or medications, especially aspirin or other drugs that affect blood clotting.
Therefore, If you decide to have hair transplant surgery, your surgeon will explain anesthesia, the type of facility where the surgery will be performed and the risks and cost involved. Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor any questions.
Talk to your surgeons
Make sure you understand your surgeon’s plan: which procedures will be used and how long each will take. Ask your doctor to give you an idea of what you will look like after the procedure or, if grafts are going to be used, after each stage of treatment in hair restoration.
Is Hair Transplant safe?
Hair transplant surgery is normally safe when performed by a qualified and experienced board- certified plastic surgeon. Still, individuals vary greatly in their physical reactions and healing abilities, and the outcome is never completely predictable.
Risks and Safety
Around the time new locks start to grow and some people have inflammation or an infection of the hair follicles, called folliculitis. Antibiotics and compresses can relieve the problem. It’s also possible to suddenly lose some of the original hair in the area where you got the new strands, called shock loss. But most of the time, it’s not permanent.
Talk with your doctor about these risks and how much improvement you’re likely to get from the surgery. He can help you decide if it’s a good option for you.
Preparation
You should arrange for someone to drive you home after your surgery. Plan to take it easy for a day or two after the procedure and arrange for assistance if you think you’ll need it.
Where your surgery will be performed
Hair transplant surgery is usually performed in a physician’s office-based facility or in an outpatient surgery center. Rarely does it require a hospital stay.
Procedure
Anesthesia
Hair transplant surgery, no matter what technique is used, is usually performed using a local anesthesia along with sedation to make you relaxed and comfortable. Your scalp will be insensitive to pain, but you may be aware of some tugging or pressure.
First, the surgeon cleans your scalp and injects medicine to numb the back of your head. Your doctor will choose one of two methods for the transplant: follicular unit transplantation(FUT) or follicular unit extraction (FUE).
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
With FUT the surgeon removes a 6- to 10-inch strip of skin from the back of your head. He sets it aside and sews the scalp closed. This area is immediately hidden by the hair around it.
Next, the surgeon’s team divides the strip of removed scalp into 500 to 2,000 tiny grafts, each with an individual hair or just a few hairs. The number and type of graft you get depends on your hair type, quality, color, and the size of the area where you’re getting the transplant.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
If you’re getting the FUE procedure, the surgeon’s team will shave the back of your scalp. Then, the doctor will remove hair follicles one by one from there. The area heals with small dots, which your existing hair will cover.
After that point, both procedures are the same. After he prepares the grafts, the surgeon cleans and numbs the area where the hair will go, creates holes or slits with a scalpel or needle, and delicately places each graft in one of the holes. He’ll probably get help from other team members to plant the grafts, too.
Depending on the size of the transplant you’re getting, the process will take about 4 to 8 hours. You might need another procedure later on if you continue to lose hair or decide you want thicker hair.
Recovery
Hair transplant patients will need to avoid touching their newly-transplanted hair until the grafts heal, about one to two weeks after surgery. Patients can shower the next day but will need to avoid direct water pressure on the scalp and may not shampoo their hair. Brushing and combing will need to be avoided as well so as not to uproot the new hair. Hats can be worn during this time to cover up visible effects of the procedure, so long as they are not overly tight.
Take Note
Friction and stress on the scalp can have detrimental effects, so patients will need to wait two to three weeks before resuming strenuous activities and exercise. Activities that stretch or pull on the scalp can be particularly harmful to patients who undergo FUT, as too much stress on the incision can cause damage to the sutures.
Hair transplantation surgery is a relatively minor procedure and patients may feel well enough to return to work the very next day. Most patients choose to take at least a few days to one week off from work for immediate side effects to diminish. Hair surrounding the harvest sites will also be shortened and patients may wish to take some time off for hair to grow back.
Results
WHAT TO EXPECT IN HAIR TRANSPLANT
Once the initial healing and hair restoration surgery process is complete, the results of the surgery start to become apparent. Remember, it is completely normal for the transplanted hairs to fall out in the first three to four weeks. Over the next few months, the transplanted hair should be growing again – this time for good. Many patients experience a growth rate of about ¼ to ½ inch a month. Again, this varies among each patient; but most individuals should see at least a 60% rate of growth in the treated area after about six to nine months. Some patients may still be experiencing new growth 12 months after the surgery. In some cases, Dr. Romeo V. Bato may also recommend the addition of medical treatment like minoxidil or finasteride in order to maximize the results.