Follicular Hair Transplant

The usual or most common hair loss is called Pattern Hair Loss (Alopecia Androgenetica.) This affects only front & central area of your scalp. This is due to certain Baldness genes. Genetically your hair in this area is Hormones sensitive. These hairs become thin in diameter and can not grow long and eventually the hormone kills this hair in a particular pattern (Shape).

The hair on the back and the side are genetically strong hair and live permanently as you might have observed by now. We use the roots (Follicles/ follicular units) of this permanent hair and graft them in the front where you have lost your hair.

As long as your hair root is alive medicines like Minoxidil (Rogaine/ Mintop) and Finasteride (Propecia/ Finpecia) can help to improve the quality of thinned out hair and prevent the progress of the Baldness. But in the place where your hair roots are dead no medicine can not grow new hair. The only answer to grow hair in that area is to have Hair Transplant.

Follicular Hair Transplant is for: Both men and women can avail this procedure in following situations of hair loss :

• Loss of hair in front i.e. Hair line
• Recession at the Temple area
• More extensive hair loss on the top and crown area
• Adding density to thinned out area of scalp
• Correcting a poorly transplanted area
• Correcting less hair on eyebrows or on other body parts like beard, moustache, chest, eyelash etc.
• Scars due to injury, burns etc. in the scalp, beard, eyebrow

The Follicular Hair Transplant that I offer can help you change your look. It grows natural looking, PERMANENTLY GROWING maintenance free hair that grow long and does not grow thin under the effect of Hormones. You can cut, colour and style the hair that does not require special care.

There are basically 2 methods of Hair Transplant Surgery:

• Strip Method
• FUE- Stitch Less Method

Hair transplant surgery is a day procedure (takes 2-6 hours depending upon the extent of the procedure) and it is done under Local Anaesthesia (Only Numb the skin) while you are conscious and communicating through out the procedure. Not only that there is no hassle of Hospitalization or bandages etc. It is done as an outdoor procedure, in very comfortable setting.

CLN a usual "strip method" (FUT- Follicular Unit Transplant) follicles are separated after strip is harvested from your donor site (from the back of your head). The donor area is closed by an absorbable stitch and the follicles are individually transplanted in the area of hair loss. It takes a week to 10 days for the stitch and the scabs to get clear. Except for some tightness or discomfort (>95 % patients do not complain of pain) in the donor site & swelling and scabs for first few days procedure is very safe. This will leave a linear scar in the donor area. If you keep your hair in the donor area of more than 1/2 inch the mark of the stitch is not visible (especially if you have Trichophytic closure). But if you go for buzz cut or full head shaving the mark of the stitch will be visible.

Trichophytic Closure of Donor site where you can grow hairs though your donor scars. (http://www.goodbyehairloss.com/trichophytic-closure.htm). This method is by far the most efficient method of hair transplant because it can deliver better quality grafts, dissected under magnified vision in a shorter time at a lesser cost. The regrowth rate is over 95%. The cost is Rs. 25 per graft.

2nd method which is more modern is "the stitch less procedure" (FUE- Follicular Unit Extraction). This does not involve removal of strip or stitches. The Grafts are individually extracted from the scalp. This although a lengthy procedure has faster healing in only 4-5 days usually and is practically discomfort free postoperatively. This being stitch less does not leave any linear scar in the donor area and therefore allows more modern short hair style. These are its advantages over the conventional strip method. (Check http://www.goodbyehairloss.com/fue.htm). It a complete myth that FUE does not leave scar or is a scar less procedure. It only leaves no linear scar. But on complete shaving of head there are multiple punctuate scars are visible and the overall scarring is more than that of strip method. The strip method has better quality of grafts compared to FUE and therefore survival rate of the grafts will be 95% whereas that of FUE is 80 to 90%. FUE due to its nature and advantages cost more. The cost is Rs. 75 per graft.

As commonly believed FUE is stitch less method but it is certainly not a scar less method. Well for your information the accumulated scarring of the FUE is more than the linear scar of strip method (FUT). Scars are visible in both methods if the head is completely shaved. The strip method is the method where grafts are cut under magnified vision therefore graft quality is much superior to the blind extraction for the grafts in FUE.

Although the donor healing in FUE is 3-5 days earlier than that of strip method in case of the recipient healing is the same period.

For large number of grafts (say over 1500 grafts); in Strip method you need anaesthetic pain only once where as in FUE you have to have that of 2 -3 consecutive days. In FUE you have to sleep in uncomfortable position for long hours for some times 6-8 hours daily for 2-3 days.

We now also offer something that is latest what is called "Trichophytic Closure" of Donor site. The usual method of donor area stitches leave a linear scar that does not grow hair but the "Trichophytic method" grows the hair through that scar. This has the advantage that the scar remains invisible even with short donor area hair ( even by about half inch length). This procedure additionally costs INR 10,000 this is only if you chose to go for it. It is not the part of the routine procedure. (http://www.goodbyehairloss.com/trichophytic-closure.htm)

It takes a week to 10 days for the stitch and the scabs to get clear. Except for some tightness in the donor site & swelling and scabs for first few days procedure is very safe. You may avoid tobacco in any form and exercise for a week but there are no dietary restrictions. Hair wash is possible from next day. The Transplanted hairs start growing usually by 3-6 months. The hair become combable by 8-10 months and the full blown result should be expected by about one to one and a half year.

As for the success rate at least 85-95% of the grafted roots will certainly grow the hair in every patient. In medical profession we do not give written guarantee but we certainly standby our results. It is important to keep realistic expectation; Transplant can improve your current looks by increasing density or by giving the cover to the bald area but it may not match your original density of hair at times. Smoking does affect the hair transplant growth adversely and avoid it few days before and for few months after.