Hair Transplant

Hair Transplant Information

• Hair transplant (or hair restoration, hair implants) is a hair replacement treatment for men and women. The procedure permanently restores hair by transplanting new follicles into balding or thinning areas.  Hair transplants correct male-pattern baldness and other forms of hair loss

• Nearly 18,000 hair transplant surgeries were performed last year, a 60% decline from 2000. More hair transplant statistics

• Hair restoration surgery usually takes a full day and is performed under local anesthesia and sedation, although some cases may require general anesthesia. In this surgery, excess hair follicles are removed from the back and sides of the head. 

• Surgery can be done with individual follicles or with whole pieces of hair-bearing scalp. There are several methods for implanting the new follicles, including micrografts and mini-grafts, with new techniques being refined as this surgery becomes more and more common. The average number of individual grafts needed depends on the patient; anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 grafts is possible in an average day of surgery.

• Your recovery time will depend on the extent of the surgery. Most patients report mild pain, numbness and soreness; this can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. The transplanted follicles normally fall out in the first month and regrow. Within a few months, they should be growing normally in their new location.

• Potential hair restoration side effects may include scarring or uneven hair growth. If the results of the surgery are patchy or if the follicle grafts don't establish well at the new site, your surgeon may wish to perform a follow-up surgery to correct scarring or to transplant more follicles to fill in thinner areas.