While there are many different techniques for hair transplantation, mini- and micrografting techniques are commonly used today. Other options include skin flap surgery, scalp reduction surgery, and tissue expansion. The hair transplant process often requires multiple sessions spaced at least four months apart to allow for adequate healing.
Good candidates for hair transplantation include men and women who are physically healthy, realistic in their expectations, and looking to improve the appearance of a thinning or balding scalp. Patients must have sufficient donor hair on the side or back of the scalp. In addition, the best results are often achieved with light-colored and coarse-textured hair.
Many hair transplant procedures are performed in a surgeon’s office-based facility or an outpatient surgical center. Local or twilight anesthesia is commonly used for grafting procedures, while general anesthesia may be used for more involved surgical procedures. Hair transplantation may take between one and three hours to perform, and multiple procedures spaced at least four months apart are often required.
For grafting procedures, a strip of hair-bearing scalp is removed from a donor area on the back or side of the head. This strip is then divided into several hundred smaller grafts which are inserted into the scalp through tiny slits. Each graft may contain as few as one to two hairs, and as many as five or six hairs. Several hundred mini- or micrografts may be transplanted during a single session. Once the procedure is completed, a dressing may be applied to the scalp.
After surgery, patients may experience some aching or a tight feeling in the head and scalp which can be controlled with medication. Swelling and bruising are common, and cold compresses may be recommended. Dressings are usually removed within a day or two after surgery, and patients can typically shampoo around the second or third day. Stitches are removed within about ten days. It is common for the newly transplanted hair to fall out within six weeks, and regrowth will occur soon after.
Contact Dr. Mingrone to learn more about San Jose hair transplants or to schedule a consultation.
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