| Dr. Lisa E. Ishii is a member of International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Hair transplant.
Q. Why is it important to know about the hair transplant procedures available?
While medical therapies for hair loss act primarily to slow the loss of hair, hair transplantation is a wonderful, effective procedure to actually restore hair density.
Q. Tell us more about the Body Hair Transplantation procedure.
Hair transplantation consists of taking hair from one area of the scalp and moving it to an area where the hair has thinned. This procedure is possible because for reasons that we don't completely understand why the hair loss process typically spares the hairs on the back of the scalp. Patients typically have a normal hair density on the back of the scalp even when the top has thinned. We take advantage of this with hair transplantation by using those hairs on the back of the scalp as our "donor" hairs.
The procedure is performed in the outpatient clinic in a procedure room, and usually takes 4-5 hours for the entire procedure. Patients take an oral medication for relaxtion and numbing medication is used for the skin. A strip of skin is removed from the back of the scalp. Each individual hair unit, called a follicular unit, is removed from that strip of skin and then individually placed into a small site created in the "recipient" area, typically the top of the scalp. The procedure achieves natural results because it repositions the hair units the same way they grow naturally. Gone are the days of unnatural results caused by the placement of "plugs" or large number of hair transplanted as a clump. Today's hair transplant procedures yield consistently attractive results with hair growth that appears completely natural.
Q. Are the hair transplant procedures painful?
An oral medication for relaxation and numbing medicine for the skin minimize pain, and in general patients do not find the procedure painful.
Q. How many hairs are transplanted per session?
The number of hairs transplanted is variable and depends on the amount of density that we are trying to restore. In general they range anywhere from 500 to 3000 grafts. A female with diffuse thinning of the top of the scalp typically benefits from a procedure consisting of about 2000 grafts.
Q. What can be expected after hair restoration surgery?
There is typically little down time after the procedure, with many patients returning to work the next day. Some patients experience some swelling of the scalp and forehead the day after the surgery but this usually subsides quickly. The wound from which the hair was taken from the back of the scalp is completely concealed by the surrounding hair. The transplanted hairs typically have a "quiet" phase of about 3 months, with visible hair appearing in the area around 4 months. It takes approximately one year for patients to fully appreciate the density change.
Q. Can the clients wear their hair short?
The way patients wear their hair is up to their preference. There are no restrictions on how they can wear it. The only thing I tell patients to consider is that they will have a fine scar on the back of their scalp so if they ever decide to shave their head that will be visible. This is typically only a concern for men.
Q. What is the difference between mini/micro grafting and follicular unit grafting?
Follicular units are anatomically small bundles of hair follicles (typically 1 to 4), supporting glands, and muscle. Natural scalp hair does not grow in evenly distributed rows of individual hairs, but instead as these small bundles of 1 to 4 hairs. Follicular unit grafting just refers to grafting of this entire bundle. Mini/micro grafting just refers to placement of small grafts containing 1 to 4 hairs per graft. |
