| Dr. Robin Unger, a diplomat, certified by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery is a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Hair transplant.
Q. Does hair transplant look Natural?
A. The hair transplant looks completely natural. It is after all simply a redistribution of the patient’s own hair from the donor area to the area which needs coverage. The grafts which are utilized are called follicular units or double follicular units (in some cases); these grafts have one to five hairs each and are placed in very small holes made with a hypodermic needle. The hairs are angled and directed to match the patient’s own natural hair directions, including cowlicks and waves and curls. The hairlines are constructed with only the finest single haired grafts and are created with many irregularities to mimic natural hairlines. Other people will only know that a patient has had a procedure, if the patient chooses to tell them - or in the situations when the patient’s transformation involved going from virtually bald to a full head of hair (even then it seems most people pick up on "something different/better" about how the patient looks, but not sure what it is).
Q. How long does it take to recover from hair transplant surgery?
A. Many patients are able to return to work within a few days. However, I recommend patients take 7-10 days off of work and social activities if they want to be certain to keep the procedure private. The post-operative pain is easily controlled with oral pain medication and usually only lasts for one to two days, although there are patients who are more sensitive than others. During this time off, the patient is able to participate in all regular activities except those which significantly raise blood pressure (vigorous exercise) and many still work from home. I generally tell my patients to err on the safe side for their first surgery, although it is more than likely that they will recover more quickly than ten days. Some patients bruise or swell more than the majority and it is difficult to predict; approximately 1/50 patients has severe swelling. Also the stage of presenting hair loss plays a part; if the area has some pre-existing hair, there will be some camouflage which will make the procedure less noticeable
Q. What are the types of hair transplants you perform?
A. I treat both male and female hair loss patients. I transplant hair into areas which are bald, thinning, or scarred. The reasons for surgery include male pattern baldness (MPB), female pattern hair loss (FPHL), scars from trauma, and post-facelift / brow lift revision of hairlines or scars. The vast majority of my patients – approximately 95% - are treated exclusively with follicular unit transplantation (FUT). However some patients are good candidates for slightly larger double follicular units, or slot grafts and these are part of my available skill set. In addition patients presenting with poorly completed old punch graft transplants, often benefit from the use of a variety of size grafts to correct the cosmetic problem.
Q. Are the options for combating Hair loss in men different from women?
A. Hair transplant surgery is the only permanent solution to hair loss in both men and women. The approach differs in that the goal with men is to achieve a natural, even coverage over a region that will be completely bald in the future. While the objective in hair replacement surgery for women is to increase the density in the cosmetically most important areas affected by hair loss and concentrates the grafts in those regions. There are two medical treatments available for the treatment of hair loss; propecia and minoxidil. These are both effective in slowing the loss of hair in the crown and midscalp regions, and may reverse the loss in these areas as well. Propecia however is not approved for use in women. If patients are open to trying medications and have no contra-indications, I recommend women try the minoxidil 5% foam and men may try propecia +/- minoxidil 5%. Additionally, iron deficiency and the endocrine abnormalities which cause hair loss seem to occur with a greater frequency in women and these must be addressed.
Q. Are there complications or risks in a hair transplant?
A. There are complications possible, as with any surgery, however I have never had a patient suffer from any major medical complication. Any patient with a recent change in cardiovascular status or medication, or with a significant medical history of neurologic or cardiovascular conditions, must provide letters of medical clearance, and a board certified anesthesiologist must be present for monitoring on the day of surgery. Patients with scars from previous surgeries are at a greater risk for post-operative infection, but these readily respond to antibiotics. Other post-operative conditions of note include swelling, temporary change in sensitivity in the scalp, and temporary telogen effluvium.
Q. If a client has already had a transplant with another doctor and is disappointed with the results, can it be redone?
A. Disappointment with hair transplant surgery can be the result of poor communication between surgeon and patient, poor growth of the grafts, or poor artistic design of the transplant itself. Often my first piece of advice to a patient is to speak with the prior surgeon to see if he/she may be able to address the problem. Failing that, improving the results of surgeries performed by other hair restoration surgeons is certainly possible, and even one corrective surgery by the right physician makes a very significant difference. On occasion, the results from the previous surgery are particularly difficult to correct and two or three surgeries are necessary to achieve a completely natural look. The scars in the donor area are often a hidden problem, which must be addressed as part of the correction. It is best to research carefully before choosing the hair restoration surgeon; prospective patients should ask for recommendations from knowledgeable individuals such as previous patients, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, primary care doctors, cosmetic dentists, and hairstylists. It is also important to see a variety of before/after photos demonstrating the sort of work performed by the surgeon.
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