WHO CAN DO HAIR TRANSPLANT?

by GeneralHair Transplant

Hair transplantation can be performed on any person with pattern hair loss, good donor area, good general health and reasonable expectations.

The factors that affect case selection are as follows:

1) Age: Patients between the age of 18 and 75 can do FUE. Young patients whose early alopecia is still evolving should not be taken up for hair transplantation. This is mainly because he will be in the process of losing the hairs and if after implantation he loses his existing hairs it will give him a weird look. So it will be best suited to patients in the age group 23 –55 years.

2) Sex: Both females and males can do FUE , but as the males have more localization of 5 alpha reductase activity for hormone Dihydro–testosterone, males will have a better result than females.

3) Grade: According to Norwood –Hamilton scale for classification of Androgenetic Alopecia, persons from Grade 2 to Grade 5 can undergo FUE. If the patient belongs to grade 6 and 7, usually the donor area density is very low and the existing donor hair resource will not be sufficient to cover the entire bald zone. Hair transplant can be done in area 2, 3 and 4 which will improve your looks considerably.

4) In clinical conditions that forms scarring on the scalp skin like Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE), Lichen planus, Folliculitis decalvans, in extreme burns etc. due to formation of fibrous tissue, hair transplantation is not possible.

5) In patients having Alopecia Areata hair transplantation is not the right method to treat baldness.

6)Patients with significant systemic health problems:

Those patient who are having blood pressure above 140/90 mm of Hg should not be taken for Hair Transplant until his / her BP reduces to normal range. Blood sugar should be below 130 mg/dl. If the patient is under medication for the above condition Hair Transplant can be done only with a physical fitness certificate from a MD Physician. The patient’s CT, BT, PT, INR etc, should be in normal range. If patient is having any bleeding disorders, doing hair transplantation is not advisable.

HAIR TRANSPLANTATION IN FEMALE PATTERN HAIR LOSS

by Hair Transplant

“Hair Transplantation in women is considered only after proper medical management and treatment of underlying cause.”

It has been generally felt in the past that hair transplantation in females is less rewarding than in males.However, with advancement in technology this scenario is changing and there is growing demand, an awareness of the need and positive experiences that it is possible to give satisfactory results.

It is important that a female with hair loss undergoes evaluation of full history and detailed clinical examination.Before planning for hair transplant in a female some important

points like expectations of the patient, the preferred hair style, possibility of medical management and possibility of future progression should be carefully evaluated.

Good Candidates for Hair Transplant:

• Women who have significant thinning

• Women who have not had improvement in appearance after medical treatment

• Women who are well motivated

• Women who agree to take medical treatment to retain existing hair and treat underlying cause

• Women with good long–term potential donor–to–recipient area ratio

• Women with realistic expectations

• Scarring alopecia

• Women with high hairline and wide forehead.

Poor Candidates for Hair Transplant:

• Women with diffuse thinning including occipital area

• Women not willing for medical treatment

• Women with unrealistic expectations

• Women who are not psychologically stable

Most women often need a smaller number of grafts to cover a specific area. Since women grow long hair, camouflage with existing hair is easier and it is possible to give satisfactory results with small number of grafts.

A small window of trimmed area is made in the donor area from which follicular units will be extracted. Since women have long hair, this trimmed area can easily be covered up by the remaining hairs and will rarely be a problem.

Implantation is a little bit challenging as it need to be performed between existing hairs (as women never allow shaving of head) and the surgeons should have the patience and skill to implant in between the existing hairs. So it takes longer time than that in men.

 

WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN FUE

by Hair Transplant

1. Trimming hair & Marking hairline

The doctor will brief you about the procedure and he will then finalize the details of your procedure goals, using a pen to indicate the treatment areas, hairline location and shape. After you confirm the marked hairline, your hair is trimmed to 1–2 mm length.

2. Anaesthesia

The patient lies in the prone position on the operating table and is given local anesthesia to numb the donor area. This will ensure that you are completely comfortable during the removal of the donor hair.

3. Extraction of follicular units

The grafts are then extracted from the donor area with the help of special micro–punches.

• A punch is placed directly over an individual follicular unit and following the angle of the emergent hairs, the punch is passed partially through the dermis.

• Once the initial advancement is made, the bulk of the follicle is pulled with forceps, literally “extracting” the follicular unit from the scalp.

• The extracted grafts are then preserved in saline or cool Ringer’s lactate solution.

4. Implantation of follicular units

In this phase of the procedure, the follicular units removed will be implanted, in the recipient area after giving local anaesthesia. The doctor who implants the follicular units defines the depth, angulation (inclination) and direction of growth of the hairs when implanting each follicular unit.

Implantation on the hairline will be made towards the end and before completing the procedure the patient is given a chance to see his final hairline and suggest any corrections. The

surgeon will make such modification based on the patient’s need if necessary based on the availability of the Grafts.

5. Post procedure briefing

Once the implantation is over, the doctors or the nurse informs you

about medicines to be taken and how to take care of your scalp for the next few days.