What Is A Hair Transplant And What Are The Benefits?

FUE Hair Transplant Surgery– What Is It? Also called hair restoration surgery, hair transplantation is an operation where you relocate hair from one part of the body to a bald area. Commonly,  FUE hair transplants are performed to restore hair on the head. This is what we, at The Treatment Rooms London, specialise in.

Why Have Hair Transplant Surgery?

You might find that you are suffering from hair loss due to:

• Male or Female Pattern Baldness
• Burns
• Traction Alopecia
• Scars

Hair transplants are just one treatment for hair loss. There are many different medical treatments that can stabilise hair loss and you should consider them before undergoing surgery.

If you have considered medical treatments for hair loss and you either decide:

1. You don’t want to have medical treatment
2. Medical treatments are not working to stop or reverse your hair loss
3. You would like to restore hair in areas you have now lost it

Then you can consider a hair transplant as a treatment option to restore hair in areas you are bald in.

How Does It Work?

Hairs at the sides and back of the head are life-long and are not be affected by the balding process. These hairs can be taken out and transplanted into balding areas- this is a hair transplant.

A hair transplant is a permanent solution to balding as the hairs that are re-implanted are life-long hairs. However, like any surgery you will need to carefully consider whether the procedure is the best option for you. One of the main considerations you will need to take is when to have the procedure.

When Should I Have A Hair Transplant?

Hair transplants are not a treatment for those early in their hair loss journey (e.g. age <26 years). This is because the processes driving hair loss (the hormone DHT) are still very active and can cause you to bald further. We encourage our younger adults to wait or commence medical treatments to prevent DHT and stabilise their hair loss before deciding to undergo hair transplant surgery.

This will have a number of advantages:

1. If you decide to have a hair transplant in the future, your desired hairline and thickness can be planned to suit you for a longer period of time
2. It reduces your need for a second hair transplant
3. Your surgery will be less complex
4. You will preserve more hairs in the donor area
5. The total cost of your hair transplant will be reduced

The back and sides of your head contain a finite number of hairs. This means you and your hair transplant surgeon need to plan carefully how many can be safely taken out and re-implanted to give you a look you desire. This conversation needs to take into account the following factors:

• How bald are you?
• Will you bald further? (Dependant on age and medical history)
• Are you going to start medications that prevent more hair loss?
• What type of hair style do you ideally want to have?

By considering these questions, you and your surgeon will be able to gleam how many hairs are required to give you the look you want. But most importantly, when you should look to have a hair transplant.

Having A Hair Transplant

If you have decided you are interested in having a hair transplant you will need to choose your surgeon and clinic carefully. We have written a lot about this topic and you can read more about it here:

• Considerations to take before undergoing a hair transplant
• Safe hair transplant surgery

Ultimately you must choose a licensed hair transplant clinic with a GMC registered surgeon. Once you have chosen your surgeon and clinic you will then plan to undergo surgery. The procedure usually takes 8 hours and consists of 2 halves. One half you will be lying on your front whilst hairs are taken out from the back of your head.

Once the hairs have been taken out the second half of the procedure involves implanting them back into the areas you and your surgeon have agreed to transplant. You can find out more about this process on our webpage:

• Patient Journey

This will give you a good insight into what you can expect on your day of surgery.

After Your Hair Transplant

In the days following your hair transplant you will need to follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully. This should involve clear advice on the following topics:

• Sleep
• Spraying your grafts with salt water
• Washing and cleaning your scalp
• Exercise
• Medications
• Going back to work

You can read more about these topics and our own methods at The Treatment Rooms by clicking the following links:

• FUE Hair Transplant- Aftercare & Recovery
• Recovery- What Can You Expect

The first 14-30 days after your surgery are crucial. We advise that it takes 2 weeks after your transplant for your grafts to fully settle and “root in”. This means that you need to be extra careful in those initial 14 days. Depending on the size of your transplant and your recovery this period can extend to 30 days. It is always best to check in with your surgeon in this initial recovery period. This will put both yours and your surgeon’s mind at ease!

How Long Will It Take For Your New Hair To Grow?

Frustratingly your transplanted hair will actually fall out in the first 3 months. However, rest assured you hair roots are still in the scalp and they will begin to grow new hairs over the next 12-18 months. You will need to be patient after your hair transplant as the process of regrowth can take a while. So, it is an investment in time as well as the cost of the procedure itself. You eventually get to a hair style you and your surgeon have planned for.

Having Your Hair Transplant At The Treatment Rooms London

If you are interested in knowing more or having your hair transplant at our clinic then feel free to contact us. Our mantra is personalised hair transplants meaning every patient is different. We use different and subtle techniques to plan and recreate your desired hair based on what would suit you best. To see some before and after hair transplant examples at our clinic click the link below:

• Before and after hair transplantation

Our operations are led by and carried out by our lead Hair Transplant Surgeon, Dr Fernando. Contact us today by clicking the following link:

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