Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure that moves your own natural hair from a part of the head with plenty of hair to a bald or thinning part of the head. The goal is to give you a full head of natural-looking hair that looks and feels healthy. The procedure is safe and effective, and it doesn’t require invasive procedures like transplants of scalp skin or other tissue. Instead, your surgeon will use follicular units to recreate the appearance of your natural hairline and crown. The procedure is incredibly versatile, too, allowing you to choose how much or little hair you want to restore.
A good surgeon will carefully consider your facial shape and features, your hair texture, your age, and other factors to create a beautiful, natural-looking hairline that matches the rest of your head. They will take the time to remove and place each graft precisely, so that they will grow in naturally, with no visible scarring. They also make sure to use the right hair types for each area of the scalp, so that the results are natural and seamless.
Before your surgery, the surgeon will clean and numb the scalp with local anesthetic or sedation, so that you won’t feel any pain during the procedure. Then they’ll use one of two methods for performing the transplant, either FUT or FUE. With FUE, your surgeon will use a small punch to extract individual hair follicles from the healthy donor area of your head. They’ll then plant the follicular units in the bald or thinning areas of your scalp. Your surgeon will then suture the donor site wound closed, so that it won’t be noticeable.
After your surgery, the surgeon will give you instructions about how to care for your grafts while they heal. They’ll tell you not to touch or pull the grafts, even if they’re itchy. They’ll recommend that you wear a hat or scarf in the sun, and they may recommend that you avoid certain activities or sports, to help reduce the risk of infection or other problems. They will also recommend that you take over-the-counter or prescription medications to manage any pain or discomfort that you might experience during recovery.
After a few weeks, your grafts will start to grow in. They might be a bit patchy at first, but as they settle in, they’ll begin to grow more evenly and cover any scarring. Some of your original hair might fall out during this time, but it will usually grow back in place. After about four months, you’ll be able to see the full results of your hair transplant.