A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that moves healthy full-size vigorously growing hairs from one part of the scalp (the donor area) to thinning or bald areas. This helps to restore a more natural-looking appearance and boost self-esteem.
Hair transplant surgery is not for everyone. Your doctor will evaluate your suitability for the procedure during a consultation. To begin with, he or she will ask about your medical history, what caused your balding and what you expect from the treatment. Your doctor will also examine your scalp and may order a blood test to check for things that might be causing the problem.
During the operation, your doctor will use local anaesthesia to numb your scalp. Then he or she will either cut a strip of hair-bearing skin from the back of your head, remove individual hairs from the scalp or make tiny cuts in the thinning area to add healthy hairs.
The results of a hair transplant will vary from person to person, but in most cases, multiple surgical sessions will be needed to achieve satisfactory fullness. Coarse grey or light-coloured hair affords better coverage than fine, dark-coloured hair, and thicker hair is usually more resistant to balding. The number of grafts that can be transplanted at a time will depend on your existing hair and the size of the balding or thinning area.
Before the transplant, your doctor will need to remove a small section of hair-bearing skin from the area in the back of your head that will serve as your donor site. This will leave a scar, but this will fade over time and should be hidden by the surrounding hair. For some patients, especially those with very thin or fine hair, a more minimal procedure called follicular unit extraction is used. This leaves a very small linear scar on the back of your scalp.
Once the donor area has been prepared, a team of surgeons will perform the actual transplant. Healthy, full-size, vigorously growing hairs are moved from the donor area to the thinning or balding areas of your scalp, thereby increasing the density of the new growth. During this process, your doctor will carefully plan the layout of the hair so that it looks natural as it grows.
Some of the transplanted hair will fall out, but you should notice new growth after a few months. Generally, it takes up to two years for the final result to appear.
The cost of a hair transplant will depend on how many grafts you need, and each clinic calculates prices differently. The best way to get an accurate estimate is to book a free in-depth consultation at The Treatment Rooms London.
Your surgeon will take into account the number of grafts required and your expectations when creating a treatment plan. A full consultation will give you the peace of mind that you are receiving the best possible care and a cost that suits your unique situation.