A Guide To Your First Hair Transplant
Hair loss is a common condition that will affect many of us in our lifetime. It can happen for various reasons, from genetics, stress, and other medical conditions like alopecia. Losing your hair can be traumatic and can take a toll on your self-esteem – but there are ways to restore your locks. Hair transplant surgery is a minimally invasive way of getting your hair back to its former glory. Read on to find out what to expect with your first hair transplant.
Causes of hair loss
Many of us will experience hair loss throughout our lifetime, men as well as women. There are a few main causes of hair loss that might explain why you’re noticing thinning, bald patches, or a receding hairline. One of the main causes is family history, which causes male pattern baldness. This cannot be treated and happens naturally due to the genes passed down through your family.
Another common cause of hair loss is age. Whether you’re male or female, you may find that as you get older, your hair gets thinner. For females, it can be caused by hormonal changes that we experience over time. Alopecia is also a condition that affects hair, and there is currently no way to cure it, but sometimes the hair can grow back on its own. A turkey hair transplant is one of the best solutions when it comes to treating hair loss. So, who can benefit from a hair transplant?
Is a hair transplant right for you?
Hair transplants are generally beneficial for people that have genetic hair loss. Surgeons can decide if you are right for the process and if it would work for you with three considerations.
Predictability – which allows surgeons to identify stable follicular units that they can use to determine donor area and hair restoration.
Stability – which means surgeons must check that the follicles in the donor region are stable, and resistant to hair loss.
Sufficient donor regions – the surgeon will check that a patient has sufficient areas that can be used as a donor region to take follicles from during the transplant.
Female hair loss can be more difficult to treat as it often does not occur in a pattern and can be sporadic. Whereas male pattern baldness like crown hair loss or receding hair lines in men tend to follow a pattern. It is also said that you should wait until you’re at least 30 to have a hair transplant, so you can try other medications or treatments before you choose a transplant.
Types of hair transplant
If you meet the above criteria, you’ll be wondering which is the right procedure for you. There are a few hair transplants to choose from, depending on the area you need hair to be restored to or the results that you’re looking to achieve.
FUE hair transplant: This is the process of follicular unit extraction. It is a minimally invasive procedure that can offer natural results. It comes with fewer risks and involves minimal pain or discomfort. Choosing this treatment means you can get all-natural looking hair, with no evidence of a transplant. The results are permanent.
Hairline surgery: This type of hair transplant is ideal if you have a receding hairline. It can restore a full head of hair and help to balance the proportion of your forehead and face. It targets only the hairline, with long-term and permanent results, so you can achieve a youthful look with ease.
Sideburn hair transplant: It’s not just the hair on your head that matters when it comes to creating a full head of hair, your sideburns are important too! This procedure is great for anyone that has lost hair from their sideburns, or you could use it to disguise imperfections. It is a low-cost way to achieve a natural look, so you can style your hair as you like it.
What to expect when recovering
Of course, a hair transplant is a form of surgery, so it does come with risks, recovery, and aftercare. Your surgeon will discuss with you the dos and don’ts after you’ve had surgery, but usually, you will be back on your feet right after it’s completed.
After the treatment, you may notice some swelling or irritation, as the transplant has made tiny wounds on your scalp that will take a little bit of time to heal. Healing times differ from person to person, but it tends to be around 7 to 10 days until your scalp will have recovered. After your transplant, it is common for you to shed hair, which can cause panic amongst patients, however, the root of the hair will simply grow stronger hair after the shedding has taken place.
You will be given products to use during your recovery, such as an anti-microbial solution that can alleviate bleeding and irritation, a disinfectant spray that should be used a few times daily, and an anti-inflammation serum to minimise infection risks. Using your aftercare correctly ensures that you will get the best results from your hair transplant. To find out more information on the recovery process, you can read this article about the hair transplant timeline.
Benefits of a hair transplant
Many benefits come with choosing to have a hair transplant; it allows you to restore not only your hairline but your self-esteem too. You can tackle balding head-on with one of these procedures, so if you’re not ready to say goodbye to your locks just yet, these procedures can help.
The procedures mentioned above are a permanent solution, they are manageable and low maintenance. They also create natural-looking results, so no one will ever know the difference. These procedures are great as they require minimal downtime and recovery, so you can restore your look with ease.
