Hair transplant is a style of hair loss treatment that you can use to restore your hair when you have suffered a hair loss problem. The procedure occurs in two primary approaches: fue hair transplant (Follicular Unit Extraction) and FUT hair transplant ( Follicular Unit Transplant).
If you’re suffering from hair loss, you may choose a fue hair transplant. This procedure will bring you healthy hair that may last for a more extended period. The surgeons usually help to perform the process in a very efficient and reliable way.
FUE hair transplant is the most straightforward and quick hair transplant treatment than the FUT procedure. This is because the FUT procedure leaves significant scars behind as opposed to a fue hair transplant. It is why FUE was meant to replace the FUT procedure. However, we are going to look at both treatments in detail to see what they entail.
Hair transplant procedures are known to be more successful than using over-the-counter drugs. However, there are factors you need to consider before performing this procedure. The factors include;
You should expect ten to eighty percent of the hair you’ve transplanted to regrow in a period of three to four months fully.
Just like regular hair, the hair that you have implanted will shed for some time.
If you have hair follicles at a resting phase, you may experience an unproductive hair transplant.
As we have said that hair transplant may be an effective procedure for hair growth, it may not be suitable for us. You can use the system if you suffer from natural thinning of hair, baldness, or lose your hair in an accident. The surgeon will use your available hair for the transplant procedure. Therefore, it may not be effective for you if;
- i) You have hair loss as a result of chemotherapy or any other treatments.
- ii) You have a general shedding of hair accompanied by baldness.
iii) Wide scalp scars from a severe injury.
How hair transplant works
The surgeon usually removes hair from the back of your head or any other part of the body, referred to as the donor site. The surgeon extracts hair from the part where you have plenty of hair and transplants it to the area where there is no hair. The area where the hair is to be transplanted is known as the recipient site.
The surgeon will disinfect the recipient area where the hair will be taken before carrying out the procedure. He then numbs it on the common anesthetic. You can also use calming drugs to help you sleep during the whole process. The surgeon uses the two hair transplant procedures; fue hair transplant and FUT hair transplant.
Follicular unit extraction (FUE hair transplant)
Fue hair transplant surgery involves the following steps;
i)The surgeon will shave the hair from the back of your head or other body parts.
ii)He will then take or extract single hair from the scalp. There is always the viability of minor marks where the surgeon took the hair grafts.
iii) For the FUT hair transplant method, the surgeon will create tiny holes in the scalp and insert some hair follicles inside them.
- iv) The surgeon will then use a bandage to cover or close the surgical area.
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
FUT hair transplant is sometimes mentioned as FUSS. Meaning, Follicular unit strip surgery. The steps involved in the procedure are as follows;
- The surgeon takes a piece of the scalp from the back of the head using a scalpel. The size of the strip is usually of a length of six to ten inches. However, it can always stretch daily from ear to ear.
- The surgeon uses the stitches to cover up the area they took the scalp from.
- Together with their helpers, the surgeon will divide the scalp strip into minor pieces using a scalpel. These pieces may have 2000 or more grafts, and every graft may have only one hair or even more.
- The surgeon will then create small holes with a blade on the scalp in the recipient area.
- He then inserts hair he has taken from the piece of the scalp through the puncture hole. The process is usually known as grafting.
- The surgeon then uses a bandage to close up the surgical area.
Below are the factors that will determine the number of grafts you will obtain.
- Your hair quality, i.e., is it thick or thin?
- Your hair type.
- The color of your hair.
- The size of your transplant site.
The hair transplant cost
Generally, hair transplant cost usually ranges from $4000 to $ 15000 in every session. However, some factors will determine the final price. They include;
i)The size of your hair transplant procedure.
- ii) The skills and experience of your surgeon who will carry out the procedure.
iii) Accessibility of your surgeon.
- iv) The surgical approach or the methodology you have chosen.
Hair transplant treatments are a cosmetics process; hence you cannot use medical insurance to pay for them. Instead, it would be best if you use your own cash. The medication you have been given to reduce the pain after the surgery and act as aftercare may also be added to hair transplant cost on the final procedure.
The recovery period of hair transplant procedures
FUT and fue hair transplant may take many hours and many days to finish up. However, the recovery period will depend on the operation of the surgeon. You are always able to go home on the same day after the procedure.
After the surgery, the surgeon takes out the bandage with a lot of care. You may experience swelling on the affected area, although the surgeon will inject you with some drugs to reduce the swelling.
You may also have some pain in the donor and the recipient areas. However, there are some aftercare services you can use to avoid any further complications. The aftercare services include;
- You should not wash your hair immediately after the procedure. It is advisable to wait for a few days, after which you will only require gentle shampoos for the previous few weeks.
- You need to wait for three days before going back to your typical day-to-day activities.
- Do not comb or brush your hair or the newly transplanted grafts for three weeks to avoid shedding off.
- Do not work out for some seven days after the procedure.
- Follow the doctors’ instructions, like do not wear hats or pullover jackets unless you get advice from your doctor.
Side effects of FUE hair transplant
The following are some side effects which you can suffer from after a fue hair transplant procedure. They include;
- Swelling and pain in the place where the surgery has taken place.
- You may experience bleeding during the surgery.
- You may have some infections after a fue hair transplant procedure.
- The shedding or thinning of hair may proceed after the surgery before the new hair starts growing.
- You may have implanted hair that is different from your natural hair.
Conclusion
Hair transplant costs may be pretty expensive for you to afford. However, the price will depend on the number of grafts you need or how skilled your doctor is. FUE hair transplant is a quick and easy procedure for you if you are experiencing hair loss. You need to, first of all, consult your doctor to see if you’re fit to undergo the procedure. It will help you not to go through a lot of complications.
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