A hair transplant or hair restoration surgery involves moving hair from one part of the head to another. Plastic surgeons or dermatologists use the hair replacement procedure to treat people with bald or thinning hair.
Permanent hair loss can be hereditary or due to the natural aging process. It can also be due to hormonal changes, emotional stress, burns, trauma, medications, or conditions such as alopecia. Find out whether hair transplants can fix bald spots.
Hair Transplant Surgery
Both men and women experience hair loss. Sometimes, the loss is temporary, but it can also be permanent. Most people try various hair loss treatments before seeking restoration surgery. Hair grafting helps to treat permanent hair loss and is usually a last resort.
Surgeons use hair from donor sites, moving it to the bald areas of the scalp. They use skin and hair from parts of the head where it is thickest. When the transplanted skin heals, the hair continues to grow.
Fixing Bald Spots
There are many reasons why people lose their hair. Hair loss can affect an individual’s appearance and self-esteem. If you experience permanent hair loss, you can talk to a specialist about hair transplant.
The restoration surgery can help to recreate the hairline and fix bald spots. The procedure can help to treat hair loss due to alopecia areata, androgenic alopecia, hormonal imbalance, and thyroid disease. It can also help with hair loss from burns or traumatic injuries.
Candidates for Hair Transplants
To be good candidates for hair transplant, individuals must be in good physical and emotional health. They should have sections of thick hair growth. Having areas on the scalp with thick hair will enhance chances of success.
During consultation, the surgeon will examine the scalp and hairline. They consider the individual’s hair, skin, age, ethnicity, and family history. Good candidates are individuals with realistic expectations of the procedure.
Choosing the Transplant Technique
During the consultation, the surgeon will discuss the details of the hair transplant. The surgeon will recommend the most appropriate technique for each individual. There are various ways to perform the surgery, including:
- Hair grafting.
- Flap surgery.
- Scalp reduction.
- Tissue expansion.
Grafting is the most common hair transplant procedure. The surgeon cuts tiny sections of the scalp that contain healthy hair. They may use a surgical tool (punch) to remove skin containing 10 to 15 hairs. Micro-grafts can contain even fewer hairs—one or two.
Results of Hair Transplants
Hair transplants are conducted in the surgeon’s office in a procedure that can take five to eight hours. After numbing the scalp, the surgeon removes the grafts and transfers them to the bald areas to increase thickness.
The grafted hair and roots are small, resulting in natural-looking hair. The donor site heals well, and the thin scar is concealed by the remaining hair. Some individuals require more than one session for optimal results. The transplanted hair falls out as the graft heals, but it should soon grow back.
A hair transplant offers a permanent hair loss treatment. Benefits of the surgery include enjoying a full head of hair with fewer bald spots and improved self-esteem. It can take several months to one year for full hair transplant results to show.
For more on whether hair transplants can fix bald spots, visit Handal Plastic Surgery. Our office is in Boca Raton, Florida. Call 561-220-6360 to book an appointment today.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21519-hair-transplant
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/hair-transplants
