As men and women age, hair that was once thick and youthful begins to thin and recede.  The most common cause for this is androgenic alopecia or hair loss related to the hormone DHT, a testosterone derivative.  The latest modern technique of hair transplantation known as follicular unit micrografting can help replace bald or thinning areas with donor hair that will resist future loss.  Depending on the degree of hair loss, you may require one or multiple procedures to attain your desired goal.

Hair Transplantation Procedure

A thin strip of donor hair is trimmed and removed from an androgen insensitive area at the back of the head following which the incision is closed meticulously yielding a very favorable scar that hides in the hair.  The strip is sectioned into smaller units under the microscope down to individual follicular units.  These units may contain as little as one hair or as many as three and occasionally 4 hairs unlike older techniques that created an unsightly “dolls head” look.  Simultaneously, the area to be grafted is mapped out and recipient sites are created.  The hairs are then meticulously handled and kept cool until they are implanted in the scalp.  The entire procedure is done awake under local anesthesia with the aide of some preoperative medication to help you relax.

Recovery From Transplantation

Recovery is relatively benign although occasionally patients will have mild forehead and scalp swelling that will resolve quickly.  You may gently wash your hair 24 hours after your hair transplantation and resume light activity in the first week.  There is a normal shedding of the grafts about 2-3 weeks postoperatively with subsequent regrowth about 3 months later.