One of the main complaints in the dermatological office nowadays is excessive hair loss, hair thinning, and balding. Although there are many alternative treatments to these concerns, a hair transplant is still the definitive option for more severe cases.
In general, hair transplants are done by taking hair from thicker parts of the scalp or other parts of the body and grafting it to the thinning or balding section of the scalp. These procedures are very successful, and 10 to 80 percent of the transplanted hair is expected to grow fully back in three to four months.
This procedure is mainly used to restore hair in patients that are balding or thinning naturally or have lost hair due to an injury. The downside is that, like regular hair, the transplanted hair will thin over time and may not work for everyone. This means that it may not be an alternative for people with hair loss due to chemotherapy, other medications, or thick scalp scars from injuries.
When consulting with a trusted professional, it is important to know that there are two main types of hair transplant:
- Follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) is done by removing a strip of skin from the donor area and closing the incision with stitches. After that, with the aid of a microscope, the donor skin will be separated into small follicular units containing one or several hair follicles and inserted into the desired area.
- The second type is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). In this case, the surgeon will use a small punch tool to remove follicles from the donor area. This procedure may lead to some scarring, but it may be less noticeable, and the patient will not usually require stitches.
In conclusion, hair transplant surgery may be a good option for people with hair thinning and loss. The procedure is relatively safe, and although it may not be a permanent solution to thinning hair, it can help restore many people’s hair fullness and self-confidence.
Read Also: Everything You Need to Know About Hair Transplant
About the Author: MSci Maísa Melo is a Pharmacist and a current PhD student in cosmetic technology, from São Paulo, Brazil. She has earned her master’s degree from the University of São Paulo and has been involved with the development, stability, safety and efficacy of cosmetics since 2013. She has specialized in the clinical efficacy of cosmetics by biophysical and skin imaging techniques as well as the use of alternative models to animal testing. Her research work has been published in several scientific journals and book chapters from the field.
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