Do Hair Transplants Work? Types, Side Effects, And Recovery

Hair transplants refer to the treatment done to add the hair to the area of your head that is balding or thinning. Doctors take the hair from the scalp with thicker areas or take hair from other body parts.

They graft these hairs to the scalp areas that are bald or thin. Approximately 50 percent of women and 60 percent of men suffer from hair loss. They use several over-the-counter products to manage hair loss. They also take topical treatments such as minoxidil (Rogaine).

You can say that a hair transplant is the method of restoration of hair. The first transplant of hair was performed in Japan in 1939. At that time, doctors used single scalp hairs. But now, physicians invented the “plug” technique. In this technique, they transplant tufts of hairs that are large.

The surgeon started with using the micro and mini grafts to lessen the appearance of hair transplanted on the areas of the scalp. Many people consider the hair transplant to avoid the balding or thinning of hairs.

Do Hair Transplant Treatment Work?

Hair transplants got more success than hair restoration products. Take the hair transplant treatment from the trusted sources. Plasma therapy works in the best way. It helps to completely grow back 75% of the hairs. Most of the transplants are done using the existing hairs.

Types Of Hair Transplants

Surgeons perform two types of hair transplants. One is FUT, and the other is FUE.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

Another name of FUT is follicular unit strip surgery. The surgeon removes a scalp piece using a scalpel. They remove the scalp from the areas of your back head usually. They close the scalp areas with stitches where they removed the scalp area.

Surgeons separate the strips of the scalp into small prices. They split the pieces into little fragments known as grafts. The surgeon makes little hotels in the area of your scalp where they are going to transplant the hair. After this, they insert the hair into the scalp area.

This step is known as grafting. Now, they cover all the surgical sites with gauze or bandages. Grafts number depends on the transplant site size, hair color, hair type, and hair quality.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

The surgeon takes the follicles out of the area of your scalp skin. You will see small marks where surgeons removed the follicles. They shave off some hair in the area of the back of your head. The surgeon makes small holes in the areas of hair transplantation.

Then, they graft the follicles of hair into those areas. After this procedure, they cover all the surgical sites using gauze or bandages.

Side Effects

Hair transplants lead to pus or crust in the surgical site or several infections. The treatment can also cause swelling, itching, and scalp pain in the surgical areas. The areas may bleed also. In some cases, people may lose the feeling of sensation in the areas of surgical sites.

Recovery

FUE and FUT take many hours or days to recover completely. It is associated with the surgery or work amount that you got from the surgeon in the areas of your head. You can go home easily on the same day, just after the hair transplant.

The surgeon removes the bandages carefully after the surgery. The areas may become swollen. Many surgeons inject triamcinolone into the areas of surgery to make them protected from swelling. You will feel soreness or pain at the sites of the transplant.

The surgeon prescribes you medicines for pain relief such as ibuprofen, anti-inflammatories, or antibiotics to make your head areas protected from infections. The anti-inflammation like oral steroids also relieves swelling in the transplant areas.

Some medicines help to stimulate the growth of hair, such as minoxidil or finasteride. You can also follow some tips for quick recovery after the hair transplant. Avoid pressing the comb or brush on the surgical and other head areas for three days.

Wear the jacket until you get positive feedback from the doctor regarding your recovery. You can return to normal activities after three days. Take care of surgical areas and use medicines properly for a quick recovery.