Frequently Asked Questions about
Hair Transplant Surgery:
What is the largest number of hair grafts I can have transplanted at one time?
The largest number of grafts the Hair Transplant Center can implant at one time may vary between 2,500 and 3,000. Larger mega sessions then this are rare since your doctor medical staff needs to allow adequate room in between each new hair graft for blood supply. In a subsequent hair transplant procedure, our doctor and staff can then implant new grafts in between the hair grafts from the first session to provide greater density and fullness.
How long with the procedure last?
Most procedures last from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the number of hair grafts implanted.
Why does the new hair have to fall out?
It is perfectly normal for the newly implanted hairs to fall out during the healing process. Understand that by being transplanted, they have gone into a sort of shock or trauma which moves them (ahead of schedule) into the resting phase of the 3 stage Hair Growth cycle. All of this is completely normal and you should not worry as the dermal papilla of the hair root is firmly implanted in your scalp and will regrow again. In some rare cases, the newly implanted hairs will scab as they heal - but not fall out within the next few weeks following your surgery. Sometimes, the hair stays in place, but this happens only rarely.
How long does it take for the new hair to grow?
To a new hair transplant patient, waiting for his hair to grow in can seem like an eternity. For those of us who have been there, we are anxious to see our new "look." In 3 to 6 months on average, patients will notice their new grafts growing in, slowly at first and not all at the same time. Hair grows at the rate of 1 cm to 1/2 inch per month and despite the claims of some products, there is no vitamin or herbal treatment that can cause your hair to grow faster. Just be patient and keep in mind that for some hair transplant patients, waiting 8 to 12 months is necessary.
How long do I have to wait until I have another procedure?
Because it can take 6 to 12 months for your new hair grafts to grow in, you need to wait that long before you can have another procedure. The faster your new grafts come in, the sooner you can have a second procedure. Your hair transplant doctor and staff need to be able to see the new grafts coming in so they can more effectively map out where to implant the hair grafts from your second session.
Can I use Propecia (finasteride) or Rogaine (minoxidil) after my surgery?
Both finasteride and minoxidil are treatments for hair loss that have been reported to be successful in growing new hair. Minoxidil has a 1 in 3 success rate for crown hair growth in men and finasteride reports a 2 in 3 success rate for new hair growth on the crown region. Even though finasteride may not work for all men, it is generally accepted as a treatment to stop further hair loss. If your goal is just to keep the hair you have without losing more, and getting new hair growth with hair grafts, finasteride is an excellent co-treatment option along with hair transplants. Any new hair growth that finasteride can provide should be considered a bonus.
Does the Hair Transplant Center use Lasers?
Laser technology assisted hair transplants were popular in the 1990s and used as a sales tool to promote the various clinics using them. However, practical experience and reporting by hair transplant doctors, as well as several studies including a major study done in Germany, show that lasers create more problems then they solve. For example, the heat of the laser can actually cauterize the aperture area where the new grafts are to be implanted. This is the last thing you want since new hair grafts desperately need a good blood supply to survive. Cauterizing the area seals off the blood flow and starves the graft.
Will I have a scar and what will it look like?
The Hair Transplant Center employs a strip harvest method for grafts. This strip is taken from the back or sides of your head. The donor area is then sutured back together. Our hair transplant doctor, Scott Frayser, is highly experienced at removing donor strips and makes every attempt possible to minimize the scar that will remain. If you shave the back of your head, the scar could be noticable. If you wear your hair 1 cm or more in length in the back, then you should have no problem covering it up.
Does the Hair Transplant Center offer Follicular Unit Extraction?
No, for the reason that this technique is actually the modification and refinement of a technique that was in use briefly during the mid 1990s. In this method, each follicle of hair is removed from the donor area individually by using a small punch-like circular scalpel. Many new clinics employing this method like to make a big deal out of by claiming it does not leave a scar like the traditional donor strip harvest method does. However, many FUE patients the Hair Transplant Center has seen are left with a golf ball type appearance, with small red indentions where the follicular units were harvested from.
According to one scientific study: "There has been debate regarding the scarring left at the donor site by harvest of FUs. Single-strip harvest leaves a single, fine incision that usually heals in a few days. Follicular unit extraction (FUE) leaves small holes 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter at the site of FU extraction. These holes are not stitched but are rather left to heal on their own. Proponents of the FUE procedure claim decreased or complete lack of scarring but others have cautioned that in some patients these extraction sites may leave dimpled white spots similar to a golf ball." - Rassman, Bernstein, et al, Dermatologic Surgery, August 2002
Extracting each follicular unit one at a time is also time consuming and more costly to the patient. Because of the time and costs involved, many patients only have 200 to 300 to 400 FUE grafts done at one time.
If you wear your hair 1 cm or more in the back, then this should be enough to cover your thin scar from the donor strip.
If you have more questions about hair loss, hair transplants or the Hair Transplant Center Inc., please feel free to contact us.
