Shown below is a list of frequently asked questions.
Click on the desired question to find its answer.
What is hair transplantation or hair restoration surgery?
Can you use someone else's hair for my transplant?
Does your clinic still use "plug" transplants?
Why doesn't the hair that is transplanted fall out?
Won't the bald area kill the new grafts?
Is a hair transplant painful?
Is a patient awake during transplantation surgery?
Will I have general anaesthesia?
How long is the procedure?
Will I miss work or need time off after surgery?
When can I resume my normal exercise program after surgery?
Will I be able to wear my hairpiece after surgery?
Are the hairs long immediately after the transplant?
How long will it take before my hair starts to grow permanently?
Can I perm, color or dye my new hair?
Does insurance cover a hair transplant surgery?
When is the best time to have my transplant?
At what age should a person consider hair restoration?
Q. What is hair transplantation or hair restoration surgery?
A. Hair transplantation is also referred to as hair restoration surgery. It is considered to be a minor, outpatient surgical procedure. It involves transplanting grafts of hair follicles that are considered permanent (this is the hair located toward the base of the back of the scalp) into the areas affected by hair thinning or loss.
Q. Can you use someone else's hair for my transplant?
A. No, because as "foreign tissue" it would be rejected by your body. Some physicians are investigating such potentials in patients who are already taking anti-rejection medications for life-sustaining organ transplants.
Q. Does your clinic still use "plug" transplants?
A. No. The plug technique was the state-of-the-art for hair transplant surgery from the 1950's through the 1980's. Plugs consisted of larger tufts with as many as thirty hairs. Today, advanced surgical techniques allow us to use micrografts, consisting of only 1-4 hairs. Follicular Unit grafts used today are far superior to the old plug method.
Q. Why doesn't the hair that is transplanted fall out?
A. While they may look identical, the hairs used in transplantation are genetically different from the hairs that fall out in male pattern baldness. This is why sufferers of androgenic alopecia (Male Pattern Baldness) usually lose hair at the front and top of the head, but retain the hair that grows on the sides and back of the head.
Q. Won't the bald area kill the new grafts?
A. The previously bald area does not "poison" the transplanted grafts; this is a common misconception. The fact that the transplanted hair follicles have been moved from one area of the scalp to another has no effect on their genetic predisposition to grow hair.
Q. Is a hair transplant painful?
A. New advances in the field of hair restoration surgery provide a near pain-free experience for today’s patients. During the procedure, patients require only a mild anesthetic to minimize discomfort. Following surgery, many patients need nothing more than Tylenol (acetaminophen) for a few days. In fact many patients take no medication afterwards.
Q. Is a patient awake during transplantation surgery?
A. Patients are given a mild sedation. The patient drifts in and out of sleep during the procedure and the scalp is numb for the duration of the surgery due to local anesthetic. Many patients converse with the staff or watch movies during the surgery.
Q. Will I have general anesthesia?
A. No, general anesthesia is unnecessary for this procedure.
Q. How long is the procedure?
A. Surgery using the new transplantation techniques described on this site usually lasts for approximately four to eight hours. The length of the session depends upon how many grafts are being transplanted as well as the method.
Q. Will I miss work or need time off after surgery?
A. Patients will not be able to drive or operate machinery for 24 hours after surgery due to the sedation. However they can return to other normal activities, including most jobs, immediately after surgery; however, we recommend having 3 days relaxation after the procedure.
Q. When can I resume my normal exercise program after surgery?
A. Patients should avoid strenuous exercise for 3-4 days after surgery. It is also necessary to delay weight training for a week.
Q. Will I be able to wear my hairpiece after surgery?
A. Yes, after the first two weeks. From then on, we advise patients to do without it as much as possible for the purposes of quicker healing and hair growth. It is also easier to complete the transition out of a hairpiece when a patient can learn to become less dependent on it.
Q. Are the hairs long immediately after the transplant?
A. No. Typically, the transplanted hairs are only a few millimetres in length immediately following surgery. During the first few weeks, nearly all of the newly transplanted hairs will fall out. This is normal. It takes approximately three months following this initial shedding for new hair growth to begin.
Q. How long will it take before my hair starts to grow permanently?
A. You can expect to see normal, permanent hair growth 3-4 months following transplantation. The normal rate of hair growth ranges from 0.6 – 1.25cm (1/4 to 1/2 inch) per month. The full result will require 6-12 months to be appreciated.
Q. Can I perm, color or dye my new hair?
A. Yes, you can. The transplanted hair is your own hair, and can be cut, colored and styled as normal after they grow back from the telegen (resting) phase in 4-6 months.
Q. Does insurance cover a hair transplant surgery?
A. Not in most cases, but it is possible depending on the circumstances.
Q. When is the best time to have my transplant?
A. While most men and women who have begun to notice hair loss can benefit from hair restoration, not all patients are candidates for surgical hair transplantation. For some men it is possible to stop or even reverse the progression of hair loss with medical therapies such as Rogaine®, Propecia® or HairMax LaserComb®. Rogaine® and HairMax LaserComb® are also effective non-surgical treatments for women.
Q. At what age should a person consider hair restoration?
A. Medical and surgical hair restoration can be safely and effectively performed on healthy patients of all ages. Typically, the youngest patients are in their twenties while the majority of patients range in age from mid-thirties to mid-sixties.
Since male pattern hair loss, the most common form of hair loss, is irreversible without medical intervention, patients can retain more of their hair if they act early.
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