How to Improve Your Hairline
Many men and women are disheartened by balding or other types of hair loss. Patches of missing hair and baldness can have a dramatic impact on the way you look and feel in your own skin. This is especially a problem in men, who can feel as though their appearance is much older than their actual age, leading to a stark decrease in confidence.
Since they are often inherited traits, balding or hair thinning out can feel like an unsolvable problem. But coming to terms with your fading locks is no longer the only option. Hair transplants can help restore lost hair and promote new follicle growth.
What Are Hair Transplants?
Hair transplant surgery is a cosmetic procedure used to restore hair to areas that show signs of balding or thinning. True to its name, hair transplants involve moving hair follicles from one area of the body to another.
Typically, these hair follicles are found somewhere else on the head of the patient. Surgeons remove the follicles and then carefully graft them onto balding or thinning locations.
Am I a Candidate for Hair Transplants?
Hair transplants are ideal for anyone who has experienced hair loss, uneven hair growth, bald spots, patching or receding hairlines. Patients who have areas of thick and healthy hair are good candidates for hair transplants since the grafts used for the procedure will need to be lifted directly from those areas.
How Are Hair Transplants Done?
The first step in the hair transplant process is having a consultation with your surgeon to explain your goals and to give him or her an idea of what areas need treatment.
Mr Gwanmesia offers two methods for hair transplant surgery: follicular unit extraction and follicular unit transplantation, also known as strip harvesting. Both methods work well to fill in areas with missing or thinning hair.
Strip harvesting (follicular unit transplantation): This method involves removing a strip of hair from a donor site somewhere else on the head for transplants. Mr Gwanesia will identify which area will best serve as the donor site. Typically, this is the back of the head, where healthy and thick growth is most common.
The hair in the donor area is then trimmed and the skin is numbed with anesthesia. Incisions are used to dissect the strip from the underlying tissue. The strip is then separated into smaller units, which are then grafted onto the thinning or bald areas in a pattern that mimics natural hair growth.
Follicular unit extraction: In this method, Mr Gwanmesia will harvest small groupings of hair follicles from several donor areas around the head, instead of a strip. These extracted hair follicles are then transplanted into the areas in need.
Follicular unit extraction tends to be a less invasive manner of hair transplant that leads to decreased bleeding and discomfort. There is also less scarring when compared to strip harvesting. However, it may not be a suitable method for patients with extensive hair loss, since more donor areas are needed for this method when compared to strip harvesting.
Mr Gwanmesia also offers eyebrow transplants, which utilizes follicular unit extraction techniques to repair thin or patchy eyebrows. Eyebrow transplants will usually stimulate new hair growth, repairing light patches as the new follicles grow hair.
What Can I Expect After Hair Transplants?
Hair transplant surgery can take several hours depending on the extent of hair loss and the areas being treated. There will be swelling and pain in the scalp immediately after surgery. Mr Gwanmesia will usually apply dressings, which should remain in place for several days.
The scalp will likely feel tender and sensitive for several days after the procedure. Pain medication may be needed to help treat discomfort. You should be able to wash your hair within a few days, and any stitches or dressings will typically be removed within the first week.
There may be some scarring, especially with strip harvesting, but surgeons try to hide the strip in the rest of the hair. The grafts will fall out two to three weeks after the procedure, and new hair growth will then begin. Hair transplants are typically permanent, providing results that will last for years.
Interested in learning more? Contact our offices at 02074741300 or schedule a consultation online to see what options are best for you.
