About Hair Transplant Procedures
A Hair Transplant is a medical procedure that is used to permanently restore hair where it is no longer growing due to Male Pattern Hair Loss or Female Pattern Hair Loss.
Nowadays there are 2 hair transplant methods offered by hair transplant clinics, FUE Hair Transplants and FUT/FUSS Hair Transplants. This page discusses hair transplants in a broad sense, click on an option below to learn specifically about FUE or FUT/FUSS Hair Transplants.
Hair Transplant Frequently Asked Questions
How does a hair transplant work?
A Hair Transplant is a medical procedure that is used to treat androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern hair loss and male pattern balding. This is a genetic condition, meaning after inheriting the “balding gene” from your parents, this gene unlocks a pre-disposition to the hair in the front, midscalp, vertex (crown) regions of the head to the effect of a hormone called DHT. The presence of BOTH the gene & the DHT hormone, resulting in the hair in this region start to thin and miniaturise, eventually resulting in the hair follicle passing, and without a follicle a hair can not be grown. Therefore, think of your hair like a plant seed, you can not grow more plants unless you have more plant seeds, the same with hair, to grow more hair, you need more hair follicles. This is what a hair transplant is about, moving genetically resistant hair follicles from the sides and back of the scalp to the area’s you are seeking to grow more hair.
Is a hair transplant permanent?
YES – the transplanted hair follicle is resistant to the hormone DHT. The hair follicle’s on the back and sides are referred to as being permanent, to be very clear, the hair follicles from the sides and the back are seen to be genetically resistant to the impacts of DHT. This means, when you transplant a follicle that is genetically resistant to DHT, and move it, the follicle carries with it, the genetic characteristics it has always had. Meaning, once transplanted in the DHT prone region, the hair remains genetically resistant to the effects of DHT and from that view, the hair can be seen as permanent. No medication is required to prevent hair loss associated with Male Pattern Hair Loss for the transplanted grafts. Where the hair loss is due to another form of alopecia, for example alopecia areata read more here, then the hair follicle is not resistant to this form of hair loss. However, the occurrence of hair loss caused by alopecia areata is extremely uncommon and where treated promptly the hair loss is not permanent.
Do I need to take medication with a Hair Transplant?
NO! The transplanted hair is permanent to the impacts of DHT, because the hair follicle transplanted is genetically resistant to the impacts of hair loss caused by the hormone DHT. Therefore, hair grown following a hair transplant does not require medication at all. However, to ensure the best hair transplant result, medication to slow down and prevent further hair loss of the non-transplanted hair is highly recommended. In our youth, a person commonly will have approximately 100,000 hairs on their head, 70,000 sit in the male pattern hair loss region, and approx 30,000 hairs on the sides and back are permanent (to the impacts of DHT). When doing a hair transplant, approximately 12,000 – 15,000 of the 30,000 permanent hairs on the sides and back back be used across a persons life. If we have to rely on 12,000-15,000 hairs to cover an area that used to have 70,000 hairs, that means spreading 15,000 hairs across an area that had 70,000 hairs, this approach will not achieve the best hair transplant result long term. Preventative steps to save or slow the rate of hair loss/hair thinning of the 70,000 will ensure they are available to compliment the transplanted hair to provide the best hair transplant result.
Preventative Hair Loss Options Include:
Platelet Rich Plasma – PRP for hair loss is a simple 30min procedure completed 2-3 times per year and PRP has been shown to help the transplanted and the non-transplanted hair! Read More.
Finasteride – daily prescription medication that requires consistent consumption for it to be effective. Read more
Minoxidil – daily foam or ointment that is applied topically, it requires daily consumption for it to be effective. Read more
What hair transplant techniques are available?
There are 2 available hair transplant techniques, they are known as:
– Follicular Unit Transfer / Follicular Unit Grafting / Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (all names for the same technique and can be abbreviated as FUT, FUG, FUSS). FUT, FUG & FUSS describe the hair transplant technique of extracting the hair follicles by removing a strip of skin from the region, then dissecting the hair follicles under the microscope.
– Follicular Unit Extraction (can be abbreviated as FUE): FUE hair transplantation describes the hair transplant method of extracting the hair follicles one-by-one.
Both hair transplant techniques offer their pros and cons. To review them online click on their names above, or request a hair transplant consultation for a personalised recommendation.
Can anyone have a hair transplant?
This is a challenging question to answer, there are 2 approaches that can be taken to review this answer:
1. Can anyone have a hair transplant – THE MEDICAL ANSWER: Yes, surgically where the hair loss is the result of genetics, broadly speaking the hair on the sides and back are seen to be permanent and resistant to the impacts of genetic hair loss. Therefore surgically transplanting these hair follicles from the sides and back of the head and onto the areas that have experienced hair loss is achievable.
2. Can anyone have a hair transplant – OUR ANSWER: No. The purpose of a hair transplant is to help a patient achieve the gains in confidence which they feel will be achieved by restoring the hair that they have lost. Although surgically and medically a hair transplant could be done, additional points of view need to be considered including:
Demand – how much area requires treatment?
Demand – what density is required for the hair transplant to look proportional with your other hair, a 20% variance in density can cause a disproportionate result and result in the patient feeling disappointed. This element is a major focus and priority by both Scott Moore & Dr Barry White.
Demand – what is the projection on how much and how fast will the patient continue to lose hair, eg will the non-transplanted hair continue to fall out? If so, what is the current rate of thinning vs hair loss, is it stable enough to ensure the best hair transplant result to achieve long term satisfaction for the patient.
Supply – what is the elasticity of the skin in the donor region? Is it ideal to cope with a hair transplant procedure?
Supply – what is the density of the hair in the donor region? Are there any signs of minaturisation?
Supply – what are the characteristics of the hair in the donor region, when compared to the top of the head?
Supply – how many hair follicles are required per cm2 to achieve a proportionate density to ensure a hair transplant result that is natural
Patients Expectations – what is the patient expecting? This is the most important element to consider when considering a hair transplant. Does the clinic you are reviewing to perform your hair transplant deeply understand exactly your expectations? A good clinic will evaluate all these questions carefully when reviewing a patients candidacy for a hair transplant. They should ensure a deep and thorough understanding of what the patient is expecting from a hair transplant.
In summary, ONLY where there sufficient supply (donor hair) to meet demand (area to receive a hair transplant) to fulfill the expectations of the patient, a good clinic will offer its services to the client. To determine if you are a suitable hair transplant candidate, request a free consultation with us.
Does the hair grow back on the sides and back after a hair transplant?
A Hair Transplant requires the hair follicle to be surgically extracted and transplanted into another region of the scalp.
Think of a hair transplant this way:
– To grow a plant you need a seed.
– This seed needs the right supply of nutrients to grow a healthy and lush plant.
– It is not possible to grow another plant without starting with planting another seed The same can be said for your hair.
– To grow a hair you need a hair follicle.
– This seed needs the right supply of nutrients to grow a thick and healthy hair strand.
– Therefore, when you transplant the hair follicle from the sides and back of the head to the top, the hair “seed” has been moved, meaning the hair will no longer grow on the sides and back as it has been moved to the area receiving the hair transplant.
What is the best hair transplant technique FUE or FUT/FUG?
Each technique has its pro’s and con’s. To accurately answer this question, it must be first understood exactly what result a patient is seeking to achieve from a hair transplant.
To review which hair transplant technique is suitable for you:
– FUG / FUT Hair Transplants – Read More
– FUE Hair Transplants – Read More
– Request a free hair transplant consultation – Click Here
Does PRP help achieve a stronger hair transplant result?
YES! Platelet Rich Plasma as a hair loss treatment does prevent further hair loss, rejuvenates thinning hair, prepares the scalp for a hair transplant, promotes recovery for the hair follicle that has been transplanted and reduces the time taken for the hair to regrow thick and full following a hair transplant. The results have amazed many patients so far.
Does PRP accelerate hair transplant recovery times?
YES! When combining hair transplants with PRP therapy, patients show an accelerated recovery when compared with those patients who received similar graft volumes and chose not to include PRP therapy.
Can you transplant hair into scars?
There are 2 answers to this question.
Medically: Can you transplant hair into scars? YES!
Aesthetically, how effective is it to transplant hair into scar tissue? Medically you can do a hair transplant into a scar to seek to reduce the visibility of the scar, however the acceptance and growth rate is considerably less than transplanting hair into virgin or scar free tissue (skin). Think of scar tissue like a dry desert, it offers no nutrients from the soil meaning very few plants are able to grow, scar tissue is the same for your hair follicle, the supply of blood to the region is determined by the degree and volume of scar tissue. The reduced blood supply means the follicle is unable to attain the nutrients it needs to grow a thick and healthy hair. A consultation with us will help determine what technique is best to achieve the reduced visibility that you are trying to achieve for your scar.
What is the recommended age for a hair transplant?
To determine the suitability of a patient for a hair transplant, the hair transplant clinic completes a detailed review with the patient before they can determine if a hair transplant is a viable solution for them. Only 1 of these factors involves the age of the patient. Broadly speaking, the younger the male, the more caution is required. A 20-29yr old male with male pattern hair loss, is likely to continue losing hair until they are 65-70 years of age. Therefore, to ensure the best possible result for the patient in the long term, a hair restoration & treatment plan combining one or more of the below will be determined based on the expectations of the patient: – Grow More Hair – FUG Hair Transplants or FUE Hair Transplants – Regrow Thinning Hair Thicker – Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP for Hair) – Prevent Further Loss – Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP for Hair) or Micro Scalp Pigmentation along with Finasteride or Minoxidil. We offer free online hair consultations to help clients review their hair loss treatment options.