Thinking about hair transplant surgery? Transplants are becoming more popular as they are currently the only real way to restore your natural growing hair.
In this type of surgery hair follicles that are not genetically susceptible to balding (usually on the back and sides of the head) are taken and surgically replanted into a balding area (like the top of your head or front hairline). The transplanted hair is not genetically programmed to be lost. So most of this transplanted hair will continue to grow for a lifetime, giving you a fuller head of hair and a more youthful look.
This has some definite advantages over other hair loss treatments. For example, it's a one time cost - you don't have to mess with gels, special shampoos or lotions for the rest of your life. You also don't have to take prescription drugs for hair loss - which can have serious side effects.
But what options do you have if you're considering surgery? This article will outline the various types of hair transplant surgery and the benefits of each. Of course, the final decision is up to you - and a good surgeon can advise you about which type of surgery is best for your particular case.
#1 FUT - Follicular Unit Transplant
This is the most popular type of transplant. It's also called FUSS (follicular unit strip surgery) or the strip method and has also been around for a long time.
With this method, a narrow strip of hair is taken from the back of your scalp (where you aren't prone to thinning). The grafts from the strip are then separated and implanted into the balding areas. The donor area is closed up with sutures or staples. These will be removed in several days or absorbed.
Depending on several factors, you may have a small scar in the donor area (which will be covered by your growing hair). Approximate downtime can run from 1 week to a month, depending on the situation, how well you heal, etc.
The benefits of this type of surgery is that you can usually get a lot of grafts transplanted in one session - so results can be dramatic. Also, the cost per graft is more affordable than the FUE method below.
#2 FUE - Follicular Unit Extraction
This is a newer technique that some doctors (not all) are starting to offer. It involves harvesting each hair follicle separately from the back and sides of the head. Then each hair follicle is transplanted into the balding area. There is no scalpel strip cutting or any deep surgery with this method.
The benefits are that you get less scarring with this method plus the recovery time can be shorter. This is a good method for some guys who want to get "touch-ups" as they lose their hair over time.
The downside is that this tends to be pricier because it's more labor intense and you also can't do as many hair grafts per session.
#3 Scar Revision and/or Transplant Revision
This is for guys that have had poor results with a previous transplant and want to fix it. Since newer methods are used today (smaller, finer hairs are harvested and transplanted), surgeons can touch up and fix a poor transplant or hairline that wasn't done well years ago.
Also, some guys may have a large scar from a FUT surgery. But now they want to wear their hair very short - so they want to hide the scar as much as possible. This method usually involves transplanting hairs into the scar line to camouflage the scar line (hair does not grow in the scar line - which is the reason why it is visible).
The benefit of this is that if you are embarrassed about a bad hair transplant surgery, you can get it fixed with the right surgeon. The downside is that this can be more expensive than either of the 2 methods above.
So those are your options when considering hair transplant surgery. Again, your doctor can advise you on which method is best for your unique situation. Regardless of what you choose to do, I'd recommend you take a lot of time to research and educate yourself on all your options before making the final decision.
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