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How
Hair restoration Works
Hair restorations involve surgically removing small pieces of scalp with hair from a donor site (this is the back and the side of the head) and implanting it in a balding area. It is just a simple relocation procedure. The strip is then cut into very small grafts, containing just a few follicles each, which are then implanted into small cuts made in the bald areas. If all goes well, the transplanted follicles establish a new blood supply and the hair grows. It may take several sessions however, to graft enough hair to adequately cover the thinning areas.
In the
past, many bald patients were not suitable candidates for hair transplants
because they didn't have enough "donor" hair on the fringe of
their scalp. Modern science however, has changed all that. Through the
use of single hair-, micro-, and mini- grafting techniques along with
new and improved instruments, hair transplant surgeons can create a natural
looking head of hair.
These hair grafts come in different sizes ranging from one to two hairs per graft to as many as fifty hairs on a single graft. Here is a rundown on some of the names and sizes of grafts that would be used for hair restoration:
- Micro grafts - the smallest of grafts containing one or two hairs
- Mini grafts - the next size up containing two to four hairs
- Slit grafts - these contain four to ten hairs
- Punch grafts - circular grafts containing ten to fifteen hairs
- Strip grafts - long, thin strips containing thirty to forty hairs
Single hair-grafts have the finest and softest appearance. Although they don't provide much density, they are critical for a soft hairline. If you examine the hairline of a non-balding person for instance, you'll notice the presence of numerous single hairs in the front of their hairline. Micrografts are small grafts containing 2-3 hairs that are placed behind the hairline to provide a gradually increasing hair density. Lastly, minigrafts contain 4 or more hairs are placed well behind the hairline so that the single hair and micrografts can blend naturally into the density provided by these larger grafts.
It can take up to three sessions for a hair transplant to be fully complete but one session is normally enough. Extra sessions are required if extreme balding is involved. The hair restoration operation is not very painful as only a local anesthetic is used. The whole surgery usually takes about three to four hours. Immediately following the operation, the patient is free to leave. Painkillers are prescribed, although many patients do not feel any need for it. Patients are usually back to work the next day.