How Getting a Hair Transplant Actually Works

For a lot of people, most commonly men but occasionally women as well, thinning or balding hair is something they face during their lifetime. Whether it’s from disease, genetics, or some other cause, the result is the same for many of these people: unhappiness with how they look. That unhappiness can translate into lower self-esteem and self-confidence.

People result to all sorts of remedies, from wearing hats to trying topical solutions to wearing wigs and toupees. Results vary, but none of them is really a permanent solution.

A hair transplant is.

What’s a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is a type of surgical procedure during which a doctor removes hair from where you already have it and moves it someplace where hair is thin or missing. The result is stimulation of new hair growth in those places.

How does it work?

The procedure typically takes 4 to 8 hours and occurs right in your doctor’s office. If you keep losing hair or you want thicker hair, you can choose to go back for another transplant.

To start, the surgeon cleans your scalp and injects a numbing medicine into the back of the scalp. Then the surgeon with the specific procedure you’ve chosen. Two options exist.

What are the procedure types?

The first is follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS). Here, the doctor removes a strip of skin from the back of the head, closes the scalp, and lets hair cover the incision site. Following that, the doctor will divide the removed strip into tiny grafts, as many as 2,000. Each has just one or a few individual hairs.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is the other method. For this procedure, the surgeon shaves part of the back of the scalp and removes hair follicles from it one at a time.

After the removal step, both procedures are basically the same. First, the doctor cleans and numbs the area(s) where the grafts will go. Then, with a needle or scalpel, the surgeon makes “holes'' or slits. Individual grafts go into them.

How long does a hair transplant last?

After your hair transplant, what can you expect?

After 2 or 3 weeks on average, the transplanted hair will fall out. That’s typical. New growth should begin there.

It usually takes 6 months or more before significant new growth exists. Full results should be there within a year.

Best of all, the new growth should be permanent. Again, you only might want a follow-up if hair loss continues or you want thicker hair.

Most insurance plans don’t cover hair transplants, but many hair transplant surgeons offer affordable payment plans if you can’t cover the cost all at once. Considering that you get a lifetime of new hair growth and will feel better about how you look, it’s a worthwhile investment for sure!

Think a hair transplant might be for you? Consult with us at ZMD Hair to see whether you’re a good candidate and which procedure will be better for you. We’ll also be able to answer questions about recovery time, risks, side effects, and so on.

Schedule a consultation today!