September 08, 2020 | Blog, Medical Spa Info & Tips
10 minute read
The unfortunate thing about hair loss is the fact that most people don’t realize they have a problem until almost 50% of their hair has already thinned or disappeared. If it seems like your only option to restore your hair is to surgical intervention, then you might have a few questions, such as whether hair can be transplanted between existing hair or not. At Capitis Medical & Aesthetics in Roseville, CA we are happy to answer all of your hair transplant questions when you call to schedule your consultation.
Can Hair Be Transplanted Between Existing Hair?
Yes. The most successful cases of hair restoration involve a natural-looking appearance where you are unable to tell the difference between existing hair and transplanted hair. There are some methods of hair restoration that place transplanted hair between healthy follicles to fill in thinning gaps.
How Does a Hair Transplant Work?
Hair transplants all share one idea in common – harvest healthy hair and follicles and replace them on an area of the scalp that is experiencing permanent loss.
Hair restoration is a life-changing treatment that can restore both your hair and your feelings of self-confidence. The majority of surgical transplants involve using donor hairs from your own scalp, meaning the hair will grow and behave naturally once you are fully healed.
Hair Restoration Methods
Although surgical hair restoration is often the most popular and common method, there are other treatments that you might want to consider. Even surgical restoration has different methods that might work for your particular needs better. Methods of hair restoration include:
Medicines
Topical medicines for restoring or preventing hair loss include Propecia and Rogaine, which are both applied directly to the scalp to reduce hair loss and encourage growth from healthy follicles.
These medications also come in oral forms that might be preferable alternatives. You also have the option of herbal supplements like Nutrafol to prevent hair loss caused by stress.
Injections
Injectable treatments for hair restoration are relatively new and many are still undergoing trials. However, some injectable treatments that are proving to help existing hair grow and survive better include PRP, PRF, stem cells, and exosome therapy.
These treatments are ideal for patients who have hair follicles that can be “woken up” by concentrated doses of the body’s natural regenerative properties. In particular, Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes is a treatment that appears to have a single-step solution to hair restoration.
Low-Level Light Therapy
Low-level light therapy is an option that uses low-intensity light wavelengths to restart the growth of hair. This is ideal for patients who are noticing slow hair growth or who are only beginning to have thinning hair. Low-level light therapy is effective for patients who have mild hair loss.
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
Follicular unit transplant is one of two main forms of hair restoration surgery. With FUT, a strip of hair follicles is removed from the back of the scalp and grafted onto the area of the scalp that requires treatment, which is why this method is also referred to as the “strip” method. FUT is an easier method of treatment than other surgical transplants, but it also has a longer recovery time.
Follicular Unit Excision (FUE)
Follicular unit excision is a slightly newer transplant surgery that involves using micro-punches to remove individual healthy hair and follicles and transplant them onto other areas of the scalp. FUE is more complicated and requires greater skill, but it also produces more natural results and is considered less traumatic than other transplant surgeries.
ARTAS Robotic Hair Restoration
ARTAS is an advanced technology hair restoration transplant that uses an AI to robot-assist the surgeon in performing your treatment. ARTAS is an intelligent solution to hair restoration, as it involves careful 3D mapping and planning to identify optimal hair follicles to use as donors and the ideal places to make a transplant.
With ARTAS, you have a greater chance at success and natural-looking results, usually with a lower probability of having any linear scars from the donor site.
Why Should You Chose Hair Transplant for Restoration?
Although it might be tempting to take the seemingly easier route of using non-surgical treatment methods for your hair restoration, the simple fact is those non-surgical solutions do not work for every patient.
Any hair restoration treatment is an undertaking, but if you want to make sure that your results are natural-looking and successful, then surgical hair transplants are the best possible methods.
Which Is the Better Surgical Option for You?
Determining the surgical option best for you truly depends on the amount of hair that needs to be donated and grafted, as well as the health of your existing hair. Generally speaking, FUE is the better option for producing desired results with less risk of scarring.
At our clinic, Dr. Crose specializes in FUE and even uses FUE in his ARTAS treatments for a more comprehensive approach to treatment. We will help you determine which treatment method is right for you during your consultation.
What Can You Expect Before, During, and After Treatment?
If you are committed to a surgical hair restoration method, then you should know that there are some things you can expect from this more involved treatment. Surgical treatments, in general, involve the use of anesthesia, preparation before the treatment, and a certain amount of recovery. Some steps you can expect from surgical hair transplant treatment include:
Consultation
You will need to attend a consultation appointment, which gives us the opportunity for Dr. Crose to examine the severity of your hair loss and determine if you are a good candidate for surgical treatment.
We will collect certain information from you, including your general medical history, any drug allergies you may have, and any previous hair restoration treatments you have tried, both surgical and non-surgical.
Pre-Treatment Guidelines
Before your treatment, we will provide you with a list of guidelines to follow to prepare you for your surgery. Some pre-treatment guidelines will include:
- Do not take aspirin
- Avoid certain supplements, such as vitamin E
- Do not drink alcohol for 24 hours
- Avoid excess sunlight or sunburns
- Perform any hair coloring at least three days prior to treatment
We ask that patients arrive by 7 am on the day of their appointment to complete consent forms and attend a brief pre-operative examination. Because this is a surgery, you will need to arrange for transportation after your treatment is complete.
Treatment
After your pre-operative examination, the first step of your treatment will be to outline and confirm the planned treatment. We may also request to take photographs of your scalp to better help prepare for your treatment and to use it as a reference during your recovery. If you opt to use the ARTAS method, then we may also complete your 3D hairline planning at this time.
Next, you will be offered a sedative to keep you calm during your treatment. We will provide you with local anesthetics to keep you comfortable for the duration of your treatment. After your nerves have been blocked, the hair restoration treatment will begin, first with harvesting the donor hair and then grafting the hair onto the scalp. Your treatment may last for several hours: sometimes up to 8 to complete the entire treatment.
Post-Treatment Guidelines
After your treatment, we will provide you with a list of guidelines to help you through your immediate recovery period. These guidelines may include:
- Do not take aspirin
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco products
- Do not go into direct sunlight
- No excess sweat or strenuous movement
- Sleep with head elevated
We may give you additional instructions, such as medications you should use to help facilitate healing or encourage new hair growth. Please continue to follow post-treatment guidelines until your follow-up appointment, which is typically four days after your treatment.
Recovery
There is some recovery time expected following your treatment, usually about two to five days. After this time, you are able to return to most normal daily activities, including work and other light activity. The majority of patients are fully recovered from surgery and on their way to growing new, healthy hair within two weeks following treatment.
When Can You See Results?
The results from your treatment will appear gradually over the next six to nine months. Over 60% of patients who have transplant surgery see new hair growth during this period of time, with full results being realized by 12 months. Your newly grafted hair follicles will grow and behave like natural hair, which means you can dye and cut your hair as you desire.
Are Results Permanent?
Yes. Hair follicles that have been transplanted into the scalp are there permanently. You will not have to worry about your hair restoration thinning or leading to premature balding.
Will You Need Multiple Treatments?
You may require multiple treatments. While your transplanted follicles will last a lifetime, your normal hair follicles are still susceptible to falling out on their own as a result of natural hair loss. For this reason, many patients who have hair restoration treatment commonly have the first surgery for initial thinning patches and a second surgery later to restore other lost hair.
What Causes Hair Loss?
To a certain extent, hair loss is a natural part of life, just as turning over dead skin cells is natural. However, at a certain point, hair loss can become permanent due to several factors including age, genetics, stress, medications, disease, malnutrition, and injury. Permanent hair loss is often caused when a hair follicle is no longer able to sustain hair growth.
Does Hair Loss Only Happen to Men?
No, hair loss happens to both men and women. In fact, about 50% of all people experience hair loss at some point in their lives. While hair loss such as premature balding is more common in men, there are many women who experience alopecia.
Hair loss can happen to active, healthy people just as often as it happens to people with higher risk factors, such as those who have high levels of stress.
What’s the Difference Between Shedding and Hair Loss?
Some amount of hair loss is perfectly normal, such as regular shedding. On average, people lose about 40 to 60 strands of hair a day, which is an expected amount of shedding in healthy people because hair is constantly growing. Hair loss, on the other hand, is characterized by hair that is shed and that does not grow back, which is what leads to thinning hair.
Are You a Good Candidate for Treatment?
Most people who are experiencing any amount of hair loss are good candidates for one or more methods of hair restoration. Candidates for surgical hair restoration treatments are those who are physically healthy and who have a moderate to severe amount of hair loss.
Restore Your Confidence With Hair Transplant Surgery Today
These days, hair restoration has many different treatments that might be right for your particular needs, such as hair transplant surgery. If you think any of our hair restoration methods are right for you, please contact Capitis Medical & Aesthetics in Roseville, CA to schedule your consultation today.