Bold is beautiful, not bald! Thus, if you are losing hair lately, hair is no longer dense or if you are noticing a receding hairline, then in such situations you must consider having hair transplant surgery. Did the term surgery petrify you? Well, there is no need to be petrified. Hair transplant for men these days is as common as the topic of politics among colleagues during tea time. But, then not every discussion of politics is qualitative. Similar is the case of hair transplantation for men. Get it done if you need it, but make sure it is from the right hands.
In the process of hair transplant, hair follicles are extracted from your own scalp from the donor area and subsequently implanted in the area where hair is required, be it hairline, temple points, crown, etc. The area where hair is implanted is known as the recipient area. In most cases back of the head is the donor area. Wondering how you’ll get a hair transplant if you have a poor donor area? Here is some good news for you. With the advancement of technology and science, clinics have also started using body hair for hair transplantation for men. Beard hair is the first choice when body hair is required, followed by chest and abdomen.
Currently, there are three main methods of hair transplantation in use for hair transplantation. Let’s understand their procedure.
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT):
A strip of skin from your scalp is removed by the surgeon during FUT, typically from the nape of the neck. The amount of follicles required to completely cover bald areas determines the optimal size of the strip. The balding areas of your scalp will then have the hair follicles put into them in a fashion that looks natural.
This is an outdated technique which includes the following disadvantages:
- Painful
- Leaves scar
- Recovery time is longer
- Body hair can’t be used
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE):
In this technique, individual hair follicles will be removed from your scalp, rather than removing an entire strip of the skin. This technique is preferred for hair transplantation for men for the following reasons:
- Less painful
- No scar
- Higher recovery time
- Body hair can be used.
FUE involves three steps in the hair transplant procedure. Being first is graft extraction, the second is slit creation and the last is the implantation of grafts. A new hair transplant technique is all the rage these days known as Direct Hair Transplant. Let’s learn what exactly it is.
Direct Hair Transplant (DHT):
In comparison to the existing FUE process, the DHT procedure dramatically shortens the transit time, which lowers physical handling, mechanical trauma, the risk of desiccation, hypoxia, infection, and heating up of the grafts. It is a successful surgical procedure for hair transplantation for men. The standard FUE surgeon may initially perceive the technique as slightly more challenging and time-consuming, but with more experience and improved skill, it may end up being quicker and simpler.
A simple and efficient improvement to the follicular unit extraction method is direct hair transplantation. It is an advanced surgical baldness treatment option.
Step 1: Slit Creation in Recipient Area
Step 2: Extraction & Implantation simultaneously
The following are advantages of DHT over FUE:
- Faster graft transit times because they are retrieved and implanted concurrently.
- As a result, it reduces the likelihood of desiccation, hypoxia, and infection as well as physical handling and mechanical stress.
- Involves no root contact technology, resulting in a smooth procedure and once again higher graft survivability.
- Almost 100% graft survival rate, with a maximum of 30 minutes that the grafts are outside your body.
Beard Hair Transplantation For Men:
A dense beard would definitely add a lot to your appealing looks. Don’t worry if you don’t have that dense and captivating beard. You can opt for a beard transplant as well. Grafts will be extracted from the area below your chin and will be implanted into the face area of your beard. However, scalp-to-beard transplant is also a possible case but always beard-to-beard transplant looks far more natural. You can imagine a well-groomed look is after all not that difficult.
Non-Trim Procedure:
Hair transplants with the non-trim technique can be performed on patients who want that their existing hair in the recipient location remains unaltered. Donor area windows will still be window-trimmed. Additionally, the hairs on the back of the scalp need to be longer (5 to 7 cm) for a non-trim treatment so that the pre-existing hair can assist conceal the clipped donor area. Window trimming of the donor area is what this is known as. Your surgery will not be noticeable in this procedure. However, shedding, growth phase, and healing will be all same as that of normal surgery. 1500-2000 grafts can be extracted and implanted in one session.
If you are the one who is looking for a hair transplant, then here is a tip for you. Don’t be scared of it and go for it. After all, we all have the right to stare mirror with pride.
Dr. Arika Bansal
One of only a few female surgeons specializing in hair transplant surgery in India, Dr. Arika Bansal has been voted one of the best doctors in the world. She maintains an active membership in the ISHRS and regularly submits research papers to medical journals. 15+ years down the line, 15,000+ surgeries are accomplished under Dr. Bansal’s supervision. She specializes in female hair transplant, density improvement, corrective hair transplantation and hairline design.
