Cosmetic surgeries are now very well accepted in society. Hair transplant among these is the most accepted one. As, in this one you are not altering your looks, you are just restoring what you lost for any reason. Therefore, it is no longer a hair transplant, it is now referred to as hair restoration. Anyone who would like to avail of hair restoration services would evidently expect a perfect look post-surgery. But are hair transplants perfect? Before concluding this, let us first understand the procedure of the same.
Procedure:
In a hair transplant procedure, your own hair is extracted from the back of your scalp (Known as the donor area from where the grafts are extracted) and implanted in the bald area (Known as the recipient area). Sounds bizarre, right? But, that’s how it works.
The Following Things Are Expected By Any Patient From The Procedure:
- Naturalness: Natural looks of the hair is quite obvious to expect by any hair transplant aspirant. Anyone would want that post the procedure nobody should be able to figure out if he has gone through any hair job.
- Longevity: The longevity of the transplanted hair is another important factor. No one would be willing to spend for a hair job if it lasts for a few months or a year.
- Coverage: Total coverage of baldness is a justified expectation
- Density: A good amount of density of the transplanted hair also plays a pivotal role.
But, are these expectations 100% fulfilled?
Is Hair Transplant A Lie?
Well, not exactly a lie but certainly an illusion is created through a hair transplant. Now that you are aware of the procedure, you can understand that only a finite number of grafts can be extracted from the donor. A good hair transplant surgeon will ensure the precision of donor area management. So, when you are extracting limited hair from the back of your own scalp, you can never give the exact naturalness, coverage and density. You have to create an illusion of density such that the transplanted hair looks all-natural. In a limited number of grafts, you need to provide the best result. Originally, we have 70-80 grafts per square cm but in a transplant, only 35-40 grafts are being transplanted. Concludingly we can say that this procedure is not a lie but yes, an illusion of accuracy.
Is A One-Time Hair Transplant Enough?
The simple answer to this question is, no. Sometimes, a Norwood grade 3-4 patient’s case can progress to Norwood grade 6 or 7, if proper care and medication are not given. In such cases, more than one surgery is required. Also, while handling Norwood grade 6 and 7 cases at first, where more grafts are required, it is not advisable to complete the procedure in one sitting. A comprehensive approach to medication and surgery must be taken. Then after getting the best possible donor area, go for the transplant. Here also, more than one sitting can be the preference.
Are Hair Transplants Permanent?
In case you are thinking hair transplants are permanent then certainly your doctor is misleading you. After all, these are also your own hair extracted from your scalp. Thus, it is not hard to explain that the donor area can also face baldness. This baldness can progress to the recipient area after the transplant. A hair transplant aspirant must be aware of this fact. It is the duty of the doctor or the clinic to inform him about this.
Conclusion
To conclude, the title of the article can be copy pasted; ‘Hair Transplants Are Not Perfect.’ A hair restoration expert will advise on the surgery, grafts required, body grafts required, etc. after a lot of permutation and combinations varying from case to case. The end decision and the expectations from the procedure have to be prudent and wise.
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.
