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With the increasing focus on beauty and skincare, there has been a boom in the new medical technologies and treatments catering to different disorders. Hair transplant surgery, one of the major and popular cosmetic surgical procedures, is now being used widely to treat many hair problems, mostly baldness.
This surgery can benefit specifically those people who have bald patches of hair. Described below is the procedure in short, and the benefits and complications of the procedure.
Procedure Of Hair Transplant Surgery
How It Works
The donor area-the area, from which hair follicles are extracted, is first anesthetized. Once the area is numb, the surgeon will remove the donor strip. This procedure usually takes around 45 min to be performed. After this is done and the donor strip is completely removed, the area will then be closed with stainless steel surgical staples. Meanwhile, technicians will separate follicular units from the extracted donor strip.
The next stage involves a recipient site-the site where hair follicles will be implanted. Small incisions are created on the recipient site. This is done using the lateral slit technique, which is among the best surgical technique that is exactly identical to the alignment and distribution of hair as it occurs naturally. After the incisions are made, the surgeons will then start placing the grafts.
Post Operative Care
After this is done, post-operative care needs to be taken. A course of antibiotics needs to be done so as to prevent infections. You may also be given a few mild pain killers and some topical applicants to enhance healing and repair of tissues.
The donor graft extractions are done mostly in two ways-Strip excision harvesting and follicular unit extraction.
Techniques Used For Hair Transplant
Most commonly used technique for extraction of donor tissue is strip extraction technique. This technique makes use of single, double, or triple bladed scalpel. Follicular unit extractions, on the other hand, makes use of multiple small sessions or one single large sitting. It is comparatively more time consuming than the strip excision technique.
Benefits Of The Procedure
Hair growth is improved after the surgery. New transplanted hair follicles can improve hair growth and texture. Aesthetic appeal is increased after the surgery.
Complications
Though this procedure is mostly risk-free, there may be certain complications associated with it. The success of the surgery is largely dependent on the number of hair follicles transplanted. There may be risk of excessive scarring, bleeding and infections with the surgery.
Infections may be caused due to improper sterilization of the equipments and the surgical area. Lack of care after surgery may also contribute to a number of problems. Sometimes, there may even be death of the transplanted hair follicle, in which no new hair may grow.
This procedure is not just limited to treat baldness, but it is also used to restore eyebrows, eyelashes, beard and chest hair, pubic hair etc. It also helps restore hair lost in accidents and in cases where extensive skin damage has occurred. Surgeries such as face lifts and transplants may also leave behind scars and spots, which can be easily treated by hair replacement surgery.
