Hair Transplant

Hair transplant surgery takes follicles from areas where hair is growing and places them at the sites affected by hair loss. Although it is most often used to treat male pattern baldness, it can help women with hair loss too.

What to Expect

Hair transplants are usually carried out with just a local anaesthetic, so you will be awake for the procedure. However, you won’t be able to feel anything and you will be given a sedative to keep you relaxed, so you won’t remember much about the operation. Different techniques can be used for the transplant, but it essentially involves taking grafts from one area and placing them into tiny incisions in your scalp. Each graft will include just one or two follicles of hair, which will be carefully placed to produce natural-looking results. Since each graft needs to be individually placed, the procedure can take a whole day. If a large area needs to be treated, the transplant may be completed over several operations, a few months apart.

After the transplant, you should expect to have some pain and swelling, but taking painkillers should help. You will need to take a few days off to recover and it will be a couple of weeks before the grafts are secure and you can return to your usual hair care routine. The transplanted hair will usually fall out after a few weeks, but you should see new growth in about six months. The full effects of the transplant should be visible in about a year.

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Is a Hair Transplant Right for You?

A hair transplant could work if you have male or female pattern baldness. It can also be effective if you have a bald patch caused by a burn or other injury. Transplants aren’t usually suitable for other kinds of baldness, such as alopecia areata.

Having a hair transplant is a big decision. It could improve your confidence and self esteem, but it involves surgery that will permanently change your appearance. Dr Bhar can help you to decide if surgery is right for you. He can also recommend other types of hair loss treatment if a transplant is not the best option.

Risks and Benefits

Hair transplants can produce permanent results
The results should look very natural if the grafts have been positioned correctly, taking into account any future hair loss in the surrounding areas
Common side effects include tightness, swelling and an aching scalp
Serious side effects are very rare, but there is a risk of heavy bleeding, infection or an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic

Make an appointment with Harley Street Surgery to find out more and to discuss whether a hair transplant is right for you.