FUE Hair Transplant

What is hair transplantation?

Hair transplantation, also called follicular unit transplantation(FUE), is a surgical procedure that involves moving hair follicles from one part of the body (donor) to another area (recipient) where additional hair density is desired. Most cases involve moving scalp hair from the back and/or sides of the head to areas where it has been lost e.g. the front and top of the scalp in androgenetic (pattern) alopecia.

How is it performed?

This procedure is performed as a day case under local anaesthesia (Lidocaine and Bupivacaine) . It involves removing hair follicles from the scalp by punching out individual hair follicle groupings one by one .We are offering mainly FUE surgery at our clinic.  Hair transplantation often involves transplanting thousands of individual follicular units and is a very labour-intensive procedure often taking the whole day.

Who is suitable?

If you have a form of hereditary hair loss known as androgenetic alopecia then you are suitable for this procedure as long as you have enough donor hair to be transplanted to make a difference to your appearance. Other types of hair loss that can be treated by hair transplantation include: scars from accidents, scalp surgery scars, burns or chemical damage; traction alopecia from tight braiding. But the results may vary to a greater extent in these cases. There are other conditions that may also be suitable and if in doubt its best to seek an opinion from hair transplant surgeon. It is also possible for hair from the scalp to  be transplanted to eyebrows, eyelashes, moustaches and beards when injury or skin conditions have caused hair loss in these areas.

Who is not suitable?

Hair loss caused by conditions that are on-going or recurrent such as alopecia areata, thyroid disease, diabetes, anaemia, hair-pulling (trichotillomania); drug induced hair loss; and post pregnancy hair loss to name a few. In addition, in order to get a satisfactory long-lasting result it is desirable that the hair loss has stabilised before considering hair transplantation e.g. patients with a very early stage of androgenetic (pattern) hair loss may be directed to other treatments such as minoxidil or Growth factor concentrate injections or plasma injections rather than transplantation. Some may get a surgery done first and then maintain their remaining hair to get best results.

How many procedures will I need?

Number of surgery procedure depends on the extent of hair loss. It is usual safe to deliver 2500 to 3000 grafts per day. Extracting more than these number may cause donor area depletion. Trying to achieve more than 3000 grafts would result in excessive bleeding and this would compromise the health of the patient. More grafts will mean more time to complete the surgery. If the grafts are left out for a prolonged duration of time it can have an impact on the quality of the results. Approximately one surgery is required to cover half the head with good density, most people require about 2 surgeries in their lifetime. Please see the pictorial representation of the grafts required in different extent of hair loss.

Is it permanent?

The hairs that are removed from the back of the head have no DHT receptors, and even if they are moved they remain programmed to continue growing. So such hair transplanted does not fall out. Occasionally additional treatments are needed to strengthen the hair.

Will I continue to lose hair?

This is very likely if you have androgenetic alopecia although in some cases the hair loss does slow down and plateau after a certain age. Medical treatments can be used to slow down or stop ongoing hair loss, but these only work as long as you continue to use them. If the cause of your hair loss is due to another condition such as an injury then it may not worsen over time, but it is possible that you may develop superimposed hereditary hair loss as well.

What are the possible side effects of the surgery?

After surgery you will have small scabs in the transplanted area for up to 2 weeks. You may develop swelling in these areas, and have mild pain, or redness. Infection is very rare. In the donor area you will have small punch scars which can normally be hidden or disguised by your remaining hair.  This means the hair length may have to be changed in the donor area to hide the scars. Keeping the hair length more than 3 or 4 size may be an option, or sometimes shaving the  donor area to the skin level may mask the scars better.

Will I need to take time off work?

This will depend on your individual circumstances. From a physical fitness point of view most people feel well the day after surgery with only some mild discomfort in the donor region. However, there are scabs and possibly mild swelling in the recipient area that may be visible if you do not have enough remaining hair to cover over the transplanted hairs. Once the scabs fall off there is then nothing visible until new hairs start to grow through at 3-4 months. For the first two week after surgery you should not carry out any strenuous physical activity nor work in any dusty or dirty environments.

Timeline for Hair Growth

0-2 Weeks - Follow the Post Op instructions.

3-4 Weeks – Shedding and shock loss starts.

3- 4 Months- Hair starts growing.

7-8 Months- About 50 percent hair grows.

12-16 Months -The remaining 50 percent

16-18 Months- Crown usually takes 18 months.