Pre – Hair Transplant Questions and Answers

60% of hair loss sufferers said that they would rather have more hair than money or friends. And 30% of them would rather give up sex if it meant they would get their hair back.  ~ StatisticsBrain.com

Hair loss can be a stressful situation especially if you refuse to embrace the bald look.  If you suffer from hair loss, the stigma of "baldness" is one of the first ways that people think of to characterize you. In the mind of the average person, a fuller head of hair represents attractiveness and desirability, both personally and professionally. 

Thus, over the years the demand for surgical hair restoration become stronger than ever despite the economic downturn.  In 2010, International Society of Hair Restoration Survey reported that there were 923, 599 total hair restoration patient worldwide (a  14% increase from 2008).

If you are interested in getting hair transplant, here are the answers to frequently asked questions before getting the surgery.

1. Am I a good candidate for hair transplant?

You will be considered a good hair transplant candidate if you are already losing hair at a very rapid rate and in excessive amount. If you are also genetically predisposed to androgenetic hair loss, then you can try looking into hair transplant surgery. 

2. What is involved in a hair transplant procedure?

A hair transplant surgery involves the removal of donor hairs usually from the back of the scalp and transfer these to the areas that have already gone bald. Hair surgeons employ certain techniques so that results will come out natural-looking (Please watch the video below). 

3. How does the surgeon determine how many grafts a patient will require?

The number of hair implants that a patient is going to need is going to be determined on the bald and thinning areas. Hair texture can also be a determining factor because coarse hair for instance will not need as much harvested hair as fine hairs do.  A single coarse hair is equivalent to three or four fine hairs. This will be done during consultation so that a patient will have an idea of the possible budget that he should prepare for the procedure. 

4. Does the hair transplant surgery hurt? 

The degree of pain that the patient feels during the procedure will be dependent on their pain tolerance. Yes, there will be local anesthetics and other medications that can help relieve or minimize the amount of pain, and these will be given before the surgery and some prescribed for possible painful sensations afterward. It is also true that not everyone may need pain medications after the procedure. 

5. How many procedures are necessary?

The answer would vary depending on the desired goal of each patient. This will also be affected by the degree of hair loss one is experiencing. Usually patients will have two procedures with the second being a follow-up treatment. 

6. Will there be any scarring in hair transplant surgery?

This will depend on the approach used. There are two approaches in hair transplant, and these are FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). FUT requires the removal of a strip of scalp, which contains the donor hairs, to be removed. This technique will result to a longitudinal scar that runs across the back of the head. (Please see the video below).

However, there are approaches today that help minimize the hair transplant scar brought by FUT hair transplant technique. Most surgeons use the trycophitic closure technique (TCT). Through the TCT the scars can be concealed well because the hairs can grow right through them. 

7. Are there any risks with hair transplant surgery?

Just like any other invasive procedure, hair transplant surgery also has infection risks. However the chances of this ever occurring are rare. In some cases this may be due to the patient’s failure to follow the surgeon’s post-operative care instructions. Antibiotic medications will be used to prevent or treat infections, and generally this is prescribed by the surgeon as part of the patient’s post-operative medications.

Related: Hair Transplant Risks, Complications and Side Effects

8. How is the hair transplant cost computed?

In some clinics the procedure can be determined according to sessions, while others compute it by the grafts plus other fees involved.

For any other questions, please make an enquiry by visiting our official hair transplant website. Esteem Cosmetic Studio offers payment plan for those who are qualified to avail patient financing.