Things You Should Know Before Getting Hair Transplant Surgery
Hair transplant surgery is one of the effective, permanent solutions for hair loss. A hair surgeon will recommend the procedure if you suffer from severe hair loss or if you have lost some hair from a scalp injury or a burn.
If you’re contemplating getting a hair transplant surgery, here are a few important things about it that you will want to discuss with your surgeon:
How It’s Done
How your surgeon will carry out a hair transplant procedure will depend on your preferred method, either a follicular unit excision (FUE) or a follicular unit transplant (FUT). Here’s how each method is done:
o Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) – With an FUE method, your hair surgeon extracts and transplants individual hair follicles one by one from the donor area (usually the back of your head) to sparse areas on your scalp. An FUE doesn’t require any sutures, and while it leaves tiny, circular scars, they are often less noticeable.
o Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT or Strip Harvesting) – With a FUT method, your hair surgeon removes a strip of skin from the donor area (also the back of your head), and relocates the follicles to the target area of your scalp.
What to Expect After the Procedure
In the days following your hair transplant procedure, you will notice tiny crusts form in the donor and recipient areas of your scalp. These are usually shed within a week. The transplanted hair generally falls out within two to three weeks after your surgery, as the transplanted follicle stops growing hair and reconnects to your scalp circulation. This dormant phase lasts from two to four months, as the new hair begins to grow. The new hair then steadily develops and grows within nine to twelve months.
Your hair transplant surgeon may prescribe medication, such as minoxidil (Rogaine) to improve hair regrowth after transplantation.
Their Success Rates
While both of these techniques are effective, they can achieve different results in certain cases. The FUE method requires more skill and takes longer than FUT, but can produce great results provided the surgeon performing the procedure has extensive experience in the technique.
The success rate of each method also depends on the thickness of the person’s donor hair. Nonetheless, a study on the effectiveness of these procedures found that FUE yields nearly 100 percent success rate, while FUT transplants yield up to 98 percent success rate.
Hair Transplant Surgeon in Kansas City, Des Moines, and Liberty, MO
At Darling Hair Restoration, Dr. Scott Darling is recognized as one of the most trusted hair transplant surgeons in Kansas City and Liberty, Missouri, and Des Moines, Iowa. He will properly set your expectations and guide you through the entire process to ensure you are comfortable before, during, and after your procedure right through your recovery.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Darling, call us today at 816-792-3400 or fill out our appointment request form online. We look forward to serving you!
