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Frequently Asked Questions:
02. Is it painful? 03. Is it true that the blood supply of the scalp cannot support a large session? 04. What results should I expect from a hair transplant? 05. Is transplanted hair any different from "normal" hair? 06. When can I see the full result? 07. Will the results last a lifetime? 08. Is the procedure safe? 09. Will I have to take time off from work? 10. Will anything be noticeable immediately after the procedure? 11. Why does Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) look better than other older transplantation methods?12. What about Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)? 13. What about Laser Hair Transplantation? 14. Will I have any scars? 15. How much does it cost?
1. How long does the procedure last?  We believe it is important to be meticulous in all aspects of procedure, and therefore we never rush our hair transplant interventions. The typical procedure can last anywhere from 4-8 hours, however it depends on every individual case. back to top
Generally the only part of the procedure where pain is experienced is when the local anaesthetic is being administered to the donor and recipient areas. These injections are made with ultra fine needles and patients tell us that it is more comfortable than a visit to their dentist .Afterwards there should be no more pain experienced for the rest of the procedure. In fact most patients watch a movie, listen to music or simply sleep throughout the procedure. Any discomfort that may be felt after the procedure is usually very temporary and nearly always minimal. It is effectively relieved with simple pain tablets taken for a few days after the procedure.For more information please visit our anaesthesia section. back to top
The blood supply of the scalp is among the richest in the entire body. Because oxygen diffuses easily from the blood stream into follicular unit grafts, the scalps blood supply is able to support the growth of large numbers of grafts, provided that incision sites and grafts are kept small. Large hair transplant sessions have been proven to give consistently good results when performed by an experienced team. The amount of hair needed for the average large session is well within the safe limits of what can be transplanted, provided that the procedure is carried out properly.back to top
Hair Transplantation can be very beneficial to most people who suffer from hair loss. However, due to unique individual characteristics some are better candidates than others and will achieve more dramatic results. Because hair transplantation is the redistribution of existing healthy hair (a limited supply) to areas where hair loss has occurred, the result is dependant on simple "supply and demand" ratio. Therefore goals and expectations need to be kept realistic .However, a relatively small amount of hair that is transplanted strategically and artistically can produce the illusion of substantially more hair than there actually is. It is important to find a hair transplant team that can meet or exceed your expectations.back to top
Transplanted hair is normal hair. It can be washed, combed, styled, and coloured just like your own hair. It requires no special care!back to top
The newly transplanted hair will enter a resting phase immediately after the procedure. After approximately 3-4 months it will start re-growing, and the full results can be seen after 9-12 months.back to top
Yes! Hair transplantation redistributes healthy hair from areas of the scalp with lasting hair, to areas of the scalp that have gone bald. Because the hair that is being redistributed is genetically encoded to last virtually a lifetime, it will continue to grow in its new location just as it would in its original one. Re-growth rates stand at about 90-100%.back to top
Yes! Hair transplant surgery is considered minor surgery, and is one of the safest surgical procedures. At all times you are under the supervision of highly qualified medical personnel.Hair transplantation is an extremely safe out-patient procedure that is normally without significant complications. There are some minor, temporary complications:
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Theoretically you can return to work the next day however we recommend that you arrange to have at least a few days without work immediately following surgery.back to top
Two factors may need to be mentioned here. The first is the natural crusting that occurs after the transplantation. With use of wet compresses and gentle shampooing this can be kept to a minimum. The second factor is redness. Redness appears to be an individual characteristic with some patients getting absolutely no redness while others can have a little redness for 2-3 weeks. A person with some pre-existing hair may have no problems concealing this while for others it may be desirable to take off 7-10 days after the first transplant, particularly if he or she has advanced baldness. Normally, transplants are hard to detect after 7 days.back to top
Human hairs grow in follicular units of one hair to four and rarely five hairs. Using the microsurgical FUT technique the result is a transplant that is completely natural looking without the "corn row" or "dolls head" look of the old, large slit or round grafts. Because follicular units are naturally compact anatomical units, the tiny follicular unit grafts can be placed very close together, producing uniform hair distribution and a natural and accurate reproduction of normal hair architecture. Moreover grafts can be precisely oriented to reproduce the natural flow and contour of hair specific to the different zones of the scalp. Because follicular units can have form 1-4 and sometimes 5 hairs, it gives us great flexibility in redistributing them as to achieve the best results .Strategic placement of the different follicular unit grafts produces soft margins, transition zones and interior density. Naturally! When compared to the mini/ micro grafting technique still used by the majority of practitioners the advantages are clear.Mini/micro grafting is a technique by which small grafts are transplanted which do not necessarily correspond to the original follicular units. These hair grafts are cut to size, according to how the surgeon instructs the assistants to prepare grafts of specific size and shape, which may or may not respect the follicular groupings. The grafts are usually obtained from a strip that is harvested using a multi bladed scalpel and without employing a microscope for the dissection of the grafts, methods that may save time and effort but may produce increased levels of destruction of irreplaceable hair follicles. It comes as no surprise that Follicular Unit Transplantation produces more natural results, and is considered the procedure by which all other hair transplant procedures are measured. back to top
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a slightly modified version of the old punch technique used in the 1960-1980's. Instead of punching out 2-5 mm plugs and letting this tissue heal on its own, the follicular unit extraction technique usually punches out a 1mm circle around 1 follicular unit. Then the graft is pulled and teased out of the opening and the hole in the donor area heals on its own over the next week. The small openings contract and make smaller scars that are harder to see than the scars from donor strip excisions, when the head is shaved or the hair is really short. The advantage of the FUE technique over the "strip excision" technique is that patients are not left with a linear scar in the donor area. Actually a larger total area of skin is cut per graft than with donor strip harvesting. In fact there is more total scarring but hundreds of tiny scars replace 1 long (narrow) scar. This fact also causes concern that repeated follicular extraction from the donor area could lead to a "moth-eaten" look.Extracting follicular units is very demanding, time consuming technique that leaves very little room for error. If the angle of the punch is not perfect or if the hair bends under the skin more than expected, some or all of the hairs in a follicular unit can be cut. Moreover the depth of the incision is also critical, too deep and there is the risk of cutting the roots, too shallow and the graft may not come out intact. The skill required in extracting follicular units increases with practice and experience. However this technique is less exact when compared to dissecting of follicular grafts under microscopic magnification. It relies less on direct visualisation and more on the feel of the surgeon. This causes concern about the levels of destruction of follicles in the extraction process. It is very expensive even though a more limited amount of hair can be transplanted in one session with this technique when compared to the strip method of FUT. Therefore multiple sessions are required to cover a reasonable area of baldness or thinning. If there is increased transection of donor hair more grafts will have to be harvested to give the same coverage as with strip harvesting and transplantation. While some surgeons have used this technique extensively in the past couple of years there have been no published studies to date comparing results of growth, survival, or appearance of transplanted extracted grafts vs. transplanted dissected follicular unit grafts. At Hattingen Hair Transplantation we recognize that this technique can be very beneficial in certain cases. FUE could be considered for patients with a small area to transplant (such as a scar or an eyebrow). Until it is a time proven, efficient and effective surgical procedure Hattingen Hair Transplantation will not be offering this service. back to top
Introduced in the field of hair transplantation in the 1990's lasers were advertised as "the future" of hair transplantation. The advantage to the doctor is that there is less bleeding using a laser. In hair transplantation this is in fact a huge detriment to the patient. Some of the disadvantages to the patient are:
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Whenever human skin is cut, it heals itself through scarring (a process called "fibrosis"). The strip excision technique should leave a scar like a fine line in the donor area that even a short haircut should hide. However the nature of the scar is affected by a few factors:
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Prices vary depending on the extent of the hair transplant and the number of hair transplants. We understand that cost is an important issue to our patients that is why we strive to keep our rates very affordable. Financing is also available. When compared to other hair loss treatments hair transplants are not expensive! While the initial costs may seem substantial, one needs to keep in mind that hair transplantation involves no further expenses. There are no expensive hair pieces to be maintained, repaired or replaced regularly every 18 months in order to look natural. There are no expensive chemicals to be bought or used continually. So growing your own hair is not only the best and most natural solution, but in the long run may also be the most economical.back to top |
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