Although many types of hair loss and balding do not respond to medicinal therapies and treatments, the latest hair transplant techniques, using your own hair, offer hair replacement for bald areas.
The most common form of hair transplant is the mini and micro-graft procedure.A mini-graft consists of three to five hairs with a diameter of 1.0 – 1.2 mm and a micro-graft takes one to two hairs with a diameter of 0.7 – 0.9 mm, while up to 1,500 grafts can be implanted per treatment session.
Who can hair transplants help?
The mini and micro-graft procedure can help people with androgenetic alopecia (i.e. inherited balding), birth related baldness, people who have lost hair due to radio-therapy, and those who have suffered scarring because of burns, accidents, or as a result of operations. Similarly those in need of eyebrow reconstruction can also be helped.
The Consultation
The consultation will begin with a detailed discussion of your wishes, aims and expectations from the transplant, after which, your scalp will be examined and photographs taken. Once this is completed the operating possibilities will be explained to you.
We aim to achieve a result that accords with your wishes and expectations and also give you an honest assessment of what you can expect from the transplant. A decisive factor in what can be achieved is the generating capacity of the individual’s donor area. This also means taking into account the future path of your hair loss, based on a ‘worst case scenario’ estimate. A consistent treatment plan which includes both the general aging process and the individual’s balding is extremely important for the long term success of hair transplants.
We exclusively use the mini and micro-graft transplant technique, especially for the frontal hair line and rear hair border areas of the head. This is because the hair has to grow in direction nature intended, have an even density, and the hair line has to suit the proportions of the forehead, face and general shape of the head.
The Hair Transplant Operation
Hair transplants are performed under local anaesthetic. The donor area is anaesthetised and a narrow strip of follicle bearing skin removed from the back of the head and the seam is then stitched. The removed strip is then carefully prepared and subject to microscopic examination in order to obtain follicle units (FUE) of one to two hairs for micro-grafting and three to five hairs for mini-grafting.
The recipient area is anaesthetised and the grafts inserted into hollowed out channels. An experienced team can transplant up to 1,500 mini and micro-grafts per operating session, with larger areas of baldness requiring two to three sessions to be covered.
Hair Transplants - After the Operation
Patients are recommended to plan a one to two week break period after the operation and are advised to refrain from any sporting activities for two weeks following the operation.
Results
For most patients, hair transplants increase their self-confidence and give them an enhanced outward appearance. In nearly every case the results are enduring, however even young patients need to be aware of the effects of the general aging process and the individual’s personal balding.