By Dr Anubhav Gupta , Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery
Hair transplant is a procedure that uses surgery to move hair follicles from one spot in the body to another location. It is mainly used to address the following conditions:
- Filling of Scars.
- Restoring beard hair.
- Restoring hair at spots where there is minimal hair growth. These include eyebrows, eyelashes, chest and scalp.
The part from which the hair follicles are taken is known as “donor site” and the location where it is moved to is called the “recipient site”. The transplantations are carried out in outpatient form, with local anaesthesia and mild sedation. Before the scalp is harvested, it is shampooed and treated with an antibacterial agent. Harvesting of hair follicles is done using various methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some of the risks in undertaking the surgery include:
- Infection
- Scarring
- Loss of hair from the donor region as a result of the death of hair follicles
- Excessive bleeding
- An unnatural and abnormal look with patchy patterns of hair
Some of the common techniques for hair transplant include:
- Strip Harvesting: A strip of skin from the scalp or from any other area where the growth of hair is good is harvested by the surgeon. A scalpel which can have one, two or even three blades is utilized for the removal of strips of tissues responsible for bearing hair, from the donor site. The planning of each particular incision is done to ensure that the removal of hair follicles is intact.
- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE): Follicular Unit Extraction is a procedure which involves the singular extraction of each hair follicle without any removal of the strip of tissue. Random removal of hair follicles takes place which causes minimum and unnoticeable changes in the donor area.
- Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT): Follicular Unit Transplant involves the removal of a small strip of tissue from the rear part of the head. The donor hair follicles would be extracted from this strip. A skilled clinical team harvests the hair follicles from the strip after which they are transplanted to the recipient regions individually.
- Robotic Hair Restoration: The devices associated with Robotic Hair Restoration utilize robotic arms and cameras to provide assistance to the surgeon during the FUE procedure.
If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a specilized cosmetic-plastic-surgeon and ask a free question.