Hair Transplant Surgery
What Precautions Should Be Taken Pre- and Post-Procedure?
A week before the procedure, the client has to stop consuming vitamins, aspirin, alcohol and tobacco. Patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, or if they take psychiatric medications, should consult with their physician as well as the Eternal Hair expert medical staff prior to the procedure.
After the procedure, any heavy exercise, such as weightlifting or swimming, must be avoided. Only after 12 days following the procedure should the patient resume light exercises such as light jogging or walking. Avoid exposing the scalp to direct sunlight for 30 days after the procedure but avoid wearing hats or anything that directly covers the scalp for at least 72 hours following the procedure.
Are There Any Medications Prescribed Post Session?
A prescription of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories is given for 3 days post procedure.
Is DFI a Painless Technique?
The procedure is practically painless and causes less irritation than a tattoo. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia so that the patient can relax, listen to music, watch TV, enjoy a light lunch and even nap during the procedure.
Is the Procedure Performed With Local or General Anesthesia?
Each DFI session is performed under local anesthesia. Anesthesia is first injected into the donor area before the follicle extraction and then, once again before the implantation phase.
Is There Pain After Using Local Anesthesia?
The patient will feel no pain even after local anesthesia. He/She will only feel a kind of tingling or itching sensation. The scalp will also feel some numbness for a while, this will subside after a week has passed.
Will There Be Any Scar in the Donor Area After the Session?
There will be no scar or mark after a DFI technique, only a slight reddening in the donor area, which will be completely relieved within a week.
Does the Hair Extracted From the Donor Area Grow Back?
As the extraction of the follicle occurs from the root, the hair does not grow back. But it has been noticed that in 5% of the cases the hair grows back because part of the root remains inside.
When Are the Implant Results Noticed?
The final result can be seen 14 months after the procedure, giving enough time for the hair to have grown and matured. However, hair growth is visible from the first month. It should be noted that as in a natural cycle of hair, it will fall off and will grow back usually after 3 months past. At 6 months, your hair growth should be at 50%.
What Is the Rate of Effectiveness of the Implanted Hair?
Generally, the success rate varies between 90% and 97% depending on several external and internal factors like type of hair, fatty skin, deep-rooted follicles, etc.
Will the Implanted Hair Fall Out?
The implanted hair will not fall off because it is resistant to the DHT hormone that causes hair loss. It will remain on your scalp for life. These particular hair follicles that are located in the back of your head known as the donor area, do not have the genetic markers from androgenetic alopecia, and this is why these follicles are the most viable.
How Long Does It Take to Heal in the Donor Area?
The average healing period is 3 to 5 days. After 3 days, the extracted holes will start healing almost immediately after the procedure.
Is It Advisable to Do Hair Preservation Treatments After Implantation?
Yes, medical treatment must be continued to preserve and delay the process of existing hair loss such as Minoxidil, Finasteride, as well as PRP (Plasma Rich Platelets).
What Is the Role of PRP?
PRP can be implemented in the early stages of alopecia, to delay its fall process. We also recommend it after the DFI procedure, to stimulate the growth of implanted hair and delay the fall of others. This treatment must be preceded by professional advice and always accompanied in its regular use with Minoxidil and Finasteride as long as the patient is willing to use them.
Hair Loss
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss can have many causes, from environment to stress and diet, disease or illness or commonly, male pattern hair loss. A certain amount of hair loss occurs naturally as a part of the hair’s life cycle, and noticing a few loose hairs on a brush, pillowcase or in the sink is not cause for alarm. People regularly shed up to 100 hairs each day, which are normally replaced with new growth.
Androgenic Alopecia
Alopecia is a term that means “Hair Loss.” Androgenic Alopecia is hair loss caused by hormonal activity, and is the cause of baldness experienced by most men. Some studies suggest that 25% of men will start experiencing Alopecia by age 30 and 66% of men will see hair loss by age 60. This type of hair loss is triggered genetically, and can (occasionally) appear soon after puberty. Androgenic Alopecia may be instigated by the action of DHT (a form of testosterone, called dihydrotestosterone.) DHT appears to make the hair follicle deteriorate to the point where it can no longer produce normal hair. Some topical medications and shampoos claim to work by blocking DHT.
Other Causes
Hair loss can also be caused by emotional stress, physical trauma, poor nutrition, pregnancy, medications and environmental factors. Medications that impact hormonal levels and medications for blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes can all cause hair loss. Medications used for chemotherapy are often associated with rapid (and temporary) hair loss.
Rapid Hair Loss
If you are experiencing rapid hair loss, or your hair is falling out in clumps, seek professional medical advice. Hair loss can indicate serious underlying health issues.
Women’s Hair Loss
Women are also susceptible to genetic pattern hair loss, although it is less common than in the male population.
How Do I Know If I’m Losing My Hair?
While this seems like a simple question, there are no simple answers. Many methods have been devised and tried, but even counting individual hairs is not reliable, since healthy hair goes through a phase where it falls out then regrows months later.
So, just because you see hairs on your pillow or in your sink, it does not mean you are suffering from permanent hair loss. The truth is, there is no easy, reliable way to monitor your hair loss. All you can do is be aware of your overall density, how easy or difficult it is to see your scalp through your hair, where your hairline rests and how all of that changes over time. It is too easy to be paranoid and obsessive about hair loss, and all of that stress is surely not helpful.
If you are losing hair due to an illness, stress or disease, you may see rapid hair loss, hair falling out in clumps or bald spots appearing on your head and should consult with a physician. Rapid hair loss can result from serious underlying factors and should always be investigated with your doctor.
Our best suggestion to monitor your hair is to take standardized photos of yourself every 6 to 8 months and compare them. Set up your camera so you can duplicate the same position, lighting and pose when you retake your photos.
How Can I Prevent My Hair From Falling Out?
To reduce the chance, you will lose your hair or to reduce the amount of hair lost, you first need to identify what is causing or is likely to cause hair loss in your particular case.
There are no “Miracle Solutions”, but there are a number of clinically proven methods available to you. Read more about preventing hair loss here and find out about proven hair loss medications here.
Do I Have to Take Propecia or Medication?
Propecia and Proscar are brand names for Finasteride, a medication taken as a pill. If you are susceptible to pattern baldness and want to keep your hair for as long as possible, Finasteride can help.
If you are considering hair transplant surgery, you will also want to think about the continued long-term loss of your hair.
While Propecia does not promote hair growth in all patients, it is effective in preventing further hair loss for many. Eternal Hair is all about achieving outstanding, natural-looking cosmetic and aesthetic results. If you have a surgery today, we’ll do our best to make you look good, but if you continue to lose hair, your transplanted hair may begin to look less natural and may not cover as well as it initially did. It makes sense to maintain your appearance by taking Finasteride.
While it is rare, some patients report side-effects and feel unable to take Finasteride, we often suggest the topical Minoxidil as a second-line of defense, but the results are not nearly as robust. We currently have thousands of patients successfully using Propecia with no side effects and can help adjust your dosage in cases where there is extreme sensitivity.
Do I Have to Use Rogaine or Minoxidil?
Rogaine is a brand name for Minoxidil. Minoxidil is a topical (cream or spray) that can be applied to the scalp daily to promote hair growth. The mechanism behind Minoxidil is not well understood, but it appears to work as a vasodilator, and likely improves blood flow to the area, bringing additional oxygen and nutrients which may encourage hair growth.
In our experience, Minoxidil can help some patients hold onto or even regrow some hair, but patients who use the oral medication Propecia (Finasteride) experience much better results. Your first line of defense in keeping your hair is to look into the use of Propecia.
Our Patient Advisors are fond of comparing Propecia to toothpaste: if you want nice teeth for the rest of your life, you need to brush them daily, and the right toothpaste helps! If you want to keep your hair from falling out, a daily dose of Finasteride might be the right stuff. For those patients who cannot take Finasteride, Minoxidil is often the next best solution.