If your hair loss has progressed to the extent where hair restoration surgery has now become your only option and solution to the problem, you want to make sure that you do some research before selecting a surgeon to perform the restoration surgery.  Most importantly, you want to examine the different hair restoration procedures that are currently available as well as the surgeons who perform them.

What is your field of expertise and medical background?

Make sure you search back to the beginning of their careers in hair restoration and medicine before going any further.  You want to check for certain aspects such as how much surgical training and experience that they have.  In addition to this, find out how long they have been performing hair restoration surgery and the different techniques they are skilled at.

What types of degrees and certificates have you earned?

Ask the individual if there are any specific physician’s or surgeon’s boards as well as other medical organizations that they are current members of.  You may even want to inquire about what other medical fields they have been certified in since some hair restoration surgical fields require little or no certification to perform these procedures.

What is your hair restoration surgical track record like?

How many actual hair restoration surgeries has the person performed first hand? Be aware of how many were successful compared to any failures they have experienced.  Inquire about the number of complaints or complications that have occurred.

How much is my hair restoration surgery going to cost?

Certain hair restoration surgeries like micro-grafting can get extremely expensive, so if the price of the surgery appears to be too cheap, you should be very skeptical about letting that person perform the surgery.  This doesn’t mean that you should choose the most expensive hair restoration surgery.  Granted, the more affordable the procedure is the better.  But too affordable should be avoided.

Have there been any complaints registered against this particular surgeon?

Consult with business and medical associations or other associated organizations that monitor a surgeon’s track record.  If you find that complaints have been registered against this particular hair restoration surgeon, you want to find out what the basis of those complaints was.  Additionally, try to investigate their personal conduct record as far back to the beginning of their careers as is humanly possible.

Hair restoration has become increasingly more popular over the past 2 or 3 decades in order to correct or treat hair loss.  Advancements in medical technology have been the driving force behind the growing popularity of these restoration procedures.  These procedures also became popular for replacing lost or thinning hair because they became popular as they became more affordable.  If you are considering having hair restoration surgery performed, please read the following.

Hair restoration surgery is not new surgical technology as the first procedure occurred over 30 years ago.

Only your existing hair is used in hair restoration surgery.  So the donor areas (the back of the head and sides) must contain hair that is in healthy condition.

Hair restoration surgery might not be possible if there is only a small amount of healthy donor hair follicles remaining.

Hair restoration is not just for men as it is performed on women’s scalps as well.

Typically, the hair restoration surgery is completely safe and any side effects are extremely rare in occurrence.  However, infections sometimes do occur as they do with any other type of surgical procedure.

You typically will not feel any pain during the surgery because a local anesthetic is typically administered as well as a local anesthetic prior to the surgery.

The hair restoration process may take more than one session to complete the process with 2 month intervals occurring between these sessions while the overall process may take up to 2 years in some instances.

If you engage in sports activities, you will have to give these up while you are having the hair restoration process is going on.

Whenever you are looking for a hair restoration surgeon, you want to make sure that they have all the necessary credentials and a goo history for performing the procedure.

Since no two individuals are alike, each surgery is unique to the individual that it is undergoing the procedure.  You should try to get an idea from the surgeon of how you will look once the hair restoration procedure has been completed.

Despite what you might have heard from the opponents of this type of surgery, the hair restoration process is a totally legitimate solution for correcting and treating lost or thinning hair.  A good hair restoration surgeon will not recommend the surgery if they feel that a non-surgical product (Propecia or Rogaine) would correct your issues.

Hair loss and a couple of the causes of it

Men and women who are currently experiencing hair loss and thinning want to know what their options are where hair restoration surgical procedures are concerned.  The most common question we hear is, “how viable an option is hair restoration surgery?” Hair loss results from a number of causes including the following:

• damage that is caused by damaging and excessive hairstyling or pulling the hair back too tightly
• irritations of your scalp which typically leads to scarring
• hormonal changes to the different hair growth and resting cycles

There are a number of different hair “toppings” and other natural supplements available on the market today that display some slight evidence of effectiveness where hair restoration is performed without professional assistance.  However, when you start losing your hair because of genetic reasons, these natural supplements and other topical application won’t be effective and hair restoration surgery might be the only option you can consider.

Hair Restoration surgeries

There are two basic types of hair restoration procedures – scalp stretching and transplanting hair grafts.  So what is the difference between the two? Scalp stretching involves surgically removing the bald skin and replacing it with skin nearby that is covered with healthy hair follicles.  This is stretched over that portion of the scalp area where the skin has been removed.  With hair transplantation, smaller grafts of hair are taken from the scalp donor areas and transplanted into the balding area.

Additional things to consider

The first thing that you want to consider is that hair restoration procedures can get costly.  Grafts are typically charged for on an individual basis and it can take up to 1,000 of these to complete the surgery successfully.  Normally, the fewer the number of hair grafts that are required, the lower the cost of the hair restoration surgery.  Fortunately, a number of hair restoration clinics today now offer financing for the procedure.

There will occasionally be side effects but these are extremely rare.  General anesthesia or a mix of local anesthesia and sedation are usually required during the process.  An adverse reaction to these anesthetics or infection after the hair restoration surgery has been performed are the two most common side effects.  In any case, make sure you consult with a certified and licensed hair restoration physician or surgeon when you are considering having this done.

Even though there are numerous ways to have a hair restoration procedure done, but if you go in for a restoration treatment before you go bald certainly helps. Though there are many reasons that you lose hair, hereditary and genetic reasons are on the top of the list why an individual goes bald. So, if you are aware of these issues and can deal with those early, you not only save the hassles of intrusive hair restoration surgeries later on.

Men with pattern hair loss or baldness lose 95% of their hair and it is also known medically as Androgenetic Alopecia. Thus, it is hereditary. If you know you might go bald later on in life, it is bets to seek treatment now. It is good to have all the available information about it before you actually see hair thinning on your scalp.

For men, using products for restoration of hair is important to slow down the symptoms of male pattern baldness. But if you utilize these products after the surgery, the new hair growth is dense and gets you the look that you were looking for.

Finasteride is an oral medicine that needs to be taken just once a day and treats hair loss. However it is not prescribed to women due to the side effects. The other most common topical product is Minoxidil that is applied twice a day for better hair growth and minimizes hair loss. The main aspect of this topical application is that it protects the hair follicles from DHT hormone. This hormone is responsible for patterned baldness. Most of the hair restoration surgeons and doctors usually prescribe Finasteride and Minoxidil as part of the process of hair growth programs.

However, if the hair loss is high and balding has started, then there is not much option that going in for hair restoration surgery for effective hair growth. Additionally, these topical administrations help the re-growth after the surgery. During this surgical procedure, the surgeon takes healthy hair follicles along with the tissues and transplants it over the bald patches.

The tissues take root and the new hair starts growing. However, these are harvested from your own hair and skin. Usually these are taken from the sides and back of the scalp as those areas are immune to pattern male baldness. The hair restoration surgery is conduced under local anesthesia and oral sedation is given. You can go back to work the next day as no hospitalization is needed.

Just like scalp hair restoration surgery, there are other parts of the body that have hair and require the same procedure, if there is a loss of hair. In most cases, men require facial hair restoration apart from chest hair re-growth. The restoration process for facial hair is different and includes hair transplantation for eyebrows, beard, mustache and chest. Not only is the process different but it takes a precise hand and years of experience to do it. The most common difficulty that arises is that if the surgeon makes the tiny slits near other grafts, the hair follicles embedded within the surrounding slits come out. Thus, the hair restoration surgeon needs to make the slits and then wait for a few minutes before inserting the new hair follicles.

In facial hair transplantation cases, the surgeon does not use a scalpel but a Nor Kor needle, which performs the dual function of a dilator also. Though just like other hair transplant procedures, the process is the same. As the surgeon withdraws the needle, the assistant inserts the grafts of hair follicles, with a precision forceps. The most important consideration while doing facial restoration of hair procedures is to ensure that the surgeon inserts his needle or blade at a lateral angle to the region of insertion within the eyebrows.

For the chest region, the hair is transplanted from the scalp and thus, constantly grows. It requires monthly cutting and trimming to maintain the look. For a natural look, the transplantation is done in two grafts. The right placement of the grafts at the correct angle and direction is essential. Once the restoration has been completed, the hair is permanent.

For the mustache and beard hair restoration procedures, the surgeon keeps the blade flat against the skin to ensure downward growth of hair. However the most delicate surgery is transplantation of eyelashes on eyelids. This is extremely difficult as the skin is very thin and it is too close to the eye. Additionally maintaining the direction of the hair growth needs to be considered.

For eyelashes, hair from the eyebrow is transplanted. Usually there are two sessions with 10-12 micro grafts per eyelid. These are held with a gap of 8 to 10 months apart. With changing implements and surgical tools in combination with new technology, eyelid hair restoration surgery utilizes curved needles for faster and easier insertions.

There has been significant advancement in the field of hair restoration surgeries and with the introduction of micro and mini grafts it has revolutionized the complete industry. So what are mini and micro grafts?

Mini grafts are basically grafting three to four hair and micro grafting is grafts of 1-2 hair at any point of the recipient’s skin. This method has actually brought into focus aesthetically superior surgical hair restoration results. With changing requirements and a stress on looking good, treatment of female and male baldness has increased with surgical methods. New hair transplant techniques have shown god results where mini and micro grafts have been done in reconstructive restoration procedures.

Due to the extremely small size of the grafts, these miniscule tissues have low metabolic needs and thus are able to better survive the transplantation process as compared to plug grafts and follicular units which are easily damaged. Additionally for reconstruction surgeries, micro grafts have been able to grow fast and successfully even on scalp that has been burnt. Out of al the hair restoration surgeries that are conducted in US today, nearly 10% are micro and mini grafting surgical procedures. The rest of the methods commonly in use include, flap surgery, scalp reduction and other restoration procedures.

As with any other procedure, micro and mini grafts need the patient to be under local anesthesia and sedation. Additionally, medication is given for swelling and temporary edema during hair restoration surgery as it helps for easy grafting. For the frontal hair restoration procedure, the surgeon slits and the assistant inserts the grafts as fast as possible to ensure that the follicles take root and survive the procedure. As the tools used are fine, there is no visible scarring and the sits are extremely small so do not require stitches to close. These tools are used especially for the 5 to 10 mm of the scalp and evenly create the slits.

For the back of the scalp, a thicker blade is used and usually the slits heal naturally. However in some cases, a scar remains due to pigmentation.  Most doctors prescribe antibiotics for the after care processes so that no infection develops. It is bets to know as much as possible about the hair restoration surgery, if you plan to get one done soon. Talk to the doctor and clear your doubts and queries before going in for the procedure.

Any surgery that is done has to be well planned and implemented only after you weight out the pros and cons of it. Thus, when you are considering hair restoration surgery, for correcting medical ailments such as alopecia, side effects of chemotherapy or just to resolve the issues of thinning hair, consider the benefits, risks and side effects of it before you undergo the procedure. For the past three decades, there has been a steady increase in the people opting for surgical and non-surgical hair restoration procedures. Some of the most popular methods of restoration of hair are through hair transplantations and scalp reductions.

When you consult the surgeon for the first time, ensure that all your doubts and queries are cleared and you are sure about the benefits and associated risks. However, the benefits of the hair restoration surgery far outweigh the disadvantages of the procedure.

Here is the main benefit of hair restoration procedure:

Improvement of appearance and confidence levels: Usually hair loss at any age gives an older look to the individual irrespective of their natural age. Having a luxurious abundance of hair help you achieve a youthful natural look and improve self confidence of the individual. Better looks and improved image can impact business and social interactions positively. When you feel good about yourself your self esteem and confidence level improves dramatically.

Conversely, the basic risks and disadvantages of hair restoration procedure include:

As with any surgery, there are risks involved. Restoration of hair is no exception and risks increase during post-surgical care.  Some of the major risks associated with it are:

After surgery pain: It is common to have associated pain after surgery but it is for a short period and the hair restoration surgeon usually prescribes painkillers to relieve the stress.

Post-Surgical Infections: Some of the restoration processes develop a complication and infections abound.  Though as a precautionary measure, the surgeon prescribes antibiotics for a set period of time to counteract against possible infections.

Shock Loss: This is one of the main aide effects of surgical hair restoration procedure. Although it is normal for 50-00 hair fall a day, the sudden loss of newly transplanted hair fall can be worrisome. In rare cases, the new transplanted hair follicles die and the surgery needs to be repeated.

Post Operative Scabbing: usually scabbing occurs but it is temporary and they fall off within the first 14 days. You can talk t the doctor in case it stays longer.

No longer do you have to live with thinning hair or bald patches as there have been outstanding innovations in the hair restoration industry. For both men and women there is a wide choice to select from restorative surgical and non surgical means to restore the hair growth. Some of the key considerations to look for a qualified and reputed clinic or hair restoration surgeon include:

• Define goals: It is best to be clear in your in mind about the aim of the restorative surgery. If you are happy with the way you look but worried about the future and need to have the same abundance of hair consult a specialist to see if you actually need it now.

• Know about the reason of hair loss: It is good to know the real reason behind thinning or loss of hair as the disease may affect the newly transplanted hair follicles too. Thus, by confirming the type of baldness or reasons behind it, needs to be the first step before actually going in for surgery.

• Selecting restoration procedure: After selecting the hair surgeon and verifying all the available hair restoration options, it is best to consider FUE procedure which is not only the most common but has the highest rate of success.

• Consult hair specialist: It is best to have an in-depth discussion with the hair specialist or surgeon to know more about the course of action and side effects related to the surgery. This will help you understand and prepare for the restoration surgical procedure.

• Go with the best: When you decide to go ahead with the surgery, do not worry about the distance to travel for the surgery. You need to understand that only the best or more experienced surgeons will be able to provide the best service and ensure that the procedure is a success.

• Talk about it: Apprehensions and worries are there before the surgery. It is good to discuss with family and friends to get their recommendations and opinions for selecting the best surgeon or clinic for your requirements.

Consider budget: Do not go with the cheapest not do you have to shell out all your life savings to get the procedure done. Make a budget and accordingly look for an effective hair restoration surgeon. You may also look at financing options as more restorative surgeons offer financing and staggered repayments.

There might be numerous documents to sign before you actually go in for the hair restoration procedure but wit the numerous questions that keep popping in your mind, have you talked to your surgeon about it? Have you got your answers? Are you ready to go ahead with the hair restoration surgery?

It is extremely important that you get the answers that you seek from your surgeon to ensure that that there are no surprises for you after the procedure has been completed. Here are some questions and answers that you need to put forth before you start on the process.

• How long has the surgeon practiced hair transplantation procedure?

It is best that the hair restoration surgeon that you select has done over a 100 surgeries and has been doing them for the past few years. After all the more years they have been doing it, the more experience they have and lesser chances of you having to undergo complications later.

• Have you talked to the surgeon’s patients for feedback?

This will help you put your mind at ease knowing what the experience with the surgeon has been. Additionally you will be able to see the improvements and post operative stages helping you be able to judge for your own self. You can also see the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ pictures for better references.

• Have you asked about the specific technique that the surgeon is going to perform for you?

With numerous different procedures available today, it is good to be clear about the procedure that you will be undergoing. You can ask about the pros and cons of the procedure. Usually there are two procedures that are done- Follicular Unit Transplantation and Micrografting. You can read more about the procedures before you ask the surgeon about it. It will help you be clear about the whole process. If you are not satisfied with the answers or doubts still linger in your mind, maybe select another surgeon.

• Ask yourself if you really want to go ahead with the hair restoration procedure

Last but not the least, ask yourself. If you are having doubts, maybe you can consider the procedure later. Many times, what seems like a simple process may not seem that good after your queries have been answered. It is best to be sure that you really need it before you sign on the dotted line. But if you are confident about the surgeon skills and keen on going ahead, a head full of hair does add to your personality.

When it comes to hair restoration surgical procedures, one of the concerns that many people have is post-surgical hair loss.  Although this is a rare occurrence with restoration surgery, it does happen with some individuals because of two reasons.

Most people with thinning or balding scalps are self conscious about their condition and every year, thousands of people opt for hair restoration surgery. But one of the major concerns is about losing hair after the surgery. Though it is not common, but some people may experience loss of hair after restorative surgical procedure. The main reasons leading to it are:

• Post surgical effluvium
• Accelerated hair loss

Understanding the fundamental reasons behind the risk of losing hair is simple. It is due to shock to the scalp after the hair restorative surgery. The hair loss reasons are logical because after the restorative surgery has been conducted, the enhanced blood flow to the place of the surgery turns red. If you are still wondering, well the area where surgery has been conducted is bathed in nutrients, oxygen and DHT that increase healing and prolonging the tissue life. But if you look at it from the technical point of view, the hair loss is due to post surgery and is not termed as increased loss of hair.

Thus, both of the reasons of accelerated hair loss and effluvium depends on the health of the transplanted hair follicles and the genetic predisposition in the recipients scalp.  It is not that restorative surgery has failed.

Post Surgical Effluvium

The trauma undergone by the follicles during the process of transplantation is better termed as Effluvium. The resultant loss of follicles is common in the initial 3 month period after the hair restorative surgery. The post surgical shock happens due to the weak follicles and the way they are transplanted, specifically the direction and angle by the surgeon.

Thus, it is of due importance that the direction and angle are followed properly during hair restoration surgery.  However, the chances of suffering from post operative surgical effluvium are rare with the advancements in technical skills within hair restoration surgery industry. Smaller blades, following proper direction of transplantation and reducing the sites for restoration help reduce these occurrences.

In many cases, the surgeons and hair restoration physicians prescribe a range of topical medicines such as Rogaine to help with the reduction of scalp tissue shock. These follicle shocks are rare occurrences and in most restoration processes are not something to worry about.