Am I a good candidate?
There are many variables to assess before deciding if hair follicle transplant surgery is right for you.
Your age, general health, degree and pattern of hair loss, family history of hair loss, and quality of your donor hair are just some factors to be considered.
Not everybody with hair loss is a good candidate for surgery, and sometimes a trial of medication (see Medical Therapies) may be more appropriate.
Often we recommend a combination of both surgery and medication to give you the best opportunity of a great hair restoration result.
Proper assessment and examination by a specialist physician is needed to determine which course of action is most appropriate for each hair clinic patient.
If you are interested in having your hair loss assessed, our specialists can offer advice on the medical and surgical options available at Martinick Hair Restoration.
Are the transplanted hairs permanent?
Yes, the hairs that are transplanted will last forever.
As you would have noticed, even the baldest men still retain the rim of hair around the edge of their scalp from ear to ear. This is referred to as the ‘permanent zone’, and is resistant to the hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), that causes baldness on the rest of the head. When we take the donor hair from this ‘permanent zone’ and transplant it to other areas, it still retains its’ resistance to DHT and so will continue to grow normally.
Anything that affects the ‘permanent zone’ hair will also affect the transplanted hair. Chemotherapy, for example, will cause the transplanted hair to (temporarily) fall out.
There can also be some thinning with age as hair naturally develops a smaller diameter (generally over the age of 65).
Are there any risks or complications with hair transplantation surgery?
Infection occurrences after a hair transplant procedure are rare. In the few cases where infection does occur, it is often due to the patient’s failure to fully follow post-operative instructions. Even when infection occurs, it generally is easily treatable with antibiotics, which can be prescribed by the physician.
At what age should a person consider hair restoration?
Medical and surgical hair restoration can be safely and effectively performed on healthy patients of all ages. Typically, the youngest patients are in their twenties while the majority of patients range in age from mid-thirties to mid-sixties.
Can I cut and style my new hair?
Absolutely. You can cut, colour and style the new hair just as you would your normal hair. Some people even find the new hair grows faster than their existing hair.
Can I still wear a system?
You may continue to wear a system however we request that you postpone this for as long as possible to give your scalp a chance to heal. Ideally, you should avoid wearing a system for 10 days. We understand this is not always possible, so we recommend using it just during the day when needed and removing it at night to let the area ‘breathe’.
If you do wish to use it, please only use clips and avoid glues or adhesives around the transplanted area. We are happy to discuss ways to help you transition out of your system in a discrete and subtle way at our hair clinic.
Can someone donate their hair to me?
Unfortunately, the answer is no as your body will reject it just like other forms of transplants. There have been rare cases of successful identical twin to twin transplants however not many of us are fortunate enough to have an identical twin!
Do you perform hair transplantation procedures for women?
Yes. Female hair loss is quite common. Though women typically lose hair in a different pattern than men do, the treatment procedure is similar for both.
Does the hair follicle transplant surgery prevent further hair loss?
No it doesn’t. Whilst the transplanted hair will be permanent, you may continue to lose your existing (native) hair and this is taken into consideration when deciding to have surgery.
Your genetics will ultimately determine how much of your hair you will lose. At Martinick Hair Restoration we strongly recommend using medical hair loss therapies which will postpone or at least slow down the rate of loss.
If desired, future hair loss can be replaced with further follicle transplantation if desired.
If you are over the age of 50 and your hair loss has stabilized, you could expect minimal further hair loss. If you are younger and have a strong family history of extensive hair loss, you need to be aware of a high likelihood of future loss when planning your hair transplant.
How long do hair transplants last?
For the vast majority of patients, virtually all transplanted hair lasts a lifetime. In some cases, a small percentage of transplanted hair may be lost as the patient ages.
How much does Martinick hair restoration cost?
The cost of a hair transplant is determined on a “per graft” basis, an assessment and cost estimate that is not realistic to provide with any accuracy online or over the phone. We encourage patients to schedule a no obligation consultation, where a Martinick hair expert will determine a hair restoration plan and outline the costs of your treatment.
Is a hair transplant the best alternative?
Hair transplantation is the only permanent medical solution to hair loss. There are many other quick fixes and “cover ups” but all are short-term solutions.
Is hair transplant surgery painful?
This is by far the most common concern for patients, and thankfully their fears are unwarranted. Pain during and after the hair transplant surgery is minimal. Patients often express surprise at how easy and pain free the procedure is.
As with all anaesthesia, you will experience a brief sting with the first injection, however you should remain comfortable throughout the surgery.
After surgery you will be given some moderately strong painkillers to take home with you, although these are not always necessary.
Most people will feel some ‘tightness’ at the back of the head where the donor hair has come from. This particularly applies to those who have had larger hair transplant procedures or have tight skins. This tightness can be minimized by adequate massage of the scalp prior to surgery to loosen the skin (see pre op massage).
What about insurance?
Usually insurance does not cover elective surgical procedures. If it an accident or health related, then you will likely have some if not all covered.
What are the possible complications?
Complications of hair transplantation, which is considered a very low risk procedure, are rare.
During the surgery
As with any surgery adverse or allergic reactions to anaesthesia are always a possibility. We go to every effort possible to minimize the use of medications to keep this risk to an absolute minimum.
Although rare, occasionally patients may feel nauseous during or after the surgery.
After the surgery
To minimise the risk of infection strict post-operative hair transplant surgery instructions are provided.
Occasionally patients, with a history of post surgical swelling, may experience swelling of the forehead after three days. This generally lasts 24 hours and can be helped with lymphatic massage and alternating cold and hot compresses.
Patients can expect some transient numbness in the donor area which resolves after a few weeks.
When the hair begins to grow some ingrown hairs may occur but will resolve.
It is possible to have some temporary shedding or ‘shock loss’ of existing hair around both the donor and recipient sites as a response to inflammation and healing. This is uncommon, however when it does occur the hair will begin to grow back after 8 weeks. Preoperative and postoperative use of Minoxidil and Help Hair™ Whey Protein Shake will significantly reduce the risk of ‘shock loss’ and also reduce the time for regrowth.
What is hair transplantation or hair restoration surgery?
Hair transplantation is also referred to as hair restoration surgery. It is considered to be a minor, outpatient surgical procedure. It involves transplanting grafts of hair follicles that always grow hair (this is the hair located towards the base of the back of the scalp) into the areas affected by hair thinning or loss.
What is multi-therapy treatment?
We prefer a multi therapy approach to hair loss for most patients at the Martinick Hair Restoration clinic.
Our aim is to firstly replace the lost hair through follicle transplantation, to stabilize and prevent further hair loss through medical therapies and identify environmental and/or other factors that may be contributing to hair loss. This offers our patients the highest chance of obtaining and retaining the best possible hair loss treatment results.
What length should my hair be for surgery?
Patients generally prefer to grow their hair longer prior to hair transplant surgery to provide enough length to cover the stitches at the donor site (3cm or longer).
Longer lengths make it easier to conceal the transplanted area during the healing time after surgery.
Shorter hair is permitted, however the stitches may be visible for the two weeks after surgery.
What will it look like immediately afterwards?
Following surgery the recipient area will be red and swollen and tiny blood dots will appear where the grafts have been inserted. These dots will darken overnight and become scabs which will remain for 5-10 days depending on how fast a patient heals.
Most of the grafts will have short hairs on them providing a preview of where the new hair will be. These hairs will shed after two weeks to allow the new transplanted hair to grow.
The recipient area will remain pink for up to two weeks as it heals.
If you wish to conceal the area, we recommend using a clean, loose fitting cap during the healing period.
The stitches at the donor site will be covered by surrounding hair and should be unnoticeable. These stitches are covered by a bandage until the day after surgery.
When can I have a second surgery?
The scalp needs sufficient time to heal completely and this generally takes 12 months.
The donor area also needs time to ‘loosen’ to allow further removal of grafts. With adequate massage this can be achieved after 12 months.
When is the best time to have my transplant?
While most men and women who have begun to notice hair loss can benefit from hair restoration, not all patients are candidates for surgical hair transplantation. For some men it is possible to stop or even reverse the progression of hair loss with medical therapies such as Rogaine®,Propecia® or HairMax LaserComb®. Rogain® and HairMax LaserComb® are also effective non-surgical treatments for women.
Why Choose Martinick Hair Restoration?
Martinick Hair Restoration clinic is at the forefront of hair loss and hair restoration research and education, employing state of the art techniques with skillful, experienced doctors delivering permanent results that is natural and undetectable.
Will my hair be shaved during surgery?
The donor area (I.e. the hair to be transplanted) will be clipped back to about 4mm in length. The surrounding hair around the donor follicle will be kept at its’ current length and be combed over normally to hide the stitches.
Occasionally the recipient area (where the hair will be transplanted into) will need to be shaved, however where possible, we try to avoid this.
Patients requiring larger surgeries or those with baby fine hairs in the recipient area sometimes require shaving, however this varies from patient to patient and depends on your type of hair loss, the characteristics of your hair, and the plan for your individual surgery.
Your physician will discuss the possibility of shaving with you, if needed, before your hair transplant surgery. Shaving the recipient area can be beneficial as it allows more accurate placement and design of your hair transplant, decreases time in surgery, minimizes the risk of existing hairs becoming trapped underneath grafts, and prevents the grafts catching and being pulled out after the surgery.
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