Hair Transplant Surgery And Its Complications

Hair transplant is a surgical process in which hair is restored to the bald part of the scalp or body. It involves moving hair follicle to recipient site from the donor site where there is baldness or hair loss. The type of hair restoration or transplant is determined by the pattern and degree of hair loss, individual’s desire, choice, and lifestyle.

After hair is being grafted from the hairy part of the scalp to the balding area, hair begins to grow and keep growing for life. Micrograft produces virtually no scar. About 90% of the transplanted hair sheds in the first month and new hair begins to grow normally. Hair transplant can also be done to chest hair, pubic hair, eyebrows and beard hair.

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) involves hair transplant in follicular unit since hair grows normally in groups of 1-4 hairs. There are two ways of harvesting donor hair;

Strip harvesting- this is the most common type, whereby the surgeon remove a skin strip from the back of scalp where there is a normal hair distribution.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE)-  It is a useful and very effective technique for harvesting hair. It produces fewer scars. This method is preferred for patient with short hair. Although, FUE takes more time than the strip harvesting technique. It takes a couple of hours to complete and micrograft FUE recovery is in less than 7days. FUE can be performed manually, motorizes or with robotic hair restoration devices that uses robotic arms and camera which assists the surgeon.

Complications of Hair Transplant

•  Hair thinning is the major complication of hair transplant.
•  Bald patches may also be seen.
•  After hair transplant, swelling may occur in the forehead and scalp. It mostly appear in the first 4 days. Black eyes might be noticed in some
• Itching may occur thereby renders the individual uncomfortable. Itching is normal after the surgery and should not last for more than few days.
• Individual may experience hiccups and pains for few days. The use of pain reliever helps to minimize the pain.

 Other side effects of hair transplant include ;

• Bleeding,-bleeding is another side effect of hair transplant. Applying pressure on the area can put stoppage to the bleeding. In cases whereby bleeding did not stop, extra stitching may be done by the surgeon. It is advisable to avoid aspirin and some other natural remedies before surgery.
• Tuft of hair may look too artificial
• Infection, cyst and inflammation of hair follicles may appear. Antibiotics given by the surgeon helps to minimize bacterial infection.
• Numbness at the recipient site, that is, lack of sensitivity at the scalp or area of transplantation. It is temporary and may occur in few weeks.

Post-surgical Care and Instructions

This is the care required to be done after hair transplant.

• The recipient site of the head or other part of the body where hair is transplanted to must be protected from sun.
• Shampoo the hair after 2days to prevent scabs formation around the hair shaft.  Scab can cause the risk of the hair follicles newly transplanted to be losing in the first 7-10 days of surgery.
• Ensure a good wound semi-permeable dressing to prevent bleeding.