After surgery, the scalp may be very sensitive. You may need to take pain medications for several days. The surgeon will ask you to wear bandages on your scalp for at least a day or two. They may also prescribe an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory medication for you to take for several days.
Most people can return to work 2 to 5 days after surgery. However, the most frequently asked questions among prospective patients are “do hair transplants work?” and “how successful are hair transplants?” Graft survival rates after a hair transplant range from 90 to 95%. Basically, this means that the hair that is transplanted from the donor area to the receiving area must remain in good condition. It's important to know that two to eight weeks after surgery, the transplanted hair will fall out.
By the third month, your hair may look thinner than before the transplant. In other words, a hair transplant after 10 years will still maintain your line, but will look natural with the rest of your features as you age. Some research suggests that removing body or beard hair takes longer and requires more skill than using scalp hair. One study found that most people who underwent FUE with body hair or beard hair combined with scalp hair were satisfied with the results after an average follow-up of 2.9 years.
It's important to keep them in mind, especially since the details of hair transplant surgery are often unique to the person undergoing treatment. The study followed these patients about three years after treatment and recorded an average satisfaction score of 8.3 out of 10, which clearly demonstrates the success rate of FUE hair transplantation. Some of the most popular transplant options include follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE). Technological advances in the way the procedure is performed have made it safer and more efficient, which has increased the overall results of hair transplantation and the success rate.
Within 2 to 3 weeks after surgery, the transplanted hair will fall out, but you should start to notice new growth within a few months. For these reasons, it's important to schedule a consultation with your doctor or the person performing the procedure beforehand to determine if you're a good candidate for a hair transplant. As for how long it will last after that, a professional and experienced surgeon will be able to provide you with fuller hair that will last a lifetime, although natural aging will continue to affect your hair normally. For the best results from a hair transplant, your dermatologist may recommend medication to treat hair loss.
It's the hair follicles themselves, not the scalp, that have the genetic predisposition related to hair loss and baldness. After surgery, you'll likely experience what's known as the “shedding phase,” a process in which up to 90% of the transplanted hair falls out. While overall hair transplant success rates have steadily increased in recent years, there are some important factors that may influence this. Thanks to technological advances, hair transplant surgery is now considered an effective and successful procedure.
Hair loss and thinning are a normal part of aging, but they can also occur due to a medical condition or trauma to the scalp.