FUE Hair Transplant: Are You Ready To Undergo The Procedure?

Our hair is an integral part of our identity and is called our “crowning glory” for a good reason – unfortunately, hair loss and thinning is a common occurrence that can happen to anyone at any time.

Genetics, stress, hormonal imbalances, ageing, medications and lifestyle factors can all play a role in hair loss. The most common type of hair loss is known as androgenetic alopecia, or male and female pattern hair loss. This is a condition that is primarily influenced by genetics and the increased sensitivity of the scalp to the DHT (dihydrotestosterone) hormone. This hormone is responsible for causing your hair follicles to miniaturise and impede normal hair growth – eventually causing it to stop growing at all.

While there isn’t currently a complete cure for the condition, there is a permanent way to stop hair loss from progressing further.

If you have been feeling disheartened about your hair loss, it may be time to consider heading down to a hair transplant clinic and consult a doctor about your condition. Here is how to determine if you are a suitable candidate and what to expect.

Understanding the hair transplant

A hair transplant surgery works on the premise of “donor dominance” – which utilizes hair follicles that are resistant to hair fall and transplanting it to areas that require it.

During the surgery, hair grafts are extracted from a donor site and relocated to bald or thinning areas. There are two main types of hair transplant procedures conducted today: The Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant.

In the case of FUT, the surgeon removes a strip of skin from the donor site and closes the area with stitches. Then, a microscope is used to divide the strip of skin into individual follicular units containing one or more hair follicles before placing them into the desired areas.

On the other hand, the FUE hair transplant involves the surgeon using a small punch to remove the hair follicles individually. This procedure does not cause a large horizontal scar on the back of the head like the FUT does, is more comfortable and does not require stitches. However, it is a manually intensive and tedious process that is highly dependent on the skills, precision and experience of the doctor to achieve the best results.

In the case of an FUE hair transplant, the recovery is a fairly smooth process following proper aftercare as advised by your doctor. A typical procedure will require anything between 1,000 to 2,000 follicular unit grafts and side effects include some pain, discomfort and swelling during the first week. After the initial healing period is over, the transplanted hairs should grow out like the rest of your hair with the best results noticed after 9-12 months.

Here are some signs that you may be a suitable candidate:

Topical and oral medications no longer work for you

Patients who have seen little to no results with medications such as Minoxidil and Finasteride are suitable candidates for a hair transplant.

While such medications usually take some time to take effect (up to 6 months), if you have been taking them for several years and have yet to see any improvements or achieved the hairline that you want – you may want to consider getting a hair transplant.

Hair transplants are often regarded as the last treatment option for hair loss, and those experiencing mild-to-moderate hair loss may want to first consider treatments such as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) that can help to stimulate blood flow and boost hair growth. A 2020 study revealed that LLLT appears to be effective for treating pattern hair loss in both men and women with minimal side effects reported¹.

Most of the time, patients can see better results when combining a hair transplant with complementary treatments such as oral and topical medications and LLLT.

You are in good general health

Medical conditions such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood-clotting problems or the tendency to form keloid scars can complicate the surgery and affect your results. A hair transplant is, after all, a surgical procedure, and because Asian skin tends to be thicker and tighter, this can result in poor wound healing and a greater risk of side effects if proper measures are not taken.

Be sure to tell your doctor if you currently under any drugs or medications and provide a clear medical history so that they can assess whether you are a suitable candidate and provide recommendations.

You are of the right age

Both men and women can experience hair loss at any age after puberty, but if you are relatively young (under 25), it might not be wise to jump straight into hair restoration treatments such as a hair transplant just yet.

Reason being: hair loss experienced in androgenetic alopecia is often a slow and gradual process – for the doctor to better gauge your pattern of hair loss and design a hairline that suits you in the long run, it is best to wait for hair loss to stabilize first.

You have sufficient donor hair

Not every individual who has androgenetic alopecia may be suitable for a hair transplant. This is because hair transplants ultimately work on the premise that there is sufficient donor hair available for transplantation. For men, this means having sufficient healthy hair at the sides and at the back of the head to use as quality hair grafts.

To achieve a sufficient density and desired coverage, you’ll need to have a substantial amount of hair left to work with. Hair density and scalp laxity are two important factors when determining who will be a good candidate for a transplant – those with low laxity of the scalp (i.e. a tight scalp) will find it more difficult to remove follicles from the scalp and transplant them, as opposed to someone who has high laxity (i.e. a loose scalp).

You have realistic expectations

An important thing to remember is that a hair transplant does not bring fast results. This is because the newly transplanted hairs don’t pick up the hair growth cycle immediately.

A phenomenon known as “shock loss” occurs during the first few weeks after the procedure where transplanted hairs fall off; however, eventually grow back within the next 8-12 months following surgery. This is a completely normal part of the healing process and should not be a cause for concern.

The thing about hair loss is that it’s a gradual process – just like how hair growth is a cyclical system, you need to wait and be patient before seeing results. In addition, while a hair transplant is considered to be permanent, it isn’t the cure-all and hair loss can still occur in the future.

However, studies have shown that the estimated survival rate for transplanted hair grafts is around 90-95%², and when done with an experienced and knowledgeable doctor, this can mean enjoying a natural-looking, beautiful hairline for as long as possible.

Restore your full crowning glory today

If you are tired of dealing with hair loss and no longer want to feel ashamed of what you see in the mirror, let Dr Angeline Yong support you with a personalized treatment plan based on your unique condition, lifestyle and preferences.

As the previous founding consultant and lead of the hair transplant service in the National Skin Centre, Dr Angeline is a Dermatologist in Singapore that offers a full range of medical and surgical treatments that are complementary to give you the best hairline possible in both the short and long-term.

The quickest way to determine whether or not you are ready for a hair transplant is to book a no-strings, one-on-one consultation with Dr Angeline today – contact us to find out about our FUE hair transplant cost and more today.

References

Egger A, Resnik S, R, Aickara D, Maranda E, Kaiser M, Wikramanayake T, C, Jimenez J, J: Examining the Safety and Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy for Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Review of the Literature. Skin Appendage Disord 2020;6:259-267. doi: 10.1159/000509001

Parsley, W. M., & Perez-Meza, D. (2010). Review of factors affecting the growth and survival of follicular grafts. Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, 3(2), 69–75. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.69014

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FUE Hair Transplant: Are You Ready To Undergo The Procedure?