Hair Transplants - What you Need to Know Before you Go

Hair Transplants - What you need to know BEFORE you go.

Some years ago when I was in my mid twenties I convinced myself that as my father and uncle had both lost the fight against hair loss that I would soon be going the same way.

There was a lot of press around at the time about a new hair transplant procedure called 'micro grafting' where small groups of hair from the back and sides of the scalp, the areas where male hair is predisposed to grow for a lifetime are removed in small strips, dissected into small groups of between one and three hairs and inserted into the frontal hairline area of the scalp with a scalpel.

I had seen some before and after pictures and this seemed like the answer to my young prayers so I signed on the dotted line and underwent my first procedure of 1000 micro grafts.

The surgery went well apart from a few days of bruising and it was only a month or so before my new hair started to grow

but that was when the implications really started to dawn on me.

Firstly, what I didn't realise was that to build a full hairline it cannot be done in one session as the hairs have to heal before the gaps can be filled with more hair so you are left with a fairly reasonable hairline but one which is definitely distinguishable from the real thing.

Secondly, this meant having a second procedure which meant more money and more hair from the back and sides and that was only to fill in the frontal area. What about in a few years when the rest falls out?

Now if you can imagine a ninety year old man who only has a small amount of hair left on the sides and back of his scalp there isn't always going to be a lot of donor hair to use and can you imagine moving all the ninety year olds hair from the back and sides and making a full head of hair? It's not going to happen is it?

So here I am, some fifteen years later, growing my hair long and hiding the little islands which are growing in front of where my hairline is now and wondering what I will do when eventually my hair decides it's time to leave for pastures new.

Sure, there looks like some impressive results these days with all the new hair transplant ads I see everywhere but as a post op hair transplant patient I can notice a mile off when someone has had a procedure and I think that much more thought should go into the long term implications of acting on a whim when you are very young. Better to have a short hair cut and stop worrying than to always feel conscious of staring eyes.

Finally, if you are going under the knife. Make sure you go to a reputable company and get to meet some patients who can show you some before and after pictures and don’t be afraid to ask many questions and certainly look at their hairlines so you can see what a rebuilt hairline looks like so you are under no illusions about what is and is not possible from a hair transplant.

I hope this helps you come to a more informed decision about hair surgery.