Hair transplant 101 | Hair Transplant.org

Who Is Qualified To Do a Hair Transplant?

Posted on November 12, 2010

A hair transplant is not only a medical procedure that requires a high degree of technical skill, but also an artistic one, where the doctor needs to create a natural looking result. While the answer to the question on who is qualified to do a hair transplant might just depend on who you ask, there are a few basic qualifications that many hair transplant experts would agree on.

The most basic qualification to performing a hair transplant is being a licensed medical doctor. But simply being a medical doctor is often not enough, and there are many additional qualifications a hair transplant doctor should have. Other than having extensive training in hair transplantation, additional training in another field, such as dermatology or plastic surgery can also prove helpful. In fact, many doctors who specialize in hair transplantation are also plastic surgeons or dermatologists. Continue reading →

Hair Transplant Terms: What Is Transection?

Posted on November 10, 2010

In the hair transplant industry, transection refers to the potential damage that can occur to the hair follicles during the hair transplantation. More specifically, transection is when there is damage to the lower portion of the hair follicle, often the hair bulb, which will prevent it from generate new hair. And this damage greatly increases the risk that the follicle will not grow, or survive, once transplanted. Luckily, most hair transplant clinics work hard to keep their transection rates as low as possible.

There has been much discussion on what an acceptable transection rate should be, as well as transection rates between different hair transplant techniques. For instance, some hair transplant experts claim that there is less of a transection rate with a strip procedure, while other experts claim that the newest automated hair transplant tools, such as the NeoGraft, CIT and Safes scribe systems, have the lowest transection rates. While the transection rate at many hair transplant clinics is usually lower than 5%, it is also possible for it to be much higher than that. There have been reports of clinics that have up to a 50% transection rate, which of course is unacceptable by industry standards. Some clinics pride themselves in having only a 2% transection rate. Continue reading →

Hair Transplant Megasessions vs. Smaller Sessions

Posted on November 8, 2010

One of the concerns that many prospective hair transplant clients face is whether they should do one megasession or several smaller sessions. While not everyone is a good candidate for a megasession, they are becoming more popular. Both megasessions and smaller sessions have their disadvantages and advantages and understanding what each approach entails is important in order to make the right decision.

While every hair transplant doctor have their own definition of what a megasession is, it is usually over 2000 grafts for an FUE procedure and over 3000 grafts for a strip procedure. This means that anything under 2000 grafts is considered a smaller sessions. While most people have enough donor supply to have a smaller hair transplant session, far from everyone can do a megasession. The client needs to have enough donor hair in order to do a megasession. Continue reading →

Hair Transplant to Reduce a High Forehead?

Posted on November 5, 2010

While many people have a naturally high forehead, not everyone wants to have one. In some people the forehead can be so high that it looks cosmetically unappealing and causes unhappiness. And it is quite common to have a high forehead without experiencing any hair loss. However, a variety of hair transplant techniques can often improve this cosmetic imperfection. Having a high forehead is not only seen in men, but also in women and the desire to improve its appearance is often strong. Women can be especially bothered by this imperfection, as it makes them look less feminine. In recent years, the hair transplant industry has developed an answer to anyone looking to reduce their forehead. Continue reading →

Hair Transplant Surgery: Are You a Good Candidate?

Posted on November 3, 2010

While a hair transplant is a safe and efficient way of giving someone a fuller head of hair, not everyone is a good candidate for this surgical procedure. And even though only a hair transplant doctor can determine someone’s eligibility for a hair transplant, there are certainly a few common factors to consider.

Though each hair transplant doctor have their own set of factors that they use when determining whether someone is a good candidate or not, there are definitely certain factors that many doctors can agree on. An ethical doctor will carefully consider all different aspects of the client’s eligibility for a hair transplant before deciding to perform one. Continue reading →

Hair Transplant Facts: Why Adequate Donor Supply is Critical

Posted on November 1, 2010

When it comes to hair transplants, having an adequate amount of donor supply is critical. Donor supply refers to the amount of hair that the client has available to transplant. This hair can be transplanted to other areas of the scalp, such as the crown and frontal hair line. With a limited donor supply, the doctor can only do a limited hair transplant. It is not possible to achieve full coverage when there is not enough donor supply.

Everyone has a unique amount of donor supply, and the exact amount depends on hair density as well as other factors, such as scarring. Only an experienced hair transplant doctor can tell exactly how much donor hair is available for transplantation. However, nobody has an unlimited donor supply. And a hair transplant doctor cannot magically grow hair, but only redistribute hair that is already on the patients scalp. Using any other hair is usually not an option. Continue reading →

Hair Transplant Scar Revision

Posted on October 29, 2010

It is not uncommon for those who had hair transplant surgery many years ago, before today’s modern techniques were available, to have been left with a cosmetically unappealing scar. And it is quite common for those with this type of scar to want to improve its appearance. While it may not be possible to completely eliminate the visibility of the scar, a skilled and experienced hair transplant doctor can usually bring some improvement to it.

There are several different ways in which a hair transplant scar can be improved, but the extent of the improvement depends on a few different factors. The exact location of the scar and the laxity, or flexibility of the scalp is two of the most important factors when considering a scar revision. A scar with a poor placement can make it difficult for the doctor to repair it, and in some cases even make it unrealistic to attempt. While a variety of factors will affect the outcome of the scar revision, the skill of the doctor might be the most important factor of them all. Continue reading →

Hair Transplant From Another Donor?

Posted on October 27, 2010

Not everyone who considers a hair transplant has an excellent donor supply, and those who don’t might wonder if they could have hair donated from a family member or relative. While this might seem like a great idea at first, there are several reasons as to why it is not a realistic option.

While it is technically possible to extract hair from one person and transplant it into another, the body will recognize that it is foreign tissue and most likely reject it. The body’s immune system is naturally prone to recognize and reject foreign organisms and tissue. And because the skin protects our bodies, it is even more likely than other parts of the body to reject foreign tissue. As the donated hair would be rejected, the hair transplant would simply be ineffective. Continue reading →

Different FUE Techniques

Posted on October 25, 2010

The FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method is one of the most popular hair transplant procedures available today. But those who consider a hair transplant with this method might have noticed that there seems to be many different variations of it, and would like to know what the exact differences are.

Traditional FUE procedures require individual manual extraction of each hair follicle. This process is known to be time consuming, and thereby more expensive than other hair transplant methods. In recent years, handheld devices that aid in the extraction of the hair follicles have been introduced, and there are several different versions available. Continue reading →

When Multiple Hair Transplant Sessions are Needed

Posted on October 22, 2010

One of the first things prospective hair transplant clients might wonder is how many sessions they will need. The number of sessions needed will depend on many different factors, and while it is possible to complete a hair transplant in a single session, it is not uncommon for someone to need multiple sessions.

The exact number of hair transplant sessions needed to achieve the desired outcome is individual and varies from person to person. Several sessions over a longer period of time might be recommended and can be beneficial in several ways. Having several smaller sessions instead of one big will allow the doctor to assess the outcome of each procedure before proceeding. Being able to evaluate each individual procedure is helpful in determining the optimal size and direction of each graft for future hair transplant sessions. This process will help the doctor to achieve a final natural looking result. Continue reading →