Will patients get a full head of
hair using Follicle Transplantation?
During
the consultation, all patients are advised to be realistic with their
expectations and that is is impossible for someone to regain the same
density he had when he was a teenager. Similar to all hair transplant
procedures, Follicle Transplantation merely redistributes hairs from one
part of the patient's scalp to another part. The cosmetic appearance of
the final results relies heavily on ample supply of donor hair. No one
patient can be promised that he will regain all his hair using Follicle Transplantation.
Gho Clinic is not aggressive when it comes to lowering a patient's hairline.
In most cases, the procedures are planned to restore a hairline that is
appropriate for the patient's age or simply to touch up areas that are
starting to thin.
When
can a patient expect to see results after the procedure?
Similar to traditional hair transplantation, Follicle Transplantation does
not give instantaneous results. Soon after the procedure, scabs will form
over and around the micro incisions where grafts were placed. The scabs will
eventually turn into crusts and will start to fall in about 10-20 days after
the procedure. Sometimes the transplanted grafts are lifted
off the recipient site at the same time when the crusts are separated from
the scalp. This is normal so please do not be alarmed thinking that the
grafts are lost. Unlike traditional hair transplantation where the
transplanted grafts will shed within a few weeks after the surgery, most of
the grafts under Follicle Transplantation will continue to grow after the
surgery. A small portion of the transplanted grafts, however, may shed within 60 days
after the procedure. The shedding is normal as
the transplanted grafts go through a new hair cycle before they regenerate.
In general, micro incisions that are created without removing bald tissue
heal 20% - 30% faster than incisions that are created by removing bald
tissue. The scabs/crusts associated with incisions that are created without
removing bald tissue are smaller too. These graft sites usually experience
faster hair growth than sites where bald tissues are removed.
Once the crusts/scabs have disappeared,
the recipient area may look bare or tender with a light pinkish color for a
while. In most cases the grafts will continue to grow without shedding.
Sometimes the transplanted grafts may go through a resting phase and will take about 3 months
before they start to
generate new hair. The regrowth will be much like our existing hair, at a
rate of approximately 1/2 inch per month. It may take up to 9 months or
longer before all the grafts are fully grown. Patients should not expect to
be able to objectively evaluate the results until 9-12 months after the
procedure.
What kind of density can
patients expect from this new hair transplant technique?
Although Follicle Transplantation is less invasive and more patient friendly
than traditional transplantation, it is a more labor intensive and less
efficient procedure for the doctors. A typical session at Gho Clinic that
lasts from 9 am to 5 am will give the patient at least 250 grafts. However,
Dr. Gho or Dr. Schreurs always strives to accomplish 300-400 grafts in most
patients. Unlike many hair transplant clinics that have extended surgery hours for
patients in order to accommodate more grafts in one session, Gho Clinic
adheres to the 9-5 schedule and very rarely performs extended surgery on
patients. Patients can rule out the possibility that they can have more than
400 grafts in one day by requesting an extended session.
Patients can, however, schedule consecutive sessions in the same trip
provided that the consecutive session is performed on a different balding
area. Patients who prefer
to have more than 800 grafts in one trip would have to weigh the pros and
cons and evaluate if Follicle Transplantation can meet their needs since it
is very rarely that patients can get more than 800 grafts in one single
trip.
