Hair Transplantation - Introduction

Hair loss is a widespread problem which people, especially men, must face even in their younger years. When hair loss has increased to abnormal levels and hair no longer grows back, there is a visible thinning of hair. The cause of
this is referred to as alopecia in medical terminology, which denotes thinning of the hair caused by primarily genetic factors. In addition, illnesses or accidents can precipitate abnormal and irreversible hair loss. The appearance
of bald spots above the forehead ("receding hairline") or on the back of the head have an overall negative
effect on one's outward appearance in most cases and this, in turn, affects one's self-confidence. Those affected often appear to be much older than they actually are.

When it becomes clear where the causes of your alopecia lie, the type of therapy can then be determined. This can be either hormonal or medicinal treatment or involve the transplantation of your own hair. The goal of a transplant using one's own hair is to equally distribute the hair on one's head. This causes the hair to look fuller, concealing bald spots.
The procedure is out-patient and uses local anaesthesia. About 14 days beforehand, you should refrain from enjoying alcohol and nicotine and stop taking certain medications such as aspirin.

The operation begins with the removal of a strip of hair from a region that still possesses ample hair (donor region). From this strip, small follicular units (i.e. hair packets which correspond to the natural bunching of the hair, up to 15 hairs), mini-grafts (hair packets with 2-4 hairs), or micro-grafts (hair packets with 1-2 hairs) are obtained. The bald spots which are to be filled with hair (receiving regions) are prepared such that small holes are created in the skin of the scalp. The transplants are then put in place. The wounds in the donor region are sewn shut and subsequently form a continuous scar. The compression bandage which will be placed on you should be worn for 1-2 days. For optimal results, the procedure must be repeated several times due to the fact that a single session only allows for the transplantation of a limited number of hair packets. In addition to the methods explicated above, there is also the possibility of directly removing and transplanting follicular units. This method itself makes the transplantation of body hair possible.
After the transplantation, there is a light amount of crust formation. Pains are generally limited and can be remedied through the administration of analgesics. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, sports activities can be taken up again about 2-3 weeks after the transplantation.

Overall, the transplantation of one's own hair will help you achieve uniform hair growth. This is typically accompanied by an aesthetic improvement and rejuvenation of your appearance. Proper hair growth can only be successful when the transplantation is carried out professionally and few risk factors are present. In the case of age-related hair thinning, the procedure can be repeated after a number of years have passed.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}