Serving Tucker, Decatur, Chamblee, & Brookhaven, GA
Hair Restoration Surgery in Atlanta, GA
A hair transplant is a surgical hair restoration procedure that involves moving hair follicles from a dense area to an area that is thin or missing.
Who Does it Help?
Your success with hair transplant surgery will greatly depend on the stage and type of hair loss you’re experiencing. For this reason, your interest in hair transplant should be met with a consultation with your surgeon or board-certified dermatologist and hair loss expert.
Those experiencing male pattern balding (MPB) caused by DHT levels and sensitivities should first get DHT and MPB controlled before considering a hair transplant. Once MPB and DHT are stable, hair loss has ceased or slowed and will predictably not continue after your hair transplant procedure making it a more beneficial and lasting treatment option.
Another factor to consider is the stage to which hair loss has progressed. Those at stage 3 of the Norwood Stage Diagnostic Scale may be good hair transplant candidates as other treatments are less likely to bring success at that point. Those with hair loss due to tramas such as burns and scars are also good candidates since hair is less likely to regrow there as well with other solutions and natural treatments. Once the scalp has been assessed and you’ve received an accurate diagnosis for your hair loss condition, your surgeon will go over some of the following methods of hair transplant to consider.
How Does it Work?
The Punch Graft method used to be the prototype for hair restoration removing a strip of skin and hair from the scalp to be placed into the hair loss site. Results from this method of hair growth have been commonly referred to as ‘hair plugs’. Today, surgeons use much more effective methods to bring better results to those looking to cure their hair loss. The most common hair transplant methods used now are titled Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). These methods have a couple key distinctions for consideration when choosing the procedure right for you.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) removes a 1.5cm to 30cm strip of healthy hair from a donor site on the scalp. From this strip, a surgeon will extract follicular units to then analyze and place into the hair loss site. The donor site, where skin and hair were removed, is sewn and may require some recovery time with potential to leave a small scar. (correct size of strip??)
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) on the other hand may offer patients less recovery time and very little scarring. With the FUE method, units of hair are placed in hair loss sites, however, unlike with FUT, no strip of donor skin is removed. Instead, each follicular unit is removed individually with FUE hence less potential for scarring. A few weeks post-surgery, the transplanted hairs themselves will fall out, but within a few months, your very own new hairs will grow.
What Does it Cost?
The cost of hair transplants can run anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000 varying greatly by individual conditions, surgeons, and methods. The FUT and FUE procedures are very complex requiring surgeons to devote 5-7 hours and their specialized expertise for each session. A consultation will help reveal your chance of success and whether or not the cost of hair transplant are worth it for your individual condition. If costs still outweighs predicted success of the procedure for your individual case, your surgeon can discuss other highly effective, less expensive treatment options including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP), topical prescriptions, dietary supplements, and/or Low-Light Laser Therapy (LLLT).
Follicular Unit Transplant
Used for the top of the head needing more dense filling, larger areas, or where fine hair placement is necessary (direct view – hairlines or front of scalp). Traditional FUT involves removing a strip of hair from the back of the head, then dissecting the hairs and individually placing them into the areas of thinning hair. A line scar is present on the back of the head which is easily covered by hair.
Follicular Unit Extraction
Hairs are removed individually, so less invasive, no stitches, and less downtime. Hair is placed into the areas of thinning. There is no line scar on the back of the head with this procedure. Small round scars are sometimes visible, but they are generally inconspicuous – this is a good option if you want to wear your hair short.
Eyebrow transplant
Eyebrows play a powerful role in your appearance. They aid in the shaping of the face, framing of the eyes, and giving your face and eyes expressions. Most of us are not born with perfect brows. If you have sparse or nearly absent eyebrows, you may desire to achieve a more aesthetically-pleasing look, and are looking for solutions. With an eyebrow transplant, you can permanently obtain thicker, fuller brows. Donor hairs are typically retrieved from the back of the head using the FUE method and implanted one at a time to the eyebrow. The patient and Dr. Hill will work together to decide the shape and density of the brows. The procedure can involve the transplantation of anywhere from 50 to 400 grafts per eyebrow. After the procedure, transplanted hairs will fall out for a few weeks and will regrow about 4 months post-transplant. The recovery time for an eyebrow transplant is usually 5-7 days.
Facial Hair Restoration
Facial hair continues to be a staple in men’s style. It is considered a symbol of strength and masculinity. Some men lack the ability to grow facial hair and want to restore hair in their beards, goatees, sideburns, or mustaches. A facial hair transplant is a procedure which restores hair to areas where facial hair is thin or missing. Men who want their facial hair to have an intensive look are good candidates for hair transplantation. FTM patients that want to achieve the full expression of masculinity are also good candidates for facial hair restoration.