Hair transplant and its side effects that must be known

What is a hair transplant?

Hair transplants (also called hair grafts and hair transplants) are procedures performed to restore hair on areas of the scalp that have thinned to baldness. This hair surgery is available in various types, namely:

scalp tissue expansion surgery (flap surgery),
surgery reduces the scalp, and
hair implants.

The three hair surgery procedures can be combined with each other or performed separately. Each person who has a hair transplant may undergo different procedures depending on the condition of their scalp.

Who needs hair grafts?

Basically anyone can undergo hair grafting, regardless of gender. Even so, here are various considerations before doing hair surgery.

A healthy amount of hair on the scalp will be grafted into the areas that need hair.
The ability to grow hair on the thinning part of the scalp.

By consulting your doctor, you will find out whether your current condition meets these requirements. In addition, you can also undergo blood tests and a scalp biopsy to check for the cause of the hair loss.

If the test results show that you are the right person for the hair graft, the dermatologist will tell you what the results will be from the operation.

Hair transplant procedure

doctors, performing, operation

Reporting from the American Academy of Dermatology, hair transplants generally last for 4-8 hours. The more hairs that are implanted, the longer this operation will take.

You will be given a local anesthetic that numbs the scalp during the hair transplant procedure. Some patients will also be given low doses of sedatives to relax them.

Initially, the dermatologist will pull out healthy hair by cutting a piece of skin from your scalp. The doctor can also perform a hair implant procedure by taking the hair strands one by one so that the results look natural.

If you like your hair cut short, the second option may be the right choice. However, pulling individual hair strands risks leaving scars and takes more time.

Next, the surgical assistant will prepare the scalp and hair that has been removed before the hair transplant is performed. After that, the doctor and his assistants will apply healthy hair to the area where it is needed.

Once all of the hair has been implanted, your scalp will be wrapped in a bandage and given instructions on how to perform hair care at home.

How long does hair transplant surgery take to recover?

Most patients report that they will see results 6 - 9 months after hair transplanting is performed. Others took 12 months. The length of time includes when the implanted hair loses 1-2 months after surgery.

This condition turned out to be quite normal. The reason is, the hair that falls out will be overgrown with normal hair. Also, your hair may appear thin after surgery.

Normally, a dermatologist will recommend drugs as a way to treat hair loss so that the results of the hair graft are maximized. Hair loss treatment needs to be done to reduce thinning of new hair.

It also aims to maintain a more natural looking result for years to come.

Hair transplant side effects

Although hair transplants are quite safe, there is a risk of side effects after the procedure. Below are some of the common side effects.

1. Reaction to anesthetic

During hair surgery, the doctor will provide anesthetic or local anesthetic so that the scalp does not feel pain. However, some cases show that patients have had an allergic reaction to the anesthetic.

This case is actually very rare, as many as 1 in 10,000 patients who are sedated can trigger an allergic reaction in the form of anaphylactic shock. Other reactions may cause itching, difficulty swallowing, coughing, and swelling in certain parts of the body.

2. Complications during and after surgery

Apart from allergic reactions, hair grafts also increase the risk of tachycardia or an accelerated heart rate. Conditions that can occur during this surgery are temporary, but can cause problems in patients with heart disease.

Although it's rare, you also run the risk of getting an infection after having a hair transplant. Infection can occur due to post-operative suture wounds that have the potential to interfere with blood circulation and form a crust. This causes infection and folliculitis conditions on the scalp.

Complications after this surgery usually occur due to not maintaining the cleanliness of the scalp and suture marks. To prevent this from happening, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics and antibacterial shampoo to prevent bacterial infection.

3. Irregular hair

Another side effect after undergoing a hair transplant is that the hair looks strange due to the improper placement of the hair follicles. This condition can occur if the surgeon does not pay attention to the direction of your natural hair growth.

Healthy hair growth normally does not extend perpendicular to the scalp, but rather grows at a more oblique angle. Moreover, this can happen when the hair follicles get closer to the temples.

That is why, the ability of a dermatologist when performing hair surgery is very important in the success of planting natural looking hair.

4. Other side effects

The three side effects above can indeed interfere with hair growth or overall health conditions. In addition, there are various risks of other health problems that arise after hair transplant, namely: