Hair grafting (micrografts and flaps)
Cosmetic Surgery - Plastic Surgery - Aesthetic Medicine - Reconstructive Surgery
Baldness, whether in man or woman, is badly perceived. Aesthetic
surgery, with the advent of hair micro-grafts, has changed baldness
treatment. Hair transplants allow hair follicles from areas of the
scalp which still have hair (usually in the region of the crown that
will not thin out) to be transplanted and implanted in those areas that
are already bald (frontal area and tonsure).
Treatment for baldness requires the use of multiple surgical
techniques; currently there are four, which can be used separately or
combined in the same patient:
micro grafts; flaps; tonsure reduction and lifting of the scalp.
Two surgical techniques are involved in hair transplant itself:
-micrografts allow the size of the operation and residual scarring to
be reduced. A small strip of scalp is removed and then cut into
fragments of one to three hairs (micro grafts) or four to eight hair
(minigrafts) to be implanted in the area to be treated. It takes at
least two micro graft sessions to achieve a good density of hair.
- Flaps are longer, still attached to the scalp through the vascular
system; the surgeon rotates them towards the frontal region. This
procedure allows a high density of hair to be achieved using one
procedure. .
The two other treatments for baldness are:
-tonsure reduction, which is the complete removal of a portion of the
bald area; closure is then undertaken immediately using the elasticity
of the skin.
-the lifting of the scalp is an important technique involving a significant scalp reduction with one or two flaps.
Surgery for baldness is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon; it
is done like any other surgical procedure with preoperative assessment
and consultation with an anaesthesiologist. Surgery for baldness can be
carried out under local anaesthesia, local anaesthesia in combination
with tranquilizers or classic general anaesthesia (that is the case for
lifting of the scalp).
It takes a period of 3 to 6 months for the result to be fully
appreciated by the patient. This is the time needed for healing and
recovery of tissue flexibility.
Do not forget that surgery for baldness, performed in many cases for
purely aesthetic reasons, is a surgical procedure with all the risks
associated with any medical procedure (anaesthesia and surgery) even
when carried out under the best circumstances, that that is to say by a
qualified plastic surgeon. Without overstating the risk, a proportion
of risks do exist. Turn to a qualified plastic surgeon can prevent
complications or help to treat them effectively.