Hair implant
Cosmetic Surgery - Plastic Surgery - Aesthetic Medicine - Reconstructive Surgery
The hair implant is a fragment of scalp tissue, whatever its size,
transplanted as a graft, surgery that involves transferring to a
receiving patient tissue to be taken from the patient himself. It is an
auto graft.
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.
There are two techniques for hair implants:
-micrografts allow a reduction in the size of the operation and
residual scarring. 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 treated area. It takes at least two
micro graft sessions to achieve a good density of hair.
- flaps are longer and still attached to the scalp through the
vascular system. The surgeon rotates them towards the frontal region.
The flap is a living tissue which is not detached from the body. Unlike
grafts, flaps are vascularised. They will be fixed by suture to the
recipient area of the scalp.
This is a technique reserved for patients with good elasticity of the scalp:
-tonsure reduction, is the complete removal of a portion of the bald
area. Closure is immediate, using the elasticity of the skin.
This is a technique is reserved for large areas of baldness. It combines lifting and hair implant:
-the lifting of the scalp is an important technique involving a large scalp reduction with one or two flaps.
Surgery for baldness is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon. It
is carried out like any other surgical procedure with preoperative
assessment and consultation with an anaesthesiologist. Surgery for
baldness can be done under local anaesthesia, local anaesthesia in
combination with tranquilizers or classic general anaesthesia (that is
the case for the lifting of the scalp).
The period of hospitalization after surgery for baldness varies
depending on the type of surgery and anaesthesia. The procedure can be
carried out on an outpatient basis but sometimes a short period of
hospitalization may be recommended. Surgery for baldness is a
procedure, the duration of which depends on the surgical work to be
done by the plastic surgeon. Each surgeon uses his/her own technique
that is adjusted to suit each patient so as to get the best result.
Following transplantation of hair implants you must rest for 4 to 8 days.
The postoperative consequences of surgery to the scalp are variable in
duration and magnitude, depending on the patients: they may include
headache, swelling (oedema) and ecchymoses (bruises).
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 (scars
are inevitable, permanent, indelible and unpredictable), and for the
recovery of tissue flexibility.
Do not forget that baldness surgery, 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 done under the most favourable circumstances, that is to say by a
qualified plastic surgeon. Without overstating the risk, a
proportion of risks exist. Turning to a qualified plastic surgeon can
prevent complications or help to treat them effectively.