Hair Loss
hair transplant faq
Hair Transplant Questions? Toll-Free 1.800.859.2266 | 604.739.4247
The following questions are most frequently asked by would-be hair transplant patients. If you have any other questions, please contact us.
Hair transplant cost is priced per follicular unit. To see a detailed description of pricing, please view our hair transplant cost chart.
Male pattern baldness involves a genetic susceptibility of some of the hair follicles to the hormone dihydrotestosterone, (DHT). This hormone acting over time on these susceptible follicles causes a gradual shrinking, (miniaturization), and finally death of these follicles.
The hair loss usually occurs in one of several specific patterns and hence it has been called male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. Only about one percent of hair loss is caused by other conditions. These include various nutritional, metababolic and hormone disorders.
Male pattern baldness involves a genetic susceptibility of some of the hair follicles to the hormone dihydrotestosterone, (DHT). This hormone acting over time on these susceptible follicles causes a gradual shrinking, (miniaturization), and finally death of these follicles.
There are two primary medications used to slow or halt the hair loss process:
Hair transplant surgery, performed by experienced, qualified surgeons, are the only effective means of reversing hair loss. Hair transplantation is a proven surgical method that has evolved to become the answer for those that suffer from hair loss.
The hair loss industry is a billion dollar a year industry that sells everything from balms to sprays. Many companies make claims about hair loss products and treatments that are unsubstantiated and not supported by empirical studies. Many in the medical community agree that hair transplantation coupled with prescription hair loss medication is currently the only effective means of reversing hair loss.
The transplanted hair is harvested from the permanent donor zone. In the vast majority of patients donor hair is resistant to the effects of DHT. No matter where the hair is moved to it will maintain its resistance to DHT and survive indefinitely. Only in extremely rare cases may donor hair be subject to the effects of DHT.
The hair transplant procedure is performed under local anesthetic. In general the only pain experienced is associated with administering this anesthetic. Most patients liken this discomfort to the sensation of a bee sting. There should be no other pain experienced during the procedure.
Postoperative pain is unusual with less than ten percent of patients requiring medication for this problem. Tylenol #3 is provided by the clinic in the event that you do experience any pain.
We do not generally provide any sedation during the procedure. If however you are experiencing anxiety we can provide you with some sedation. You will not be able to drive after the procedure if sedation is administered.
Yes, the recipient area must be shaved. In order to achieve the most natural results, the angle of the new hair must match that of the native hair perfectly. The incisions into the recipient scalp must be made parallel to the direction of native hair growth. Only when the hair is shaved to roughly 2mm is the true direction and angle of hair growth revealed.
If the native hair in the recipient hair is not shaved, the doctor must move the hair out of the way to make incisions. When this is done, the visible angles of hair growth are distorted and it become virtually impossible to match the angles, resulting in permanent shock loss of the existing hair.
If you would like to schedule your hair restoration procedure with a specific doctor this can be arranged. Otherwise scheduling is carried out based on availability.
Hair in the scalp grows in small naturally occurring bundles known as follicular units. The transplantation of the hair follicles in these same groupings is termed follicular unit transplantation or follicular unit grafting. By definition microscopic dissection of the donor tissue is required.
Mini/micro grafting is a technique by which small grafts are transplanted which do not necessarily correspond to the original follicular units. These hair grafts are usually obtained from a strip harvested with a multi-blade scalpel and without microscopic dissection.
There are multiple advantages to using the newer follicular unit transplantation method, including:
The Hasson & Wong Lateral Slit Technique is a method of creating recipient site incisions that allows for far more accurate control of hair graft angulation and direction. In addition, the coverage of bald scalp is increased on average by two hundred percent.
When closely examined the transplanted hair will grow in exactly the same orientation as found in nature.
Hasson & Wong have also introduced the concept of custom sizing incisions precisely to the size of the follicular unit. These incisions are smaller and greatly reduce trauma to the recipient scalp. Healing times are correspondingly much shorter. Read more about lateral slit technique.
Coronal angle grafting is synonymous with lateral slit grafting in that incisions are made perpendicular to the direction of hair growth.
Sagittal grafting is the old technique for recipient site creation. This technique resulted in greater scalp trauma and a less natural growth pattern. While this technique remains the most common technique used it is in our opinion now redundant.
There are two areas where scarring is a concern, the donor area and the recipient area. We address the issue of donor area scarring by not taking one long donor strip. We simply remove one small portion at a time. While doing so we continuously check for tension. Once the donor area harvesting is complete in a given area we use stainless steel staples that are specifically manufactured for cosmetic surgery. We have found that the use of these staples leaves consistently finer donor scars than traditional sutures.
Recipient site scarring is avoided by the use of the Hasson & Wong Lateral Slit Technique. The very nature of our technique requires the use of very fine custom cut blades. They are custom cut to match the width and depth of the very grafts we are placing in the scalp, thus eliminating unnecessary trauma to the scalp.
Because we can accomplish in one hair transplant procedure what takes several procedures in other clinics. Smaller sessions, while perhaps appropriate for some of our patients, rarely bring about the desired result in one session. We try to achieve what's known as a one pass result for each of our patients for a number of reasons.
Yes, we perform these super-megasessions daily. In our hands these procedures are very safe.
Not every patient can receive one of the large megasessions that Hasson & Wong are known for. There are many factors that determine whether a megasession is right for you, not to mention if it is even possible. These factors include but are not limited to:
Just because we can do 5000 grafts in one hair transplant session does not mean that we insist upon doing so. We understand that there are many factors involved with your decision to undergo a hair restoration procedure and the financial requirement is usually near the top of the list. Hasson & Wong understands this issue, which is why we have teamed up with several financial institutions that specialize in cosmetic surgery financing. Should financing not be an option Hasson & Wong can certainly work with you to determine the route that makes the most sense. If it involves two smaller sessions as opposed to one then we will certainly accommodate you.
For out-of-town patients who schedule a surgery of more than 1500 follicular units, Hasson & Wong pays for up to 2 nights accommodation at one of several hotels conveniently located in the heart of the city.
Most patients need only take 5 days to 1 week off from work. Most hair transplant surgeries are completed in a single session and recovery is minimal.
For the average patient, grafts will begin growing noticeably between 3 and 4 months post-op. The most significant growth will be seen between 6 and 8 months and growth will continue for up to one year post-op before you see the final results. Your transplanted hair will continue to grow for the rest of your life. See hair transplant growth for more information.
Depending on donor area density and hair characteristics the average patient can shave their hair down to a #3 (3/8 inch) blade guard. Some patients with above average density in the donor area can shave with a #2 (1/4 inch) guard. The trichophytic closure technique used by Hasson & Wong, in addition to refined donor removal techniques, results in donor area scars that are recognized as amongst the best in the hair transplant field.
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