“You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”  If you had a dollar for every time someone spoke those words to you…well, you’d have at least a few more bucks in your pocket. And yet that cliché – as tired as it might be – still hold water when it comes to thinning or balding hair.

Hair plays a significant role in how a person looks and can affect the way people see themselves. In fact, hair loss can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and more. So, what’s the good news? You don’t have to sit idly by and watch your hair disappear. A hair transplant can help bring back that full head of hair you once had, or at the very least, give you a fuller head of hair than the one you’re sporting now.

What to Expect

Hair transplant surgery involves moving your natural hair (donor hair) to an area with thin or no hair. During your up-front consultation, your doctor will evaluate your hair loss and discuss treatment options. Procedures are typically done in a hair surgeon’s office and begin with a thorough cleaning of your scalp followed by an injection to numb the area the grafts will be removed from.

Once the grafts are prepared, the surgeon cleans and numbs the receiving area and delicately places each graft into a slit or hole he or she creates with a needle or scalpel. The process usually takes between 4 and 8 hours, depending on the extent of the transplant. A patient may also need a touch-up procedure to create more natural looking results.

Recovery

Following surgery, your scalp may feel tender and you may need pain medication for several days. Your scalp will be covered with bandages for a day or two and you may be prescribed an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory. Barring any complications, you should be able to return to work in 2 to 5 days, although it is recommended to avoid strenuous activity for at least 10 days post-surgery.

To ensure that your incisions are healing properly, your doctor will likely want to see you several times during the first month after the procedure. It’s imperative that you follow any advice you receive at your follow-up visits.

The transplanted hair will fall out about 2 to 3 weeks after surgery and you should begin to see new hair growth within a few months. Most patients will notice approximately 60% of new hair growth around the 6 to 9 month mark at a rate of about half an inch per month.

Does that sound like something you can live with, and perhaps not live without? Either way it’s time to learn more during a free consultation with the transplant team at DiStefano Hair Restoration Center. We look forward to giving you back your hair.