How Long Does a Hair Transplant Last?

A hair transplant surgery is one that helps in moving the hair follicles from one site of the donor's body to the scalp of the donor, so as to help in better hair growth. This is typically used to fix balding and hair loss issues including male pattern balding. This surgical hair transplant process does not act on the epidermis or dermal layer of the scalp. The longevity of a hair transplant procedure generally depends on the type of procedure that has been carried out.

So let us know more about the procedure and how long it may last:

1. Pre operative Assessment: The surgeon will do a detailed analysis of the scalp of the patient so as to understand the cause of hair loss. This will also help the doctor in suggesting what kind of procedure will be required and whether or not the patient will need single or multiple sessions.
2. Harvesting Methods: With mild sedation, this simple outpatient method ensures that the scalp is properly cleaned before the extraction and implantation of hair follicles takes place. The angle of the hair growth is studied so that the transplant may happen at the same angle so as to ensure that the new hair also grows similarly to make it look as natural as possible.
3. Strip Harvesting: With this method, the hair follicles from the donor site are removed and a strip of skin is harvested from the posterior scalp where there is good hair growth. In this method, the doctor or surgeon will usually make use of binocular Stereo microscopes to remove the excess fatty and fibrous tissue. All the while, the doctor will ensure that no damage is accorded to the follicular cells during the grafting process. This is also known as 'Trichophytic Closure'.
4. Follicular Unit Extraction: When one or four hairs are extracted using local anaesthesia, the process of harvesting is known as follicular unit extraction. This can take any number of hours depending on the number of grafts which may also go up to 200! These grafts are usually called micrografts and are said to last the rest of the patient's lifetime. The hair that has been harvested in this process will be nourished by the normal blood flow to the scalp, much like the rest of the patient's hair. After the surgery, it takes a while for the hair growth to show.
5. Genetic Hair Loss: While the hair transplant method may be permanent, one must remember that the genetic hair loss of the patient is a permanent process as well. The hair transplant may ensure that the hair grows back, but it cannot prevent one's hair loss due to genetic factors.