Most Common Candidates
The Rest of the Story
Hair loss can be detrimental to both the appearance and the ego. Thick, lustrous hair styled in the latest fashion is a source of pride and confidence for many. But this pride is often replaced with embarrassment and self-consciousness as we wake up one day to find a pile of hair in the shower drain and a different person staring back at us in the mirror. What can be done to stem this tide of confidence-destroying hair loss?
In centuries gone by, wigs and hairpieces were the only option to cover up the onset of baldness. Over the last 50 years, however, effective treatments have been developed to appropriately treat baldness and permanently prevent its return.
Hair Transplantation
Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure which permanently restores hair and hair growth to balding areas. “Donor” hair from the patient’s own scalp is harvested from the back of the head where hair remains growing for a lifetime. Using special instruments our professional surgical team, led by Dr. Darrell Gallant, will remove fully intact hair roots from this area, then neatly close the incision with medical-grade sutures. Dr. Gallant then prepares the hair grafts for placement in the bald areas of the scalp.
Who’s It For?
In both men and women there are four major criteria we consider when determining eligibility for the hair transplant procedure:
- Hair density of the donor site at the back of the patient’s scalp
- Hair caliber – Is it fine? coarse? large or small in diameter?
- Contrast between scalp and hair colour
- Curl Pattern
We also believe that hair transplantation is best suited for those individuals in the latter stages of hair loss. Transplantations done during the early stages of hair loss will often become inadequate as the individual loses more hair around the transplanted area throughout their life. This may result in many repeat procedures in order to achieve the desired effect. For hair restoration solutions better suited to the earlier stages of hair loss, please consider one of our non-surgical procedures.
Transplantation Techniques
Hairfax uses a cutting-edge transplantation technique known as vari-grafting to give you the most realistic looking head of hair possible. Vari-grafting refers to the practice of using all predominant methods of grafting in the transplantation process, including:
- micro-grafting (inserting one hair at a time)
- round-punch grafting (inserting circular groups of hair for thickness)
- linear slot-punch grafting (allows angulation and direction to complete the natural look)
Taking your own needs and requirements into consideration, our surgical team will work with you to develop a transplantation plan unique to your goals and situation. We will then determine what mix of these three techniques is right for you and proceed to restore your hair to its former glory!
Recovery
Following the procedure, it will take only 5 days for the transplanted hair grafts to develop a new blood supply and begin to grow. Here’s what you can expect during the recovery process from day 1 onward:
- Day 1: You will leave with a bandage around your head to keep your new grafts in place
- Day 2: The head wrap can be removed as scabs have begun to form which now grip the new hair tightly
- Day 7: Scabs will fall off and new hair will begin growing from the root base (not visible yet)
- Day 10: Sutures (stitches) from the back of the head where the hair was harvested can be removed
- Day 30: New hair can be seen pushing past the surface of the scalp
- Day 90: All grafts are growing feverishly. Even those that were initially lost due to effluvium
- 2 Years: It generally takes 2 full years of letting the new hair grow and be cut until full thickness is reached and your new head of hair is fully realized.
If you have any more questions about the hair transplantation procedure and what to expect, please contact us.
Health Considerations
Because it is a surgical procedure requiring anesthetic, incisions and a healthy immune system, not everyone is medically able to receive a hair transplant. For this reason, Dr. Gallant and our qualified team of technicians assist each of our clients by performing a full array of blood tests prior to surgery. Clients’ blood is tested for a wide array of viruses, diseases and disorders that may cause complications either during or after the procedure.
Preliminary blood testing is also important in determining whether or not a client’s hair loss is the result of metabolic, nutritional or hormonal imbalances, rather than the result of genetic predisposition. If hair loss is occurring because of a lack or iron in the diet, or a lack of estrogen in some women, hair loss may be prevented and even reversed without surgery.
Atlantic Hairfax is the only hair restoration facility to perform such blood work as part of the hair transplantation process. We believe it is of the utmost importance in determining a client’s candidacy for transplantation.
Possible Complications
Patients may experience one or more of the following minor complications after a surgical hair transplant:
- 5% chance of swelling – Swelling of the forehead usually occurs 48 hours after the procedure. In rare cases swelling may also occur around the eyes and nose. Swelling can be avoided by sleeping in a semi-seated position for the 2 nights immediately following the procedure. Patients may use extra pillows to prop their head up or use a reclining chair.
- 3% chance of some post-operative hair loss in female patients – This occurs only in the transplanted area and is due to trauma to the scalp, though it may cause some adjacent hairs to fall out temporarily. This is a temporary condition. All lost hair will re-grow. In some cases Rogaine may be prescribed to help keep hairs from falling out,
- Hair loss around the donor site - This occurs in some patients who are undergoing multiple sessions. Typically, patients whose scalp elasticity is not what it used to be may experience hair loss around the donor site. This can usually be corrected by a minor procedure a few months following the procedure. During this minor procedure we will revise the donor site and draw it together again with sutures. This procedure takes approximately one hour and is, of course, free of charge.
- Nausea or vomiting – We typically prescribe Tylenol 3 for pain maintenance following the procedure. However, in some instances where stronger pain medication is required, narcotics may be prescribed. It is the narcotics that can often produce nausea or vomiting in recovering patients.
Other Surgical Services
Though hair transplants are our primary business, they’re not our only business when in comes to surgical procedures that can improve and enhance your appearance. Dr. Gallant and our surgical team also offer the following surgical services:
- Scar revisioning – If you suffer from abnormal hair or facial hair growth due to scar tissue around your face or scalp, we can help. Through one or a series of scar revisioning procedures, we can reduce the noticeable effects of scar tissue and restore your natural hair growth patterns.
- Eyebrow transplants – Unsatisfied with your eyebrow density or lack thereof? Through a surgical procedure similar to standard hair transplantation, Hairfax can give you the eyebrows you’ve always wanted.
- Eyelash transplants – We can even transplant the delicate hairs around your eyelids if you’ve lost them due to accident, illness, or genetic predisposition.
