Hair Transplant
Hair transplant surgery is one of the most sought after cosmetic / plastic surgery by men. People suffering from male pattern baldness or receding hairline are among those who opt for hair transplant surgery at our Flood Gates Plastic Surgery Clinic in Chennai. “Doctor, why am I losing my hair?” is the most frequently asked question, says Dr. Mohan, one of the finest plastic surgeons at our clinic in Chennai. There are multiple reasons why people (not just men, women are losing hair fast unlike a decade ago) are losing hair.
Some reasons for hair loss include:
- Stress – leading cause for several other health issues including hair loss.
- Diet – Poor diet and poor hygiene habits.
- Genetics
- Hormonal Imbalance – Stress, unhealthy food habits, insufficient nutrition etc can lead to hormonal imbalance in the body and that can lead to hair loss. (Eg: hypothyroidism).
- Medicines that are used to treat other medical conditions. (Eg: Treatment of cancer)
- Pollution – Exposing hair to air pollution and heat (especially in countries like India) can damage your hair.
Types of hair transplantation surgery
There are two different (conceptually similar) ways in which the hair is transplanted from a “well growing” region to the bald area. Usually, in bald people, hair continues to grow on the sides and on the back. Hair is taken from these places and implanted in the bald areas. The follicles then grow as usual and hair starts growing naturally.
The two types of hair transplant surgery are:
- Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Both the surgeries are performed under local anaesthesia and are day care procedures. In FUT, grafts of skin (with around a dozen hair follicles) are taken from the donor location and fixed in the bald region. Whereas in FUE, each or a cpl of hair follicles are taken from the donor site and implanted in the bald region. FUE is more popular than FUT procedure.
Note: The hair implanted either through FUT and FUE is permanent and remains there for lifetime. However, a little bit of hair loss can be expected in a few months after transplant. If you have a genetic condition that doesn’t allow hair to grow on your scalp, you may not be a good candidate for hair transplant surgery.
Complications of hair transplant surgery
It is most important you pick the:
- A more experienced plastic surgeon
- A good hospital / clinic who maintain 100% hygiene and take care of their surgical instruments.
Here are some of the complications that can arise if the transplantation doesn’t go well:
- Bleeding for days after surgery
- Infection at donor or recipient site(s)
- Fever
- Pus and other fluids draining from incision sites
- Eventually the skin in the recipient spot can die and fall off forming a bad crust exposing the underlying tissues on the skull.
- Temporary and sometimes long term loss of sensation
- Awkwardly planted hair that grows like patches.
Cost of hair transplant surgery in Chennai
Cost of hair transplant surgery ranges from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 5,00,000 as of today.
This depends on the number of follicles that needs to be transplanted and the number of sessions that will be needed. Include in it the hospital charges and doctor’s expertise. (Excellence doesn’t come cheap.)
