How Does Getting a Hair Transplant Actually Work?
Dr. Hootan Zandifar, MD FACS, is a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the ZandifarMD in Beverly Hills, CA. A native of Los Angeles, he received his medical degree from the prestigious David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and was then accepted... more
Hair loss is a devastating condition for both men and women. Research has shown that both men and women lose self-confidence as they lose the fullness and vigor of their hair. There are many remedies available to anyone who suffers from hair loss. However, in the end, hair loss typically continues. Currently, hair transplantation is the only way to grow hair where there is none. But how does a hair transplant work? Hair transplantation is a procedure where hairs from the back of the scalp are harvested and transplanted to areas of hair loss. These hairs tend to be resistant to the genetic effects of hair loss and will continue to grow and act normal and natural in their new locations.
The procedure itself is typically done as an outpatient, one-day, in-office procedure. The procedure can be performed through either a Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique or a Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Strip technique. The FUE and FUT technique usually refers to the techniques used to harvest the hairs. With the FUE technique the hairs in the back of the scalp are shaved and individual hair follicles are harvested one by one. The process is typically long but there is no scar on the back of the scalp. The FUT technique requires the excision of a strip of scalp from the back of the head. With this technique, there are sutures that need to be removed and ultimately a resultant scar.
Once the hair is harvested it is implanted in the new location one by one. This allows for a natural result that lasts a lifetime. Click here to learn more about hair transplantation.
