Hair Transplant
It's a type of surgery that moves hair you already have to fill an area with thin or no hair.
You usually have the procedure in the doctor's office. First, the surgeon cleans your scalp and injects medicine to numb the back of your head. Your doctor will choose one of two methods for the transplant: follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) or follicular unit extraction (FUE).
With FUSS, the surgeon removes a 6- to 10-inch strip of skin from the back of your head. He sets it aside and sews the scalp closed. This area is immediately hidden by the hair around it.
Next, the
surgeon's team
divides the
strip of removed
scalp into 500
to 2,000 tiny
grafts, each
with an
individual hair
or just a few
hairs. The
number and type
of graft you get
depends on your
hair type,
quality, color
and the size of
the area where
you’re getting
the
transplant.
If you’re
getting the FUE
procedure, the
surgeon’s team
will shave the
back of your
scalp. Then, the
doctor will
remove hair
follicles one by
one from there.
The area heals
with small dots,
which your
existing hair
will cover.
After that
point, both
procedures are
the same. After
he prepares the
grafts, the
surgeon cleans
and numbs the
area where the
hair will go,
creates holes or
slits with a
scalpel or
needle, and
delicately
places each
graft in one of
the holes. He’ll
probably get
help from other
team members to
plant the
grafts, too.
Depending on the
size of the
transplant
you’re getting,
the process will
take about 4 to
8 hours. You
might need
another
procedure later
on if you
continue to lose
hair or decide
you want thicker
hair.