Side Effects of a Hair Transplant

The surgical hair-transplant procedure takes skin containing hair follicles and moves them from one area of the body to another, such as the scalp. Hair transplants are mostly used to treat male pattern baldness, but they can also be used on facial areas or to replace hair in areas where the follicles have been damaged due to scarring from injury or plastic surgery. Minor side effects associated with hair-transplant surgery include swelling of the scalp and hair loss.

History

• Hair transplants were experimented with throughout the 1800s, but the results didn't start taking effect until the 1930s, when Japanese surgeons began using smaller grafts. Instead of grafting a large chunk of skin and follicles, they began attaching very small follicular unit grafts, which is the process still used today. Hair transplants didn't become popular in America until the 1950s, when a New York dermatologist, Dr. Norman Orentreich, began offering free transplants to balding patients. He successfully proved that transplanted hair can grow like normal hair when transplanted into a "bald" site.

Time Frame

• Hair-transplant surgery usually lasts between four to six hours, depending on how large the area is to be transplanted. The surgeon takes a healthy piece of skin, usually from the back of the head, where a similar type of hair grows. The surgery is usually accompanied by either local or general anesthesia, as it can be painful. A doctor's assistant views the patch of skin under a microscope to determine how to separate the follicles carefully and completely. The follicles are then separated and placed individually, with the help of a sharp needle, into the bald area of the scalp. As long as you have no allergies to anesthetics, you should experience no side effects during your surgery, except for a little drowsiness and grogginess upon waking if you are given a general anesthetic.

Identification

• After your surgery, you may experience some hair loss in the areas where hair was transplanted. This is completely normal. You will be instructed to leave your hair completely alone for two days, then to wash your hair (especially your new hair) very carefully. Most of the transplanted hair will probably fall out during the first few weeks, but this does not mean the transplant has not taken effect or that no more hair will grow in. Do not be alarmed if you lose hair immediately after your transplant. See your doctor to monitor your progress.

Effects

• You may experience swelling on the scalp, head and forehead regions after surgery. Do not be alarmed if the skin on your head feels tender or even painful to the touch for the first week. Your doctor should regularly monitor your progress and see that your scalp is properly healing. If you experience any extreme bleeding or severe itchiness, or if your wounds appear to get worse, see a doctor immediately. It is possible, although extremely rare, to suffer an infection due to hair transplant, and the sooner it is discovered, the sooner a doctor can remedy the situation with antibiotics. Do not wait if you feel nervous about your recovery. See a doctor as soon as possible to discuss how you are feeling.

Warning

• Although side effects of hair transplants are rare, be aware that as in all surgical processes involving general or local anesthesia, you are putting yourself at risk for rare but serious injuries and even death. Make sure that you are seeing a dermatologist you trust and an experienced surgeon who is known for hair-transplant surgeries.