What is a Hair Transplant?

Men and women can start to lose hair at any age. While many think of hair loss as a problem associated with middle age, some people notice thinning hair as early as their twenties. A hair transplant can move healthy hair follicles to your thinning areas to provide fuller hair growth. Transplanted hair comes from your own scalp and will grow naturally in its new location.

What Causes Hair Loss?

Hair loss has many causes. The most common cause, androgenic alopecia, has a strong genetic basis and affects men and women. With this condition, men tend to lose their hair in a characteristic pattern with a receding hairline and hair loss on top of the head. Women will most often notice that hair has thinned around the temples and a widening part if you part your hair near the center.

What is a Hair Transplant?

A hair transplant removes hair from areas of your scalp that are not affected by thinning and moves them to where you need them. Since androgenic alopecia occurs in patterns, your surgeon can predict which areas have hair follicles that will keep growing hair after transplantation. The transplant allows you to fill in thinning areas with hair that looks and feels natural. A hair transplant may be an excellent choice if you feel self-conscious about hair loss.

How Does a Hair Transplant Work?

During a hair transplant, your surgeon removes follicles from the back of your head, processes them, and then places them in their new location. Since hair follicles are only a bit wider than hairs, extracting them requires precision and patience. The process of placing each follicle takes time, especially since the distribution, angle, and position of each follicle will determine how the resulting hair will grow. A surgeon with experience in hair transplants can create results that look and grow like your natural hair.

What is Getting a Hair Transplant Like?

Your surgeon will use a local anesthetic to keep you from feeling any discomfort during the procedure. A hair transplant is time-consuming, so you can expect it to take up to eight hours. Larger areas of thinning hair will require more transplanted follicles. Tell your surgeon if you feel any discomfort at any point during the treatment.

Am I a Good Candidate for a Hair Transplant?

Whether you make a good candidate for a hair transplant depends on why you experience hair loss. Your surgeon may run tests to determine whether transplanted follicles will grow in your thinning areas. If you have a good chance of success with the procedure, your surgeon will ensure you have reasonable expectations about how much regrowth you can expect.

How Much Does a Hair Transplant Cost?

The cost of a hair transplant varies according to your location, provider, and the number of follicles transplanted. A hair transplant costs $7300 on average. This may not include all your expenses and fees, so a consultation offers the best way to determine what you can expect to pay. As with any other procedure, your provider’s skill and experience can significantly affect your results.

Can I Use Other Hair Loss Treatments With a Hair Transplant?

You can use most topical treatments and medications for hair loss after your transplant. Your surgeon may recommend adding these products to help maintain your new hair growth. A hair transplant does not correct the cause of hair loss, so treating this with medications can help make sure your transplanted hair lasts for many years. Some people will need a touch-up hair transplant in the future to replace hairs lost over time.

Is There Any Downtime After a Hair Transplant?

A hair transplant requires many tiny incisions in several parts of your scalp. These areas will feel sensitive and sore after treatment. Your scalp should heal completely within a few days. Avoid using harsh products or scrubbing your hair during that time. You can resume most normal activities after the procedure, but your surgeon may recommend holding off on your exercise routine for up to a week.

What Results Will I See With a Hair Transplant?

After your hair transplant, your new follicles will need time to grow new hairs before you start to see a difference. Thinning areas begin to look fuller, restoring a more youthful appearance. This hair grows as it did in its former location so that you can treat it just like your normal hair. For the most natural-looking results, choose a surgeon with experience in hair transplantation. You will notice that hairs on your head grow in particular directions and at different angles, and for your results to look natural, each transplanted hair must match its new neighbors.

Take the Next Step – Request a Consultation

Want to learn more about a hair transplant? Schedule your consultation or by calling Specialty Aesthetic Surgery at (212) 737-8700. We look forward to working with you!

Specialty Aesthetic Surgery serves the greater NYC metro area.

About our Surgeons

Bruce Moskowitz is an experienced and board-certified oculoplastic surgeon. His practice encompasses all areas of oculoplastic cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He has a well-known reputation for revision surgery, and a large portion of his practice comes from other colleagues to revise sub-optimal outcomes.

Grigoriy Mashkevich is an experienced and double-board certified facial plastic surgeon. He belongs to a highly select group of surgeons with a focused specialization in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the nose, face, and neck.

*Individual results may vary.