Another hair transplant success story! Here at The Treatment Rooms London we wanted to share another before and after hair transplant photo. This gentleman was young and was suffering from the effects of male pattern baldness. Early recession of his frontal and temporal hairline meant he looked older than he was.
This gentleman was in his early 20s. Being conscious of his hair loss so far he wanted to be proactive in addressing his recession. His areas of concern were his receding frontal and temporal hairline. Being at an early stage of male pattern hair loss he was keen to start Finasteride but he wanted to rejuvenate his hairline, bringing it forward to match his facial shape.
In order to restore his hair to a hairline he wanted, the surgeons in our clinic agreed that he would benefit from a hair transplant.
For this patient, the crucial stage in his treatment was managing and planning his hair loss in the future. There was no use in undergoing a hair transplant if he was going to recede further, behind his transplanted hair. Choosing to start finasteride was an important step in allowing a hair transplant to take place- especially in his 20s.
Our surgeons had to plan his transplant carefully around the following points:
How he wanted to style his hair in the future
How thick his hairs were
His desired hairline
How much he had receded so far and his expected hair loss process as he continues to age
As you can see, we suggested a mature hairline for this gentleman. The aim of the surgery was to:
Give him a natural hairline that is brought forward
Fill out his temple region
The surgery
Extraction of 1100 grafts for implantation into the frontal hairline and temple region. This was carried out using the FUE (follicular unit excision) method in one session.
Before and after hair transplantation
This patient’s result is 10 months post surgery. We can expect further growth and thickness over the next 7 months.
Frontal and temporal hairline hair transplant 10 months post surgery
Following his hair transplant, the grafts have rooted in nicely. They have grown in 10 months with some new grafts sprouting hairs at the time this photo was taken. His hairline is natural with no “pluggy” look. His temporal hairline has also been filled in and thickened.
Interested in having a hair transplant?
Our surgeons would welcome a visit by you into our clinic. Choosing to have a hair transplant is a big decision and we take our time to answer your questions surrounding this treatment.
Feel free to contact us by clicking the link below:
Hair Transplant Surgery– What Is It? Also called hair restoration surgery, hair transplantation is an operation where you relocate hair from one part of the body to a bald area. Commonly, hair transplants are performed to restore hair on the head. This is what we, at The Treatment Rooms London, specialise in.
Why Have Hair Transplant Surgery?
You might find that you are suffering from hair loss due to:
Hair transplants are just one treatment for hair loss. There are many different medical treatments that can stabilise hair loss and you should consider them before undergoing surgery.
If you have considered medical treatments for hair loss and you either decide:
You don’t want to have medical treatment
Medical treatments are not working to stop or reverse your hair loss
You would like to restore hair in areas you have now lost it
Then you can consider a hair transplant as a treatment option to restore hair in areas you are bald in.
How Does It Work?
Hairs at the sides and back of the head are life-long and are not be affected by the balding process. These hairs can be taken out and transplanted into balding areas- this is a hair transplant.
A hair transplant is a permanent solution to balding as the hairs that are re-implanted are life-long hairs. However, like any surgery you will need to carefully consider whether the procedure is the best option for you. One of the main considerations you will need to take is when to have the procedure.
When Should I Have A Hair Transplant?
Hair transplants are not a treatment for those early in their hair loss journey (e.g. age <26 years). This is because the processes driving hair loss (the hormone DHT) are still very active and can cause you to bald further. We encourage our younger adults to wait or commence medical treatments to prevent DHT and stabilise their hair loss before deciding to undergo hair transplant surgery.
This will have a number of advantages:
If you decide to have a hair transplant in the future, your desired hairline and thickness can be planned to suit you for a longer period of time
It reduces your need for a second or third hair transplant
Your surgery will be less complex
You will preserve more hairs in the donor area
The total cost of your hair transplant will be reduced
The back and sides of your head contain a finite number of hairs. This means you and your hair transplant surgeon need to plan carefully how many can be safely taken out and re-implanted to give you a look you desire. This conversation needs to take into account the following factors:
How bald are you?
Will you bald further? (Dependant on age and medical history)
Are you going to start medications that prevent more hair loss?
What type of hair style do you ideally want to have?
By considering these questions, you and your surgeon will be able to gleam how many hairs are required to give you the look you want. But most importantly, when you should look to have a hair transplant.
Having A Hair Transplant
If you have decided you are interested in having a hair transplant you will need to choose your surgeon and clinic carefully. We have written a lot about this topic and you can read more about it here:
Ultimately you must choose a licensed clinic with a GMC registered surgeon. Once you have chosen your surgeon and clinic you will then plan to undergo surgery. The procedure usually takes 8 hours and consists of 2 halves. One half you will be lying on your front whilst hairs are taken out from the back of your head.
Once the hairs have been taken out the second half of the procedure involves implanting them back into the areas you and your surgeon have agreed to transplant. You can find out more about this process on our webpage:
This will give you a good insight into what you can expect on your day of surgery.
After Your Hair Transplant
In the days following your hair transplant you will need to follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully. This should involve clear advice on the following topics:
Sleep
Spraying your grafts with salt water
Washing and cleaning your scalp
Exercise
Medications
Going back to work
You can read more about these topics and our own methods at The Treatment Rooms by clicking the following links:
The first 14-30 days after your surgery are crucial. We advise that it takes 2 weeks after your transplant for your grafts to fully settle and “root in”. This means that you need to be extra careful in those initial 14 days. Depending on the size of your transplant and your recovery this period can extend to 30 days. It is always best to check in with your surgeon in this initial recovery period. This will put both yours and your surgeon’s mind at ease!
How Long Will It Take For Your New Hair To Grow?
Frustratingly your transplanted hair will actually fall out in the first 3 months. However, rest assured you hair roots are still in the scalp and they will begin to grow new hairs over the next 12-18 months. You will need to be patient after your hair transplant as the process of regrowth can take a while. So, it is an investment in time as well as the cost of the procedure itself. You eventually get to a hair style you and your surgeon have planned for.
Having Your Hair Transplant At The Treatment Rooms London
If you are interested in knowing more or having your hair transplant at our clinic then feel free to contact us. Our mantra is personalised hair transplants meaning every patient is different. We use different and subtle techniques to plan and recreate your desired hair based on what would suit you best. To see some before and after hair transplant examples at our clinic click the link below:
Do you have redness after your hair transplant? If you do, normally it goes away with time but in some cases you may need treatment. This blog will help you understand more about the redness and what this means for your recovery. At The Treatment Rooms London we always like to check on our patients to see how they are recovering after their transplant. One of the key questions is how much redness they have after surgery.
What is redness after a hair transplant?
The red colour of your skin after your hair transplant can be seen at the back of your head (donor area) and where hairs have been implanted (recipient area). Also called, erythema, it is simply inflammation following your hair transplant. As the surgery involves making cuts into your skin, these cuts will start to heal at the back and around your newly implanted hair. The processes that contribute to healing cause redness and that’s why you see it.
Normal redness after a hair transplant
How long does the redness last?
As your scalp starts to heal the redness should reduce. Many patients may find that their redness is completely gone after 2 weeks. However, in some large hair transplant cases this healing process can take longer. As a result it can take a while and even up to a month for it to completely go away.
Will it affect my transplant?
Normal healing related redness should not affect your transplant. However, in some cases redness isn’t caused by normal healing and you will need to see your surgeon to check your recovery. These causes are listed below:
Folliculitis (hair infection)
Cellulitis (skin infection)
Cysts (small round swelling under the skin)
Skin necrosis (dead and dying skin)
All the above can affect your donor area or recipient area after a hair transplant and therefore we advise you keep an eye out for them. Their common symptoms and signs are detailed below as well as our recommended treatment.
Folliculitis
Some patients may suffer from an infection around the newly implanted hair follicles. The risk of this occurring can last up to 8 months. You can see folliculitis has small red pimples forming around each hair even with a small pus (yellow) head. It can feel hot, itchy and painful. This is actually a fairly common condition after a hair transplant. The cause can be due to a bacterial infection (10%) but in many cases bacteria aren’t found (23%), (1).
Treatment is simple and effective. You can leave it alone and it will gradually resolve by itself. However, we recommend you see your surgeon to get it properly looked at. You might benefit from warm compresses or a course of antibiotics/ antibiotic cream to help fight any bacteria that could be there. Be sure to keep your scalp as hygienic as possible to prevent any further problems of infection, (2).
Cellulitis
Cellulitis involves an infection of the skin on your scalp, (3). After undergoing a hair transplant you skin is at risk of bacteria finding their way in and causing an infection. If you have cellulitis you will notice your redness may start to spread, your scalp feels painful and you may even develop a fever.
If you have these symptoms it is important you see your surgeon immediately. A course of antibiotics and daily monitoring to make sure your infection is improving should fix this problem. You will know your skin infection is getting better if the redness stops spreading and eventually disappears.
Cysts
Cysts are small circular sacks that grow under the skin. They can occur at your donor or recipient area. They are caused by a number of potential factors including grafts not being taken out of the donor area or implanted properly. Cysts can also be caused by your skin healing abnormally. You can see cysts as they swell, become red and they are painful, (1).
If you think you are suffering from cysts then please see your surgeon. Treatment is straightforward. Your surgeon may decide to take out the cyst or advise you to use warm compresses on the area. Your surgeon may choose to start you on a course of antibiotics if needed.
Skin Necrosis
Skin necrosis is a condition where you skin is dead or dying. This is a complication that should never happen as it suggests poor surgical skill by your surgeon. It looks like a deep scab on your skin and it can appear at the back of your head or where hairs have been implanted. It can appear within the first 2-4 weeks after having surgery. You may notice your skin start to look dusky or purple in colour before the skin starts to die and go black. A picture below is an example of what skin necrosis looks like.
Areas of skin necrosis after having a hair transplant in an unregulated clinic
If you notice you have any of these signs in your skin you must see your surgeon immediately. You will need to have your necrotic skin removed. The area will scar and no hair will grow there unless you choose to have fat grafting and a second hair transplant procedure.
Itching and Redness
As we have mentioned before, itching is common after your transplant, (click here to read blog). Itching can affect your donor or recipient area following your hair transplant. It can be treated easily and you must see your surgeon if you continue to itch after 2 weeks. Itching can delay healing and in some serious cases can affect the result of the transplant. It is a common cause of redness after 4 weeks.
Still worried about redness after your hair transplant?
Send us an email or Whatsapp us by clicking the icon to ask for our advice. Our Hair Loss Doctors and Surgeons are happy to help!
Suffering from cellulitis (skin infection)? Read hereto find out more about what the NHS recommends for treatment.
Suffering from folliculitis (hair infection)? Read hereto find out more about what the NHS recommends for treatment.
