Alopecia is a problem that affects both men and women, although it occurs more frequently among the male gender. There are those who resign themselves to living without hair, but there are also people for whom their hair is an essential part of their identity and their image and they do not want to be without it.

For the most serious problems of hair loss, dermatologists prescribe products that can slow down hair loss, but there is no product that is capable of making lost hair grow back.

Fortunately, medical-aesthetic advances have given rise to a technique that does allow hair to recover: it is hair transplantation . An intervention in which the depopulated area of hair receives hair from the patient himself. The objective is to create a new hair follicle that is inserted into the scalp and is capable of generating hair.

There are two common ways to carry out a hair transplant . The most common is the FUE method, which is the one to which we are going to dedicate this article, as it is the easiest to carry out and leaves no scar.

The other option is the FUSS technique, which is applied when FUE is not recommended. It consists of extracting strips from the donor area to implant them in hairless areas. It also gives good results, but the recovery is somewhat slower and affects the density of hair in the donor area.

Before the intervention

Hair surgery is delicate and time consuming to carry out, but it is not a complicated operation. Even so, it is important to make sure that the patient is in good health, so at least one blood test is usually performed to find out their general condition.

In preparation for the intervention, the patient should wash their hair the day before with a special shampoo that will disinfect the scalp. In addition, you will need to refrain from eating and drinking for six hours before hair surgery.

In the days leading up to it, you will have to refrain from taking medications that may affect blood clotting in any way, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. In case the patient needs to take them, they should consult with the specialist beforehand.

The intervention

Hair surgery begins with shaving the donor area . In the case of women, you can opt for a partial or local shaving. With a micro-scalpel, the best quality follicles are selected and extracted. They are left in a special liquid that is at a low temperature and that will take care of keeping them in good condition and intact until it is time to implant them.

Subsequently, micro-incisions are made in the area of the scalp that has bald spots and the healthy follicle is “planted” . You have to go follicle by follicle or work in groups of at most four hair follicles at the same time, so the intervention is usually long, especially if there is a lot of area to cover.

To reduce discomfort, local anesthesia is applied to the area of the scalp on which you are working. As a result of it, some swelling may appear on the forehead, and even in the eye area, but it disappears in a few days.

The postoperative

The objective of the intervention is for the hair follicle to grip in its new location, so during the first three days it is recommended to avoid manipulating the hair or scalp.

This hair transplant technique has the great advantage of not leaving scars, but it is normal that in the first days small scabs appear that will disappear in approximately 10 days.

In the three days following the operation, the area must be kept hydrated with saline solution. To wash both the donor area and the recipient area, it is advisable to use a neutral shampoo for at least one week.

It is important to protect yourself from the sun and avoid direct exposure to it during the first 15 days, so you can use caps or hats that are not too open.

After the intervention, a moderate rest of about 24 hours is recommended so that the body finishes eliminating the anesthesia. Afterwards, the patient can go back to normal life. However, you will have to wait at least two weeks after the graft to start playing sports again.

Also during the first weeks you must refrain from using aggressive chemicals on the hair, such as gel, hairspray, foam, etc.

Itching may appear as the area heals . Scratching can impair recovery, so the specialist usually recommends the use of a soothing ointment.

Advantages of the FUE hair graft

It is a minimally invasive process.
It is performed under local anesthesia.
It is a painless procedure.
Leaves no visible scars.
It allows to extract the exact units of hair to be used and hair follicles can also be obtained from any part of the body.
Sensitivity is not lost in the area where the new hair is grafted.
The new hair grows continuously, gaining strength over time.
The postoperative period is simple and short.
The result that is obtained is very natural.

What to expect after a hair transplant?

A few weeks after the intervention, the grafted hair will fall out, but the hair follicle will be healthy , which will lead to new hairs growing in its place. At first, the hair that comes out will be fine and weak, but it will gain consistency over time.

At the third month after surgery, the hair growth rate in the treated area will be 25%; at the sixth month, 50%; by the ninth month, 75%, and by the year there will be a growth rate of 100%. At that moment, the definitive results of this treatment can be verified.