Ask pre-screened hair transplant doctors questions about hair transplants and other hair loss topics
Start asking your own questions! Click here to start...
-
How long does surgery take?The length of surgery varies from 2 to 10 hours depending on the number of grafts, the ease of planting the grafts, and how easy it is to dissect the grafts. A average length of a megasession of 3000 grafts is about 8 or 9 hours.
-
Should I use Rogaine before surgery?Many people who are considering having a hair transplant procedure are currently using Rogaine. It is recommended that patients discontinue using Rogaine at least 5-7 days prior to having a hair transplant surgery. The reason is that Minoxidol which is the active ingredient in Rogaine is a vasodialator. This means that when applied topically to the scalp it will widen the diameter of the blood vessels. Therefore, increasing blood circulation which may cause more bleeding during the procedure than necessary. -
How long will the recipient area remain red for?
The length of time the recipient area remains red varies from patient to patient. I did transplants on two brothers a years or so ago. One brother had redness for almost 6 months, while the others skin returned to normal in just over a month. The average is 2 to 3 months.
-
How many times do I have to go in for surgery before I am finished with the procedure?There are many factors that need to be considered in determining how many procedures a patient will need. The actual size of the area where the hair loss or thinning has occurred must be measured accurately. Larger areas will have a greater possibility of needing additional procedures. Remember grafts placed over a large area will appear thinner/less dense than the same number of grafts placed within a smaller area. Hair characteristics also play an important role such as: curly/wavy vs. straight, fine vs. coarse, and light color vs. dark color. Donor density (number of FU’s/sq. cm) must be calculated in order to establish a reasonable game plan. Most importantly is what expectation the patient has and what the end result he/she is looking for. There will always be the chance that the patient will experience further hair loss with aging and another procedure might be necessary to maintain the original level of satisfaction.
-
How long does surgery take?The amount of time for a hair transplant can vary greatly and is directly influenced by two factors: the amount of hair to be transplanted and the number of technicians used to dissect the follicular bundles to be transplanted. I have twelve technicians on staff which is, as far as I know, more than any other clinic. This allows for the ability to transplant in excess of four or five thousand grafts on a regular basis. These procedures take about ten to twelve hours. Of course, I do many procedures that are much smaller in the one thousand to two thousand graft range and these can take roughly four to six hours.