For some people, hair loss in Palo Alto is a serious issue. It makes them feel older and reduces their self-confidence. Even if they haven’t met their twilight years, they feel like they are getting close—and that can be tough to deal with.
People shouldn’t have to grow old gracefully, and thinning or follicle loss can happen at any age, sometimes beginning as early as a person’s teens. This can have a huge impact on their life. Instead of having to shave their head so that they can regain some of their confidence and be happy with their looks, they may want to consider hair transplant surgery in Palo Alto.
What is this procedure?
In essence, this procedure will take follicles that a person already has and move them to fill in the area that is thinning or has no follicles. The process has been around for a long time, since the 1950s, but with the advancements in technology, it has changed over time.
The procedure is often done in a doctor’s office, and the surgeon will clean the scalp and inject a numbing agent into the back of the patient’s head. The doctor then has the option of two methods for the procedure: follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) or follicular unit extraction (FUE). They may even use robotic hair transplant in Palo Alto to help with the process.
FUSS Procedure
If the doctor decides to go with the FUSS procedure, he will remove a strip of skin from the back of the patient’s head that is 6 to 10 inches. That is then set aside, and the scalp is stitched shut. The follicles that sit around this area will hide it from view.
The team then takes the strip that was removed and divides it into 500 to 2,000 tiny grafts. Each one has one follicle or just a few follicles. How many grafts a person gets will depend on the size of the area that needs to be covered, the type, the color, and the quality.
FUE Procedure
For this procedure, the back of the patient’s head will be shaved. The follicles will then be removed one by one. When the area heals, there will be small dots, but the rest of the follicles in the area will cover them.
After that, the process is much the same as it is for the FUSS procedure. The grafts are prepared with one or two follicles per area. The area where they will be placed is cleaned and numbed. Then, slits or holes are made with a scalpel or a needle, and each graft is meticulously placed in each hole. The doctor may have help from a team to finish this process.
For both procedures, depending on how large of an area the patient is getting covered, it can take between 4 and 8 hours to complete. Another procedure may have to be scheduled depending on how much work needs to be done and what the final expectations are.
Recovery
After these treatments, the patient’s scalp may be sensitive and tender. In some cases, there may also be swelling or numbness at the donor site. With the swelling, this should resolve itself in a few days. The numbness can last for a few days up to several months, but it will resolve itself eventually.
With the FUE procedure, because small cuts are made on the head, the patient will notice some scabbing. However, these will be small and will heal within a few days. In some cases, the surgeon may prescribe a follicle-growing drug, minoxidil (Rogaine), to assist with the new growth.
It may be advised for the patient to take pain medication for many days after the process. The patient may have to wear bandages over their scalp for a couple of days to ensure that everything heals properly and infection doesn’t set in. In addition to the bandages, a doctor may also prescribe the patient antibiotics to ensure that they remain healthy.
Within 2 to 5 days, they patient should be able to return to work. Two to three weeks after the surgery, the patient will notice that the transplanted follicles will fall out. This is normal, and they should also notice that there’s new growth within a few months. In some cases, after 6 to 9 months, more than half of patients who have undergone this procedure will see new growth.
Normal Routine
It is advised that a patient take a week off from work to deal with the recovery period, but they certainly don’t have to. The doctor will let them know which is the best course of action to take. When it comes to their exercise routine, it can be restarted within the first week after the procedure—unless the doctor advises differently.
After the follicles have become established and start growing normally, they can be treated like a person would treat the rest of their follicles. It can be trimmed within a month, and then after that, if the person so desires, it can be dyed. Washing can return to normal, although the patient may need to use the follicle-growing drug to continue to stimulate growth.
The process is permanent, so the results will last for the person’s life. After a couple of years, it won’t be evident that the process had even been done. At this point, the patient will have no restrictions on what they can do with their follicles, and they’ll be able to style it any way they wish.
For people who have lost their confidence and zest for life because they are losing their follicles, they don’t have to face the future bald. They have options, and this procedure may be exactly what they are looking for. Talking to a doctor and knowing exactly what to expect can be beneficial and get the patient on the road to living a happier life.
Disclaimer: We are unable to guarantee any result, even though most of our patients do see success. The results of our services will vary greatly to each patient’s level of commitment and compliance with the program.
