Hair transplants can be a great treatment for hair loss when carried out correctly by a professional hair transplant surgeon. The results can last for the rest of your life! However, such a procedure does not stop the balding process. In some cases, the transplanted hair may remain, while the rest of the patient’s hair may still be lost.
Professional hair transplant clinics work with their patients even after the procedure. They offer advice and guidance on how patients can maintain their results and recommend hair loss medication and other treatments to preserve their results and lower the risk of continued balding.
How Long Does a Hair Transplant Procedure Last?
A hair transplant is considered a permanent treatment, which means the results can last indefinitely. During the recovery phase, a patient may experience shedding about 1-2 weeks after the hair transplant surgery. This is a normal part of the healing process and is to be expected. After this, new hair will start to grow and become permanent on the scalp.
When a hair transplant is done, the hair follicles are taken from the donor area on the back of the head. The hair in this area of the scalp is chosen because they are usually not affected by DHT, a hormone that causes male pattern baldness.
Because these hair follicles are resistant to DHT, they tend to last longer. In some cases, they will last the life of the patient.
Can a Hair Transplant Last for 10 Years?
Yes, they can and usually last a lifetime. However, the longevity of the procedure depends on how successful the treatment is. As noted earlier, if the procedure is successful, the hair transplant can last the rest of a patient’s life.
Will My Transplanted Hair Turn Grey?
A successful hair transplant surgery will follow the natural ageing process the same as the rest of your hair. Transplanted hair will eventually turn white or grey.
Are There Any Long-Term Side Effects from a Hair Transplant Procedure?
Hair transplants are a medical procedure that requires surgery. For this reason, a hair transplant can carry the same risks as other medical procedures, with many of these occurring during the recovery time.
The side effects of a hair transplant can include the following:
- Scabbing
- Swelling
- Redness
- Shock loss
- Itching
Other complications that a hair transplant patient may experience include:
- Infection: is usually caused by a poorly performed procedure or lack of aftercare. Infection can cause scarring, pigmentation of the skin, and in some cases, necrosis (death of the skin). If necrosis occurs, the effect is usually permanent and the hair will not grow well (if at all) in this area.
- Hair transplant scarring: scarring after a hair transplant procedure is common after FUT procedures, rather than FUE hair transplants. Long-term visible scarring can occur, resulting in no hair growth in the area.
- Overharvesting: is the term for when too many hairs are taken from the donor area at one time. It can lead to scarring, resulting in hair that may not grow back to the same quality. And only a few hairs remain for future hair transplant procedures.
Will I Need Another Hair Transplant?
It is possible that you may eventually need another hair transplant procedure at some point in the future. Some patients, who want to achieve a desired result, may require multiple sessions to achieve these results.
But many patients are happy with the results of their first transplant once it has healed. However, they may later decide to fill in thinning patches of their scalp.
What is the Failure Rate of a Hair Transplant?
The good news is that failure rates are pretty low for hair transplants. The overall success rate is between 95% to 98%, especially when the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method is used.
What Causes a Hair Transplant to Fail?
While hair transplants are common procedures, they require an expert surgeon who has the necessary experience. There are several reasons a hair transplant may fail:
Donor area does not provide enough grafts: this may happen if the surgeon doesn’t perform a good preliminary study. The preliminary study of the donor area is essential to determine if the area has enough grafts to cover the recipient area.
Donor area has poor-quality grafts: a clinical examination is necessary to determine whether the donor area has hair that’s the right thickness, has a low number of follicles per graft, and more. If the examination is not done or is done poorly, the result can be a failed hair transplant procedure.
Implantation method has not been mastered: in some cases, a hair transplant may fail because the surgeon has not yet mastered the implantation method.
The follicular unit extraction method is not controlled: another issue is that the FUE method is not controlled. This can cause serious risks. Bad extraction of grafts can prevent new graft attempts in the future. This risk is higher when choosing a low-cost hair transplant clinic or when teams don’t have enough experience to perform the procedure.
Non-compliance with sanitation and sterilisation rules: compliance with sanitation rules is essential to ensure the safety of the patient and the results of the procedure. If sanitation rules are not followed, there’s a risk the patient could develop necrosis and/or other infections.
Finally, stress, poor diet, smoking, and other issues can cause a hair transplant to fail. Patients who want the best results after a hair transplant need to take care of their health in all ways.
When to Talk to a Doctor
If you feel self-conscious about your hair loss after a hair transplant surgery, it’s best to talk with your surgeon. There are some medical conditions and medications that can cause hair loss. And it’s essential to ensure that other factors are not responsible for the hair loss.
Summing It Up
A hair transplant surgery is meant to be a long-lasting procedure. It is possible to maintain hair transplant results for 10 years or more after your surgery.
The key to hair transplant success is to find a professional hair transplant surgeon and ensure they follow all sanitary and sterilisation rules.
And remember that a hair transplant doesn’t stop hair loss; however, your hair that was not transplanted will go through natural changes over time. In addition, your transplanted hair will eventually turn white or grey, like the rest of your existing hair.
