With the information age, hair transplants have become more and more popular. However, this popularity is not without some misinformation, half-truths, and myths.
Unfortunately, damaging myths can dissuade hair transplant candidates from seeking more information and getting the help they need.
So what’s true and what’s not? Let’s look at some common hair transplant myths.
Myth 1: Hair Transplants are Painful
Huge misconception!
There are two different procedures you can get: A FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) or a FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation).
Whichever one you pick, the surgeon will apply local anesthesia before starting the procedure. This numbs you, making for a painless hair transplant procedure.
Once the anesthesia wears off, you might experience some mild pain or discomfort.
After the procedure, you will be discharged with antibiotics and painkillers. Once the anesthesia wears off, these should prevent infections and prevent pain. What you might feel is mild discomfort for a day or two, and this should be well managed with painkillers.
Myth 2: Hair Transplants Look Unnatural
Early hair transplant procedures looked far from natural. This was thanks to the technology and expertise at the time.
Over time, a lot of research has gone into the science. This is also supported by much better technology and excellent surgeon training. If you were to get a transplant done in a credible facility today, no one could tell transplanted hair from the rest of your hair unless you told them.
The hair transplant surgeons we have today focus on more than just increasing hair density. They pay attention to how the follicles are placed so that the transplanted hair faces the same direction as your old hair and perfectly blends in with the existing hair.
This ensures your entire head or beard is evenly haired and prevents the artificial, hair-plug look once synonymous with hair transplants.
Here are some results we have achieved for clients over the years.
Myth 3: Hair Transplants are Only for Men
Just like men, women suffer from hair loss, with thinning and loss of density.
The male and female hair loss pattern are different, however.
The most common form of male baldness is known as androgenic alopecia, and 50% of all men will get a level of baldness at some point after 50 years of age.
Men lose hair in an M-shape, where hair from the sides begins receding, forming an M-shaped hairline. It can also take on a U or V shape. The hair loss can keep thinning or falling off completely.
Hair loss can then progress to the vertex, the crown of your head. This male hair loss is measured using the Norwood scale of hair loss, and this scale helps rate the severity of the hair loss.
On the other hand, women’s hair loss happens differently. Instead of the hairline receding at the temples, women’s hair loss tends to thin at the top. What happens then is that you notice a thinning parting at the top middle part of the head. If the hair loss progresses, the thinning might make the hair part noticeably wider. Your ponytail also becomes less full.
One untruth about hair transplants is that they are for men only. The truth is that women can get successful transplants as well. Granted, there are more men and women getting transplants. For women with hair loss, a transplant fills the top and middle thinning part and leaves denser, more natural hair.
Transplanted hair is often resistant to most cases of hair loss, so women get thicker, stronger, permanent hair at the top of their heads.
Myth 4: Hair Transplants Provide Instant Results
A hair transplant puts some of your hair on the thinning or balding spots, meaning you go home with a fuller head of hair after the transplant, right? Well, not so fast.
Transplanted hair, just like all other hair, must go through the natural hair growth process. This happens in 4 phases:
Androgen (Growing Phase): this phase lasts 3 to 5 years. Here, hair follicles push out hairs that continue to grow until they either fall out, or teach their life span.
Catagen (Transition Phase): this begins right after the anagen phase and lasts about ten days. During this chapter, hair grows, and the hair follicles shrink. The hair also detaches itself from the follicle, but it remains in place as it grows.
Telogen (Resting Phase): your hair stays three months in the resting phase, with no growth or shedding. However, follicles released in the catagen phase begin forming new hairs.
Exogen (Shedding Phase): your hair falls out at this stage, with some help from combing and washing. During this phase, you lose 50 to 100 hairs every day. This goes on for 2 to 5 months, and new hairs grow in the follicles even as old hairs fall away.
The transplanted hair will follow this growth phase, and you can only expect noticeable results three months after the transplant. The final look will come in after a year to a year and a half of the transplant.
Myth 5: Hair Transplants are Extremely Expensive
While not cheap, hair transplants are not extremely expensive either. When you walk into a hair transplant clinic, the surgeon will assess your hair loss and give you an estimate of the number of grafts needed and how much these will cost. There will also be aftercare costs. These are one-off costs for the procedure, and the results last a lifetime.
Conversely, using hair care products and medications doesn’t always guarantee results, might offer temporary results, and can cost more in the long term. When you think of it this way, getting permanent hair can be a long-term benefit despite the costs.
Talk to the Experts
Once you begin looking into hair transplants, you will undoubtedly come across a lot of information, some true and others not. For your own sanity, it might help to speak to well-trained, experienced hair transplant surgeons for science-backed information. And that’s us at the Philadelphia Hair Restoration clinic.
We understand this is not a decision you can make on the fly. So, we open our doors to prospective hair loss patients, where we assess their hair, give estimates for the procedure, and discuss their concerns. And not just that, but we offer these consultations for free. Book your free consultation today.
