Why do hair transplants fail?
Here, we’re going to discuss the points that reduce transplant failure and increase success.
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Common Reasons Hair Transplants Fail
Hair transplants can occasionally fail due to several factors, including inexperience, poor post-op care, damaged follicles, and more. Here is a deeper look:
Inexperienced Surgeons
Number one is selecting the correct surgeon. That’s difficult to do sometimes, but I would suggest that you research the surgeon and find out how many transplants they have done in the past. Experience is always ideal.
You want to:
- Research the surgeon carefully
- Look at before-and-after photographs
- See their actual results
Avoid going to a surgeon who tells you he’s only done 50 transplants.
Poor Post-Surgery Care
Other factors that contribute to failure include the postoperative care after the transplants have been performed.
It is imperative. 50% of the success rate is based on proper aftercare, ensuring the transplanted hair has time to heal and grow properly.
Transplanting Damaged Hair Follicles
From a technical standpoint, one of the things a good surgeon will do is this: when he or she is harvesting the follicle, if that follicle is transected—meaning that the harvesting comes at an oblique angle—that follicle is already damaged and should simply be thrown away.
I guarantee that if that follicle has been damaged and is going to be transplanted, it’s going to fail. A good surgeon will not allow that. They’ll throw that away and extract the ideal follicles.
Choosing An Ineligible Candidate
Another key point is selecting the proper candidate.
If somebody comes in and needs, let’s say for example, 1,500 grafts to restore a hairline and the front, and the donor site clearly indicates to the surgeon that the patient does not have anywhere near 1,500 grafts, that patient is not eligible for a hair transplant.
Why? Because they will not get the fullness they want. They simply do not have enough donor hair, and the result will not match their expectations.
So, exclusion of poor candidates eliminates hair transplant failure.
Preventing Identifying Failure Early in the Recovery Process
In order to minimize hair transplant failures, it is very important for providers and patients to work together throughout the hair transplant recovery timeline.
The surgery, of course, is really important, but the postoperative care is as important as the surgery. During those postoperative days, especially within the first two weeks, it is very crucial that patients take good care of the follicles.
It takes about two weeks for follicles to make connections with the blood vessels, and that’s how the follicle and each hair survive. If that doesn’t happen, it doesn’t matter how the surgery went;, the hair is not going to survive.
That’s why postoperative instructions are really, really important.
Caring For Your Hair Transplant within The First 48 Hours
For the first two days, you’re not going to touch your hair.
Your first hair wash will be after 48 hours. It’s just going to be a pour technique, meaning you’re going to use either a shampoo mixture or soapy water, and it’s just going to be poured without touching the hair. Then you’re just going to let it air dry.
Basically, the postoperative period is all about not touching your grafts until they are really settled in. That’s how they survive, and that’s how you can minimize transplant failure.
Get Your Hairline Back with Philadelphia Hair Restoration
If you’re considering a hair transplant but are unsure about your eligibility, Philadelphia Hair Restoration can help. Our hair restoration specialists will evaluate your scalp and determine the most suitable hair transplant procedure to restore the thicker, fuller hair you want.
Ready to bring back the hair you remember?
