If you are fortunate enough to have a full head of hair in your fifties, chances are you’ll keep it for life. However, for many men, hair loss will be inevitable. Roughly 80% of men will experience some amount of balding, with in a noticeable change in appearance. Many men (and women) become increasingly self-conscious as their hair begins to become progressively thinner and eventually dies altogether.

Most often, hair loss is not caused by an illness but is simply a genetic trait. It begins most often in middle age, but can start as early as in the teens. It can also skip generations. And it is not necessarily passed on from the mother’s side of the family, as a widely circulated myth claims. Scientists aren’t really certain how this genetic trait is passed on.

There are several available treatments for restoring a natural looking head of hair. The most common is the hair transplant. In a hair transplant, the doctor removes hair follicles from a different part of the body and grafts them onto the area of balding or thinning. Micrografts (grafts of 2-3 hairs) and minigrafts (grafts of 4 or more hairs) are frequently placed just behind the hairline to build up hair density.

If you are considering a hair transplant, the following information will provide you with a good introduction to the procedure. For more detailed information about how this procedure may help you, we recommend that you consult a plastic surgeon who is board certified or has completed a residency program that includes instruction in this procedure.
 

Your doctor will begin with a complete medical history. He/she may also take photos, and give you specific instructions about how to prepare for the procedure.Be sure to tell the doctor if you have had previous hair replacement surgery, if you smoke, or if you take any drugs or medications, including aspirin.

Take this opportunity to ask all the questions you have about the procedure, and ask to see photos of the doctor’s recent patients, before and after procedure. Also ask for, and follow up on, patient references. Learning everything you can about your options, risks and benefits is the key to making an informed decision. See Questions to ask your doctor below.
 

Strips or patches of hair are taken from the back of the head. Hair from this area is less likely to thin, regardless of where it is transplanted. Hair removal from this area is also virtually undetectable. As much as half of the hair in this area can be taken without producing a noticeable difference.

The removed patches, or strips, are cut into smaller pieces, which are then “planted” in the balding area. This transplanted hair continues to grow just as it did before. It will not thin or die unless hair in the region of the head from which it was taken also thins or dies.

There are two common methods used for removing hair to be transplanted. Hair can be removed in small circular areas (plugs), each containing between eight and twelve hairs. Or, hair may also be removed in long strips along the sides or near the bottom of the hairline. The advantage of the second method is that it provides the physician with more hair to cut and mold into different-sized plugs and/or grafts. Thousands of grafts can be created from one strip of hair, each containing as few as 1-2 hairs.

Next, incisions slightly smaller than the plugs are made in the balding area. For grafts, even smaller incisions are made with a tiny scalpel, or even a needle. Your doctor may use a laser to make these tiny cuts. (Despite marketing claims, a laser in this situation has no special advantage over other incisioning tools.) The plugs/grafts are carefully spaced in order to allow adequate blood supply and produce a natural angle, growth direction and appearance.

Sutures are applied to close the area where the grafts or plugs were taken from. The skin will naturally stretch to cover a wider area. No sutures are required in the area where the plugs and grafts have been placed. The body’s natural fluids will bond the plugs and grafts to the head.
 

During the first two or three days following the procedure, there may be some discomfort in both the area that hair was taken from as well as the area of the transplant. Mild headache, swelling and bruising around the eyes are common.

Bandages are usually applied after the procedure and should be left in place overnight. The sutures are removed about 10 days after the operation. It is common for medical staff to shampoo the hair the first time after the procedure, and your doctor will give you instructions regarding hair grooming during your recovery. Some scabbing usually occurs in both areas, and should disappear within about 8-10 days Some numbness may also occur, and may last for up to 2-3 months.

There is a small risk of the plugs/grafts coming out, so you should avoid vigorous or strenuous exercise until scabs have completely healed.