Hair loss is likely one of the most common beauty issues men and women face worldwide. In combating this issue, one special procedure has notably stood the test of time – hair transplant. Specifically, the ones done in Turkey, Istanbul have grown in popularity due to their high success rate and cost-effectiveness. But how precisely do hair transplants work and what science backs up this popular procedure? Let’s delve into it to find out.
The Basics of a Hair Transplant
A hair transplant is a surgical technique where a dermatological surgeon moves hair follicles from one part of the body, called the ‘donor site’, to a bald or balding part of the body known as the ‘recipient site’. Commonly, this technique is used to address male-pattern baldness. Nonetheless, it is also utilised to restore eyelashes, eyebrows, beard hair, chest hair, and to fill in scars caused by accidents or previous surgeries.
Science Behind It
The science behind hair transplants relies heavily on the principle of ‘donor dominance’, a concept extracted from the notable scientific study by Drs. Norman Orentreich in 1950. This dubiously straightforward concept elucidates that hair follicles taken from areas resistant to balding (such as the back of the head) will continue to grow as they did before, even when transplanted to a balding area. This realisation was considered ground-breaking and paved the way for modern hair transplants as we know them today.
The Procedure
Primarily, there are two types of hair transplant procedures: Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) and Follicular Unit Excision (FUE). While both procedures rely on the same principle of donor dominance, the methods differ.
In FUT, the surgeon removes a strip of skin from the donor area, typically the back of the head, then the extracted skin is cut into several tiny grafts, each containing just a few hairs. The grafts are then placed in the designated bald or thinning areas on the head. An advantageous result is expected about six months after the procedure with final results often seen after 12-18 months.
In FUE, individual follicular units are extracted directly from the donor site and then transplanted to the recipient site. FUE is a more tedious and time-consuming procedure, but it avoids the linear scar that is common with FUT.
Recovery Time
Post-surgery, the recovery time varies depending on the procedure. For the FUT method, patients usually return to their normal daily activities after a week. Meanwhile, the FUE procedure entails a quicker recovery, most commonly within two to five days.
Like any surgical procedure, hair transplants come with possible risks including infection and negative reactions to the local anaesthetic. However, these are relatively rare, and great strides have been made to minimise such risks and ensure a more patient-friendly procedure.
In the end, the science behind hair transplants and how they work reflects a remarkable fusion of biology and technology to tackle hair loss. The procedure has immensely evolved since its early days in the 1950s and continues to make great strides in enhancing people’s quality of life.