If you’re anything like most hair loss sufferers, you’ve done some research. You’ve looked into the pills and lotions and prescriptions and herbs. You’ve read up on, or even tried, “wearing” hair: toupees, hair systems, whatever you want to call them. Have you researched laser therapies? Don’t. You may as well weave your Christmas lights into a crown of thorns; there’s no redemption there. Most tantalizing of all is the prospect of surgery.
It seems too good to be true that there’s a one-shot, one-kill solution that really works. Hair restoration transplants have worked for thousands of men and women. Unlike pills and creams, you’ll recognize an immediate difference! Unlike hair systems, there’s not much maintenance required. Hair transplant surgery is popular because it works. So why does hair restoration surgery seem to have an uncertain reputation? Partly because of the nature of all elective surgeries, especially the stigmas attached to hair replacement—and partly because there are real risks involved in the procedures.
The Doctor is Out?
Sometimes itinerant technicians or surgeons spread their time between several clinics. This is great for efficiency and their bottom line, and enables them serve a broader area. But what if you have recovery complications? What if you just get cold feet and want to meet with someone before the procedure? If there are only a few days each month when you can see a surgeon, you may have a narrow window for office visits.
Look Before You Leap
It might be a mistake to pursue hair restoration surgery too early. If you have surgery before you’re finished losing your hair, you’ll need to return for more surgeries. Remember: these are not preventative procedures, they are restorative. Talk to your surgeon about the best time to go under the knife. Waiting a couple of years could actually save you extra procedures or thousands of dollars.
He Who Hesitates is Lost
Conversely, waiting too long to get a surgical consultation won’t do you any favors, either. For now, hair transplants work only when doctors are able to remove hair follicles from healthy parts of the scalp and plant them in the balding patches. If you don’t have enough donor hair follicles to spread out across the bald areas of you head, you won’t get a convincing result. Don’t wait until you’re out of healthy hair!
Shock Loss
One particularly insidious risk involved with hair restoration transplants is shock loss. Shortly after surgery, both the newly-transplanted hairs and the donor areas begin to shed. There are temporary and permanent versions of shock loss. Many doctors suggest taking Rogaine (Minoxodil) or Propecia (Finasteride) for several months leading up to your surgery, and during your recovery. Be sure to ask you surgeon specifically about shock loss, and how he or she prevents and/ or treats it.
Scarring
Some hair transplant patients develop scarring along their donor patch, or in their transplanted area. This can be faint or quite severe, and is caused by a variety of complications during a procedure or the recovery period. The worst of these cases have become fodder for the hair transplant horror stories used to sell laser therapy and magic herbal remedies. Talk to your surgeon about this complication, and investigate the clinic’s reputation. Remember: severe scarring can disfigure your scalp exactly where you wanted hair, and can render future transplants impossible.
Infection
Just like excessive bleeding, infection is a concern for anyone considering surgery—especially elective procedures. Infections can occur during a procedure, but in a reputable clinic where everything is sterile, this is becoming increasingly less common. [Hint: don’t have your surgery performed anywhere that you’ll need to boil your drinking water, or where they’ll probably use grubs to treat the inevitable infection.]
The problem is when the amateurs (you) take over. Meticulously follow your doctor’s instructions on caring for your traumatized scalp throughout your recovery period. Don’t miss your follow-up appointments; your doctor may catch and treat a dangerous condition before amputation is necessary (remember that Civil War Hospital Tent display you saw on that field trip? Gross).
Hair Transplant Groundhog Day
All these risks can make hair transplant surgery seem daunting, but it’s better to deal with known devils than to be ambushed by complications when you already have a sore scalp. Don’t get caught in a cycle of multiple surgeries to correct the ones that don’t “take.” Invest some time choosing the best surgeon for your kind of hair loss. Read everything before you sign it, and ask around for advice from people who have had the same procedure.
Lastly: lighten-up! Stop dwelling on all the risks and decide on your best option to get back the hair you used to take for granted.
