Alopecia is a gradual dying out of follicles or their groups, grafts. Androgenetic (androgenic) and cicatrical alopecia can not be cured by conservative methods, the only way to solve the problem is hair transplantation. It is performed surgically or non-surgically, depending on the symptoms.
Hair transplantation on the head
The course of androgenetic alopecia differs among women and men. The concentration of the hormone dihydrotestosterone damaging the follicles is higher in the stronger sex, they grow more quickly, especially in the parietal and frontal areas. Female androgenetic alopecia is characterized by a thinning of curls in the median part of the head with the spread of bald patches on the lateral areas.
The clinical picture of cicatrical alopecia is more complicated and worse diagnosed. Strands fall asymmetrically, large foci of irregular shape, not having a specific localization. Affected areas on the surface of the head tend to merge and expand, the skin with such alopecia gradually atrophies, in place of the follicles formed connective tissue.
Hair transplantation in women and men is an effective way to cope with androgenic and cicatrical alopecia. Transplantation involves the implantation of healthy follicles or their clumps from donor sites to problem areas. With extensive alopecia, especially cicatricial form of the disease, it is possible to surgically transfer entire strips of skin with grafts.
Where are hair transplanted to the head?
On the lower scalp areas, the follicles are resistant to damaging factors and the action of dihydrotestosterone. In these places, intensive blood circulation, which provides the roots with the delivery of nutrients and oxygen. There are two zones from where the hair is transplanted - the back of the head and side sections. Sometimes follicles from the body become donor, but they are used only in the absence of the necessary number of live grafts on the head. In men, hair transplant is practiced from the face. Follicles are extracted from the skin of the chin, where the maximum growth of the beard is observed.
How are hair transplanted on the head?
Graft transplantation is carried out by two progressive methods:
- surgical implantation of skin striae;
- non-surgical hair transplantation technology.
Modern specialists prefer minimally invasive methods of transplantation due to several advantages:
- painlessness;
- absence of scars and traces of superimposed sutures after transplantation;
- is good cosmetic effect.
Can I transplant other people's hair?
For the radical treatment of alopecia, only own follicles or their groups are suitable. Hair transplant from another donor is not performed because of poor immunological compatibility of biological material. The organism perceives third-party grafts as foreign objects trapped in the skin tissue. The protective system produces hostile immune cells, so foreign hair transplanted fall out, not recovering in the future. This mechanism is often accompanied by inflammatory and putrefactive processes in the skin.
Hair transplantation on eyebrows
Transplantation of follicles is also carried out for cosmetic purposes. With a partial or complete loss of hair in the eyebrows, the desire to make them thicker, you can make a transplantation of single grafts. The treated zones acquire excellent aesthetic characteristics immediately after the procedure. To transplant the hair into the eyebrows, the donor follicles are extracted from the skin behind the ears and from the lower part of the neck from behind. The material in these zones has the required density, thickness and length, which provides the most natural result.
Hair transplantation on the face is popular among men. Representatives of the stronger sex turn to specialists for transplantation in the field of the beard, mustache and eyebrows. Within a few hours an experienced surgeon can completely restore the face of the face, even if in some areas it is completely absent. Donor grafts are withdrawn from the occipital region of the head.
Methods of hair transplantation
In specialized clinics, surgical and non-surgical follicle transplantation is practiced. Hair transplantation by a minimally invasive method provides a better aesthetics, is not accompanied by painful sensations and scars. The rehabilitation period with this procedure is short, skin lesions heal quickly and without scars. The only drawback of non-surgical technique - the results of hair transplantation are mildly expressed, especially on the head. In the presence of extensive areas affected by cicatricial alopecia, it is advisable to use a surgical method of transplantation.
Non-surgical hair transplantation
This minimally invasive procedure is performed under local anesthesia, so it does not cause any significant pain. The most progressive technology is hair transplantation using FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction (follicular unit extraction). During transplantation, cuts and stitches are not used, the surgeon uses a special tool to extract microscopic areas of the skin along with live follicles. Rehabilitation after transplantation lasts about a week.
Procedure description:
- Preparation. The donor site is shaved and anesthetized. A sharp tube for transplantation with an internal diameter of 0.5-1 mm, the surgeon cuts out grafts with 1-4 living follicles. The remaining small wounds are bloody points that heal quickly without stitching.
- Extraction and processing. Microscopic pieces of skin with hair are taken away and placed in a special composition that stimulates the activity of follicles on the eve of transplantation.
- Implantation. In the problem area, microregions or tubules are formed to transplant the extracted grafts. The doctor neatly implants donor materials into these cavities, taking into account the natural angle of hair growth and its direction. To fix the result, it is possible to perform plasmolifting of the skin with grafts.
Hair Transplant Surgery
The surgical method is used rarely and in the presence of direct indications. This transplantation technology is traumatic, has many drawbacks:
- severe soreness after surgery;
- not all hair transplanted;
- unsatisfactory aesthetic result;
- the appearance of a long scar, up to 25 cm;
- impossibility of a second transplant.
Procedure:
- At the donor site, a strip of skin with follicles is cut out. Damaged edges are sewn together.
- Biological material for transplantation is studied under a microscope. The strip is divided into small fragments with viable grafts.
- Obtained pieces of skin are implanted in problem areas where cuts are previously made.
It is necessary to visit the surgeon regularly for systematic control of rehabilitation. This procedure is associated with a risk of infection and rejection of transplanted tissues, so it can provoke dangerous complications. From the moment of transplantation, the hair begins to grow normally after 4-5 months, the postoperative sutures remain noticeable and can not be retouched.