Hair Replacement surgery in India

Overview:
Baldness is often blamed on poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff, and even excessive hat-wearing. All of these theories have been disproved. It's also untrue that hair loss can be determined by looking at your maternal grandfather, or that 40-year-old men who haven't lost their hair will never lose it. Thus hair replacement comes into picture; it is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness, whereby grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to bald scalp. However, it is also used to restore eyelashes, eyebrows, beard hair, chest hair, and pubic hair and to fill in scars caused by accidents or surgery such as face-lifts and previous hair transplants.


What is Hair Replacement surgery?
Hair replacement surgery is a surgical technique that involves moving skin containing hair follicles from one part of the body (the donor site) to bald or balding parts (the recipient site). It is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness, whereby grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to bald scalp. However, it is also used to restore eyelashes, eyebrows and beard hair and to fill in scars caused by accidents and surgery such as face-lifts and previous hair transplants. Hair replacement differs from skin grafting in that grafts contain almost all of the epidermis and dermis surrounding the hair follicle, and many tiny grafts are transplanted rather than a single strip of skin.


Why Hair replacement surgery?
Hair replacement surgery is a cosmetic procedure performed on men and occasionally on women who have significant hair loss, thinning hair, or bald spots where hair no longer grows. In men, hair loss and baldness are most commonly due to genetic factors and age. Male pattern baldness, in which the hairline gradually recedes to expose more and more of the forehead, is the most common form. Men may also experience a gradual thinning of hair at the crown, or very top of the skull. For women, hair loss is more commonly due to hormonal changes and is more likely to be a thinning of hair from the entire head. Transplants can also be performed to replace hair lost due to burns, injury, or diseases of the scalp.

Who is the best candidate for Hair Replacement surgery?
Hair replacement surgery can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but the results won't necessarily match your ideal. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon. It's important to understand that all hair replacement techniques use your existing hair. The goal of surgery is to find the most efficient uses for existing hair.

Hair replacement surgery candidates must have healthy hair growth at the back and sides of the head to serve as donor areas. Donor areas are the places on the head from which grafts and flaps are taken. Other factors, such as hair color, texture and waviness or curliness may also affect the cosmetic result. There are a number of techniques used in hair replacement surgery. Sometimes, two or more techniques are used to achieve the best results.

Transplant techniques, such as punch grafts, mini-grafts, micro-grafts, slit grafts, and strip grafts are generally performed on patients who desire a more modest change in hair fullness. Flaps, tissue-expansion and scalp-reduction are procedures that are usually more appropriate for patients who desire a more dramatic change. Remember, there are limits to what can be accomplished. An individual with very little hair might not be advised to undergo hair replacement surgery.


Preparing for Hair Replacement surgery:
With all the excitement that surrounds finally taking that important step, there are a myriad of things to consider before your transplant hair replacement surgery. Slow down a bit and make sure you’re clear about what to expect during and after your hair transplant replacement procedure.  Closely follow the instructions you’ve been given to prepare for the pre-operative phase of your transplant hair replacement, but also pay special attention to the written instructions on post-operative care.  Both are essential to the overall success of the transplant. A final pre-op counsel is often necessary so that the patient’s desires and expectations are clarified.  This is also a good time for the doctor to review the surgical procedure and to address any final questions or concerns the patient might have.  The goal is to ensure that both parties have come to an agreement on what the surgical plan entails and what final outcome is expected.

The most important thing to remember before the hair transplant procedure is to relax.  In some instances, patients are given certain medications, such as antibiotics to be taken the night before the surgery.  In addition, some overly nervous patients might require a mild sedative to help them sleep the night before.  On the day of your procedure, photos from different angles might be taken to help document the look of your scalp before the procedure, and photos can be taken some days after the procedure as well. On a final note, it’s a good idea to have someone available to drive you home following the surgery.  Over the next few days, it’s also wise to limit activities and relax to allow yourself a period to adjust.

The procedure - Hair Replacement surgery:
Hair replacement surgery involves removing small pieces of hair-bearing scalp grafts from a donor site and relocating them to a bald or thinning area. Grafts differ by size and shape. Round-shaped punch grafts usually contain about 10-15 hairs. The much smaller mini-graft contains about two to four hairs; and the micro-graft, one to two hairs. Slit grafts, which are inserted into slits created in the scalp, contain about four to10 hairs each; strip grafts are long and thin and contain 30-40 hairs.

Generally, several surgical sessions may be needed to achieve satisfactory fullness-and a healing interval of several months is usually recommended between each session. It may take up to two years before you see the final result with a full transplant series. The amount of coverage you'll need is partly dependent upon the color and texture of your hair. Coarse, gray or light-colored hair affords better coverage than fine, dark-colored hair. The number of large plugs transplanted in the first session varies with each individual, but the average is about 50. For mini-grafts or micro-grafts, the number can be up to 700 per session.

Just before surgery, the "donor area" will be trimmed short so that the grafts can be easily accessed and removed. For punch grafts, your doctor may use a special tube-like instrument made of sharp carbon steel that punches the round graft out of the donor site so it can be replaced in the area to be covered-generally the frontal hairline. For other types of grafts, your doctor will use a scalpel to remove small sections of hair-bearing scalp, which will be divided into tiny sections and transplanted into tiny holes or slits within the scalp. When grafts are taken, your doctor may periodically inject small amounts of saline solution into the scalp to maintain proper skin strength. The donor site holes may be closed with stitches-for punch grafts, a single stitch may close each punch site; for other types of grafts, a small, straight-line scar will result. The stitches are usually concealed with the surrounding hair.

To maintain healthy circulation in the scalp, the grafts are placed about one-eighth of an inch apart. In later sessions, the spaces between the plugs will be filled in with additional grafts. Your doctor will take great care in removing and placement of grafts to ensure that the transplanted hair will grow in a natural direction and that hair growth at the donor site is not adversely affected. After the grafting session is complete, the scalp will be cleansed and covered with gauze. You may have to wear a pressure bandage for a day or two. Some doctors allow their patients to recover bandage-free.

Plastic surgeons are the leaders in tissue expansion, a procedure commonly used in reconstructive surgery to repair burn wounds and injuries with significant skin loss. Its application in hair replacement surgery has yielded dramatic results-significant coverage in a relatively short amount of time. In this technique, a balloon-like device called a tissue expander is inserted beneath hair-bearing scalp that lies next to a bald area. The device is gradually inflated with salt water over a period of weeks, causing the skin to expand and grow new skin cells. This causes a bulge beneath the hair-bearing scalp, especially after several weeks.

When the skin beneath the hair has stretched enough-usually about two months after the first operation-another procedure is performed to bring the expanded skin over to cover the adjacent bald area. For more information about tissue expansion, ask your plastic surgeon for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Inc. brochure entitled, Tissue Expansion: Creating New Skin from Old.

Flap surgery: Flap surgery on the scalp has been performed successfully for more than 20 years. This procedure is capable of quickly covering large areas of baldness and is customized for each individual patient. The size of the flap and its placement are largely dependent upon the patient's goals and needs. One flap can do the work of 350 or more punch grafts. A section of bald scalp is cut out and a flap of hair-bearing skin is lifted off the surface while still attached at one end. The hair-bearing flap is brought into its new position and sewn into place, while remaining "tethered" to its original blood supply. As you heal, you'll notice that the scar is camouflaged-or at least obscured-by relocated hair, which grows to the very edge of the incision.

In recent years, plastic surgeons have made significant advances in flap techniques, combining flap surgery and scalp reduction for better coverage of the crown; or with tissue expansion, to provide better frontal coverage and a more natural hairline.

After Your Hair Replacement surgery:
How you feel after surgery depends on the extent and complexity of the procedure. Any aching, excessive tightness or throbbing can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by your physician. If bandages are used, they will usually be removed one day later. You may gently wash your hair within two days following surgery. Any stitches will be removed in a week to 10 days. Be sure to discuss the possibility of swelling, bruising, and drainage with your surgeon.
Because strenuous activity increases blood flow to the scalp and may cause your transplants or incisions to bleed, you may be instructed to avoid vigorous exercise and contact sports for at least three weeks. Some doctors also advise that sexual activity be avoided for at least 10 days after surgery. To make sure that your incisions are healing properly, your doctor will probably want to see you several times during the first month after surgery. It's important that you carefully follow any advice you receive at these follow-up visits.


Getting Back to Normal:
How soon you resume your normal routine depends on the length, complexity and type of surgery you've had. You may feel well enough to go back to work and resume normal, light activity after several days. Many patients who have had transplants (plugs or other grafts) are dismayed to find that their "new" hair falls out within six weeks after surgery. Remember, this condition is normal and almost always temporary. After hair falls out, it will take another five to six weeks before hair growth resumes. You can expect about a half-inch of growth per month.


The Benefits of Hair replacement surgery:
Given the amount of time and money we spend on our hair, it probably comes as no surprise that hairstyles are considered one of our most important features. It is for this reasons that hair loss can be so devastating, leading to decreased self-confidence and poor self-image. Fortunately, hair replacement procedures offer hope to those suffering both minor and major hair loss. If you have been considering a surgical treatment to replace hair you have lost, consider some of the following benefits before you decide which option is right for your needs and goals.

Risks of Hair Replacement surgery:
Although there are rare cases of infection or scarring, the major risk is that the grafted area might not look the way the patient expected it to look.

Follow-Up Procedures after Hair Replacement surgery:
You may need a surgical "touch-up" procedure to create more natural-looking results after your incisions have healed. Sometimes, this involves blending, a filling-in of the hairline using a combination of mini-grafts, micro-grafts, or slit grafts. Or, if you've had a flap procedure, a small bump called a "dog ear" may remain visible on the scalp. Your doctor can surgically remove this after complete healing has occurred. In general, it's best to anticipate that you will need a touch-up procedure. Your surgeon can usually predict how extensive your follow-up surgery is likely to be.

Alternatives to Hair Replacement surgery:
There are several alternatives to hair transplantation. The two most common include lotions containing drugs and wigs. As of 2003, only lotions containing Minoxidil or Finasteride actually grow any new hair. This does not occur for all users. The new hair Minoxidil grows is usually only light fuzz on the crown of the head. When Minoxidil treatment is discontinued, the fuzz disappears, in addition to any hairs that were supposed to die during treatment. In some cases, Finasteride does grow thick, strong, long-growing hair on the crown. Wigs and hairpieces have been used for centuries. They are available in a wide price range, the more expensive ones providing more realistic appearance than less expensive models.

Hair Replacement surgery in India:
India has become a pioneer in the field of cosmetic surgery with added number of growing international patients for Hair replacement surgery.  It has become the most preferred destination for the most trusted and excellent results. Every year countless foreign patients from all over the world visit India for various cosmetic surgeries. Cosmetic hospitals and clinics in India complement to any other state of the art hospitals in UK and USA providing cutting edge technology and staffed by well-experienced, trained and qualified multinational team.

Indian cosmetic centres have pool of highly trained and motivated staff that performs hair replacement. They assure the medical tourists a high quality of service.

Most of the cosmetic clinics in India meet every stringent safety standards, serving international patients with the greatest care. These cosmetic clinics offer a full array of cosmetic surgery procedures, such as body contouring and enhancements, as well as overnight recovery. The Indian cosmetologists have excelled in the art and science of hair replacement and other cosmetic procedures, and most of them have to their credit International fellowships and International Board Certification.

Personalized care and attention is provided with value added services besides results of world class standard at a very low cost affordable to all sections of society. The hair replacement in India is available at various hospitals in the following cities with latest amenities and state-of-art-facilities.

The idea of hair replacement surgery in India is coupled with the health holiday where medical tourists enjoy natural beauty while relaxing in calm and serene resorts, exotic beaches, away from hustle and bustle and having a great holiday. Thus the international patients have the option of clubbing them together with exotic holiday.

The cost of Hair replacement surgery in India:
Significant cost differences exist in India when it comes to Hair Replacement surgery. India is not only affordable but cheaper along with zero patient wait lists. This is due to the outburst of the private sector which is comprised of hospitals and clinics with the latest technology and best practitioners. The following cost comparison can suggest the sudden rise of international patients flocking to India for various cosmetic surgeries in India.