What You Ought to Know about Male Hair Transplant – Tips from Dr. Epstein

Updated on February 11, 2020
Male Hair Transplant

Male hair transplants are a big deal and they should never be taken lightly. Even the most confident hair loss experts will tell you that they had to go through a great deal of time and effort in doing their research before they got to where they are now. The good news however, is that technology has taken a turn which allowed the practice to flourish and reduce the risks that the procedure usually entails.

Research is key as with any procedure you wish to do on your body. Experts who weigh in will often advise you the same thing – that there is no such thing as too much research. Hair loss will often strike men emotionally and hits with a similar pain regardless of the man’s age. We often talk about hair as the crowning glory for women but it should be put in mind that a man also heavily invests in his hair to better frame his face.

So, what are the things that you ought to ask yourself before undergoing the procedure? In this article we will make a list of things that you need to find out first before hair transplant.

Choosing a Surgeon for Male Hair Transplant

When we talk about hair transplant, choosing the right surgeon should be the top most priority. As the person in charge of everything that is about to happen, a slight mishap could spell catastrophe so you simply cannot afford to make the mistake of choosing the wrong surgeon in the first place. A good place to begin filtering your options would be to look for institutions that hand out certifications and licenses specifically for hair transplant practice. Each country or state will most likely have agencies or professional organizations that oversee the practice. 

In choosing a surgeon, it is best to get to know the person who will do the job even after reviewing his or her credentials. For instance, you could do a quick search for that person online and through his or her social media to find out the type of person he or she is. You can also look for reviews online about his or her clinic and try to gain perspective through his or her customers. Be wary however that these comments may have to be taken with a grain of salt as some could have been planted either by the clinic themselves or by their competitors.

If you have a shortlist of surgeons, try contacting them online and ask for a quick run through about the service that they offer. It would help if they can give you a sneak peek into the actual action and maybe some before and after photos just to prove the effectiveness of their craft.

Finally, ask around your friends and family as they may have contact with a surgeon and you can ask them for a recommendation. Nothing beats a direct referral from someone who really does care about you.

What Can You Do to Help Make the Procedure a Successful One?

Another question that you need to ask is if there are preparations that you can do before the operation to increase the chances of success and reduce the possibility of any complications. The good news is that there actually are but it might cost you a bit. You might have already heard about Propecia and Rogaine. They have effectively made themselves known as medication that can help regrow your hair. Applying them before the operation should help your chances of success.

Because hair loss is not considered a medical priority, you might have to pay extra to get these drugs over the counter. 

Which Male Hair Transplant Will Suit You Best

Male hair transplant is not as straightforward as some ads make it seem. In fact, there are various approaches for this and one of them might be more suited for you than the other. Generally speaking, there are three main types of male hair transplant. The three main ones are FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction, FUT or Follicular Unit Transplantation and ATP Advanced Trico Pigmentation.

If you have done your research about the treatment itself then you might have already come across follicular unit extraction. It is the most popular procedure of the three after all. Basically, hair from areas in your scalp that can still grow hair will be transported to your bald spots. Luckily for most men, it is not uncommon that the back and the side of the head usually still grow full hair even through their later years. Fine blades are used to harvest the hair during the procedure and they harvest it one by one. This means that the entire procedure will cost a bit of time on your part compared to the other procedures. However, you can generally go back immediately into your daily routine as soon as the procedure is completed. Because it will not leave a scar on your scalp, the procedure is perfect for men who prefer shorter hairstyles. 

Similar to Follicular Unit Extraction, Follicular Unit Transplantation also aims to move hair from a part of your scalp that still grows hair and divides it evenly into the bald areas. It uses a strip so it would cover a larger area compared to the use of tiny blades which means it will also cost you less to have balder spots in your head covered compared to Follicular Unit Extraction. But because the strategy is more invasive, it means it will be leaving a scar and you would need time to recoup after the procedure is done. 

Both procedures require that there are still parts of your head that still have hair for it to then be moved to the bald spots.

Advanced Trico Pigmentation is a bit different compared to both Follicular Unit Extraction and Follicular Unit Transplantation. Instead of transplanting actual hair on the bald area of the scalp, the procedure will tattoo it with special ink that would give the illusion of a stubble.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.