Having thick and luscious hair is considered as one of the most important aspects of one’s appearance.
Unfortunately, balding or hair loss is a common occurrence amongst both men and women – resulting in a lowered sense of self-worth and embarrassment in social situations.
The most common type of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, otherwise known as male and female pattern baldness. It currently affects more than 90% of men and over 30–45% of women in varying degrees worldwide.
Thankfully, there are a plethora of hair loss treatments that are available to restore a full bed of hair; however, hair transplants are the best way to see permanent results. While the older surgical techniques provided subpar and unnatural results, the advancements in technology and medical science have greatly improved the success of hair transplants.
How do hair transplants work?
Essentially, hair transplants work by transporting healthy hair grafts from the “safe donor area” of the scalp to areas that are experiencing thinning and baldness.
The magic of hair transplants lies in the extracted of hair grafts from an area that is immune to DHT (dihydrotestosterone) – the hormone that causes your hair follicles to gradually become thinner and shorter until they eventually stop growing.
The two main types of hair transplants being done today are the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) and FUE hair transplant (Follicular Unit Extraction). The main difference between both techniques is that while FUT extracts an entire strip of donor skin, FUE extracts individual grafts directly from the scalp.
The effectiveness of the procedure is largely determined by the percentage of hair grafts that are successfully transplanted and the amount of coverage it achieves as a result. Depending on the individual and several other factors, both FUT and FUE hair transplants have a 95% – 99% success rate!
As scary as it sounds, hair transplants are a safe and effective procedure to permanently improve your hairline as compared to topical solutions and medications; which require consistent and long-term treatment to see lasting results.
Hair transplant cost anywhere between $8,000 to $12,000 depending on how many grafts you need and the doctor you work with. Since it is an investment that requires some downtime, deciding to go for a hair transplant should not be taken lightly.
Before you proceed to book your appointment, here are 3 things you need to consider.
1. The type and degree of hair loss.
In many cases, patients may find that their hair loss can be effectively treated with other options such as hair serums, oral medications and laser therapy.
Although there are many types of hair loss such as androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium which are caused by genetic, hormonal changes and stress, hair transplants are not suitable for every type of hair loss.
Those who have diffuse unpatterned alopecia, for example, experience hair loss that affects the entire scalp and hence is not suitable for hair transplants.
Also, it is important to realize that hair transplants are a matter of supply and demand – how much hair grafts are available and can be safely extracted from the donor area to be transplanted. That means patients who are facing severe baldness or completely bald may not benefit from a hair transplant.
Hair transplants are ideal for those who have a good supply of healthy hair follicles, scalp laxity and overall health. To determine this, it is best to consult a doctor who can assess your condition and discuss with you if you are a suitable candidate for surgery.
2. Your treatment goals.
It is important to consider the results that you are looking to achieve and your specific lifestyle to decide if a hair transplant is for you.
During your initial consultation, our doctor will do a thorough evaluation of your family and medical history, hair type and condition, as well as discuss your goals for long-term planning.
As hair transplants are a permanent procedure, it is important to get it done right the first time that takes into account how your hair will look 10, 20, and 30 years down the line.
At our clinic, our FUE hair transplant is conducted in 5 key steps:
Step 1: Punching incisions around the hair follicles
Step 2: Extraction of individual hair grafts
Step 3: Preparation of hair grafts
Step 4: Implantation of hair grafts
Step 5: Recovery and post-op care
Our doctors and team of technicians are well-trained and highly experienced in carrying out the surgery with maximum precision and care to maintain the quality and survival of each hair graft. Local anaesthesia is also applied before the procedure to ensure that your treatment is comfortable from start to finish.
We also understand that many patients are worried about the downtime required with surgery which is why we have introduced the “No Downtime Hair Transplant” – ideal for busy professionals and those who wish to return to their daily activities as soon as possible.
You can also opt for the ARTAS robotic hair transplant that allows our doctors to transplant a large number of hair grafts with a high level of consistency and speed. By offering a variety of techniques, we are positive that we can meet your goals!
3. Your expectations.
Hair transplant surgery is a commitment that is well worth the investment!
Why do we say so?
Despite several perceived “cons” such as a longer downtime and results, our doctors can greatly minimize this; with years of experience and expertise doing FUE hair transplants and a range of complementary treatments to boost your results.
In addition, it is completely normal to experience what is known as “shock loss” in the first 2 – 3 weeks of surgery where you might notice some hair fall. There is also some tenderness and swelling in the first week of surgery and patients are advised to take some time off from work to rest and recover. Not to worry, about 80% of your hair will grow back where you will see the best results after 4 – 12 months.
You will also need to closely adhere to the post-surgery precautions and guidelines to maximize your results. Since hair transplants require the extraction of hair grafts from your own scalp, it is important to manage your expectations – if you have little hair grafts available on your scalp, do not expect to see a full head of hair after surgery.
However, with proper planning and execution, a good doctor will be able to work with what you have to create a natural and thicker looking hairline!
Restore Your Crowning Glory
The goal of hair transplant surgery is to maximize the survival of high-quality grafts and to create a natural and beautiful hairline for every patient. Many intricate details that go into the success of your hair transplant such as proper graft alignment and insertion as well as the experience of the doctor and technicians conducting the surgery.
Our technique of choice is the newer FUE hair transplant over FUT hair transplant as it offers very low transection rates and allows our doctors to obtain a higher graft yield to achieve more density. Given that Asians are more prone to scarring, the FUE hair transplant minimizes scarring while lowering the recovery and downtime needed.
We also offer additional advantages to our patients, including the use of micro-tips and highly advanced bio-technology solutions to ensure high graft survival rates. Our doctors are also able to extract a larger amount of hair grafts (aka mega-sessions) to achieve maximum coverage in a single session.
Since hair transplants are still a surgical process, there are certain risks such as bleeding, scarring and infection; however, all this can be minimized when it is performed with the right doctor. This cannot be stressed enough.
We also offer Regenera Activa – a capillary regeneration technique that has been shown in multiple clinical studies to promote hair density, hair count and scalp coverage. It involves the use of a special device to extra micro-grafts of progenitor cells that are injected into areas experiencing hair loss to regenerate and reactivate your hair follicles. This treatment can also be done in combination with hair transplant surgery to accelerate healing and boost your results.
As compared to FUE hair transplant surgery, Regenera Activa requires just 30 – 45 minutes to complete where you will be able to see results within a month!
Our current chief hair transplant technician has been doing hair transplantation for more than 10 years and combined with the experience and skillset of our doctors, we are confident in helping you achieve your goals with flawless planning and execution!
If you have considered all these 3 factors and are ready to take the plunge, contact us to learn more about our hair loss treatment price and book your first consultation today!