Top 3 Hair Transplant Tips and Must Haves

Undergoing a hair transplant procedure is stressful enough, but what can a patient do to ensure they receive the best results possible? Well, after reading this article prospective hair transplant patients will know how to optimize their hair transplant results. When done right, a hair transplant is so natural that even a hairstylist or barber could not detect that one of their clients has had a procedure. 

However, even after receiving an ultra-refined hair restoration procedure by a world-renowned hair transplant surgeon, there are tips and treatments that should be considered.

#1 Hair Loss Medications

Hair transplant surgery is a standalone procedure and does not require any non-surgical solutions or treatments for the new hair to grow and mature. However, androgenic alopecia (genetic hair loss) is a progressive condition that spreads and gets worse over time. 

Therefore, to ensure hair transplant results stand the test of time and have longevity it is advised for patients to take hair loss medication such as Propecia (finasteride) to slow and prevent further hair loss. While no medication or treatment can cure balding, Propecia (finasteride) does very well at slowing down, stopping or even reversing the natural progression of male and female pattern baldness.

Propecia (finasteride) works by inhibiting the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. The 5-alpha-reductase enzyme is responsible for converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) through the bloodstream. DHT is the main catalyst for androgenic alopecia (genetic hair loss). 

Therefore, by inhibiting this enzyme the body naturally creates less DHT, which prevents this hormone from binding to hair follicle receptors and shrinking the hair follicles until they no longer grow.

Rogaine (minoxidil) works by prolonging the anagen (growth) phase of the follicular life cycle (also called the hair life cycle). In addition, it revitalizes miniaturized hairs and increases their size in hair shaft diameter. Therefore, when Rogaine (minoxidil) is used daily the hair follicles will increase in size and the growing phase may become longer. Consequently, providing the appearance of a fuller head of hair for the patient.

Many world-renowned hair transplant surgeons agree that Rogaine (minoxidil) can be beneficial following hair transplant surgery. The surgical trauma caused to the scalp by hair restoration surgery can sometimes lead to what is known as "shock loss" which is a temporary shedding of the hair. Rogaine (minoxidil) is thought to strengthen the hair follicles and also regrow any lost hair faster and speed up recovery.

#2 Patience

Unfortunately, this tip does not provide any additional boost or hair growth to a hair transplant result, but it is absolutely necessary to ensure the patient has a good hair transplant experience. Many hair transplant patients fail to understand that hair restoration is a process that requires a bit of faith and patience. The majority of patients do not see any noticeable hair growth until three to four months after surgery and even then the hair growth is sparse and makes little to no cosmetic improvement.

In some cases, patients may not see any noticeable hair growth until the fifth or sixth month and even then the hair growth may be sparse and uneven. It is important to understand that not every patient will grow at the exact same rate or even have the same result by the same hair transplant surgeon. At twelve months the majority of patients have grown all of their transplanted hair, but some patients may continue to grow new hair until eighteen months. In addition, hair follicles continue to mature and grow into their final hair shaft diameter around eighteen months after surgery.

#3 Clean The Recipient Area

In a study conducted by Coalition Hair Transplant Surgeon Dr. Robert Bernstein, the study concluded that for the first two days, pulling on a hair always resulted in a lost graft, but the chance of the graft being dislodged decreased by the third day. By the sixth day pulling on a hair would no longer result in a lost graft. 

However, pulling on an adherent scab always resulted in a lost graft through day five, with the dislodging of a graft decreasing up until day eight. By nine days post-op, grafts were no longer at risk of being dislodged. It is important to keep the recipient area clean because scabs and crust prolong the period of recovery and can cause a graft to become dislodged for a longer period of time.

There are different methods employed by patients to clean the recipient area after a hair transplant. Some patients let their scalp (recipient site) soak in water and baby shampoo until the scabs become loose and then gently massage the recipient area until the scabs are removed. While some patients prefer to let a non-harsh conditioner soak on their scalp and then gently rinse their head with warm water and massage their scalp until the scabs are removed. In most cases, hair transplant surgeons leave detailed instructions on how to keep the recipient area clean.

Conclusion

While the above-listed tips can help boost the hair transplant results or even make the process easier, the only way to ensure the results will be successful is by going to the right surgeon. Electing a qualified and skilled hair transplant surgeon is crucial for receiving excellent results that last a lifetime. 

There is no better place to research a surgeon than the hair restoration network hair loss forum. The forum is run by hair transplant patients and is the most popular hair loss forum on the internet. Thousands if not millions of real patient testimonials have been posted and continually get posted daily. It is the best place to research any surgeon or hair loss treatment.