Over the last two decades, hair transplant has made an exponential mark in the cosmetic surgery market, but hair transplant has specific side effects. You’ll be thrilled by the excellent results and success stories of people who have regained their crowning glory. However, the procedure is never free of risk, just like any other surgical procedure.
Hair transplant is done to add more hair to an area of the head that may be affected by thinning hair or balding. Both men and women do hair transplants to cure male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. About sixty percent of men and fifty percent of women experience hair loss at one time. To combat this issue, most of them rely on the counter products, including Minoxidil, sold under the name of Rogaine.
Today, transplants are performed by the plug technique that involves large tufts of hair. But is hair transplant safe? Besides being an expensive affair, there are several side effects of hair transplant such as infection, pain, hair thinning and the like.
Hair transplant aims to restore hair growth to the areas where the scalp has limited hair or has shed a lot of hair. It is evident that hair transplant treats hair loss of different types, but it cannot stop future hair loss. Before we unfurl into depth, lets' understand how hair transplant works.
How Does a Hair Transplant Work?
In simple words, hair transplant takes hair from an area where you have hair and plants it to an area where you do not have hair. Usually, the hair is taken from the back of your head, but it can also be taken from other parts of your body if you do not have hair on your head.
The first step of hair transplant is sterilizing the area from where your hair is to be removed. Your surgeon will sterilize the area and will numb it with an anaesthetic. In some instances, the patient also requests for sedation to stay asleep during the entire procedure.
After sterilization, your surgeon will either perform FUT or FUE.
Follicular unit transplantation or FUT is a strip surgery where your surgeon will separate a piece of your scalp using a blade from the back of your head. This piece is then stripped into several smaller pieces where each piece will have one hair each. The surgeon will then insert the removed piece of scalp into the puncture holes. This process is called grafting.
Follicular unit extraction or FUE is another process where your surgeon will shave off the hair from the back of your head. Next, individual follicles are taken out of the scalp skin and graft the hair follicles into the holes. No matter which procedure is used for hair transplant, side effects of hair transplant are apparent.
What Are the Side Effects & Risk Associated with Hair Transplant?
Although hair transplant is no longer a new science, it is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced and qualified surgeon. That said, the side effects of hair transplants are there and can vary from patient to patient. Ranging from mild to strong side effects, here are some of the side effects of hair transplant that you should know:
Short Term Side Effects
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Pain and swelling
- Thinning of hair
- Scars
- Itching
- Numbness
- Crust or pus drainage around the operated sites
Long Term Side Effects
Just like the short term side effects of hair transplant, there are certain long term complications or side effects that you should be aware of before undertaking the hair transplant procedure. Here are some long term side effects of hair transplant:
- Hair curl
Another side effect of hair transplant is that the transplanted hair follicle could curl under, leading to ingrown hair, making your hair look unnatural as it would not match the remaining hair, which is one of the side effects of hair transplants.
- Failure in the procedure
While hair growth is apparent after the procedure, unfortunately, some patients may experience no hair growth of any kind or may receive hair growth in patches. In such cases, the patient has to undergo the entire process again.
Is There An Alternative to Hair Transplant?
Losing your hair is an unhappy part of the ageing process. Whether it is genetic hair loss or losing hair at a younger age can be depressing. There’s nothing like regrowing your hair, and a hair transplant is an absolute solution. However, hair transplants can go out of the way for some for one or the other reason. However, there are side effects of hair transplants. But do not worry; there are a bunch of other alternatives to hair transplant that you might want to try which give effective results.
A topical solution for hair loss that is available over the counter for both men and women. For men, a concentration of 5% and 2% for women is available.
A prescribed medication used to treat male baldness, available in 5mg. However, this medication is dangerous for both women and children.
Low-level laser therapy is another option to cure hair loss and promote new hair growth. Laser therapy is also not free from side effects that are somewhat similar to hair the side effects of hair transplant. You might experience redness, swelling, scarring, or changes in skin colour after laser therapy.
Apart from the ones mentioned above, natural cures for hair loss include eating healthy, avoiding chemicals, relieving stress, head massage or scalp rub.
These solutions are somewhat free from the side effects of hair transplants and are more feasible.
How Does Traya's Hair Loss Treatment Plan Work?
Hair loss is complex, and at Traya, dermatologists understand that. Traya has a three-fold way of tackling hair loss by combining the sciences of Ayurveda, Dermatologist, and Nutrition to combat the problem of hair loss. The team at Traya provides you with a detailed analysis of your hair loss issue and provides you with a practical and befitting solution.
Traya’s Minoxidil 5% and Minoxidil 2%, Hair Root Serum, Hair Fall Shampoo, Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, Scalp Controller, Herbal Hair Oil, Hair Vitamins, Hair Ras, Health Tatva, and other natural hair products. These products are all-natural and will keep you away from the side effects of hair transplants.
Conclusion - Traya or Hair Transplant?
Hair transplant is a procedure of attaching hair to a balding spot on the head from another spot. It usually requires three to four sessions in order to achieve the desired results. It takes around eight to twelve months after surgery to observe full growth.
The newly transplanted hair is fragile and needs to be protected. Because of this, you’ll need a lot of maintenance to keep the new hair in tip-top condition. Besides, you’ll always be under a cloud of side effects of hair transplant, of which the most common is the infection.
On the other hand, at Traya, you are lauded with the best technique of maintaining your hair loss issue. The experienced and able doctors and hair experts monitor your hair growth progress, conduct periodic reviews, and gather feedback to better the process.
Hair transplant has become a go-to process to gain lost hair, but you are never free from the side effects of hair transplant. Whereas, if you are looking for a non-invasive solution to your issue, you can always trust Traya.
