Today, there is so much information on how one can get back their hair and get rid of baldness and yet there exists little information on what really happens in some of the procedures. Of particular concern is the hair transplant surgery. What really happens in such an operation? Well, this article is going to take you through all the steps and procedures that are taken during hair surgery.

The first step involves the selection of an area on the scalp that has good hair growth which will be used as the donor scalp. Once the area has been selected the surgeon can then continue to prepare the patient. The patient will then be given a sedative and an anesthetic that is applied topically to the scalp. Depending on the wishes of the patient, if they wish to see all that is happening, there will be no need for the sedative. The scalp is then washed with shampoo that has some antibacterial properties to avoid cross contamination during transplant.

The next step involves the harvesting of the hair follicles from the donor scalp. A strip of hair from the donor scalp is then cut out. The size of the strip usually measure in the range of 1-5 cm width to 15-30 cm in length. The wound is then sealed. The wound on the donor scalp is sealed using a method called trichophytic closure, which results in scars that are not visible to the naked eye. With the use of stereo microscopy the strip is dissected with precision to get each and every individual hair follicle. During extraction of the hair follicles from the strip, any excess fibrous and fatty tissues are removed. Extreme care is taken so as not to damage the hair follicles that are to be transplanted otherwise they will just die off after transplant.

The next step is the transplanting process. During transplanting the surgeon uses some very fine micro blades to puncture the skin on the receiver scalp. The manor or pattern in which the hair follicles will be transplanted follows a systematic pattern which will allow the hair to look natural. The hair follicles are inserted one by one on the receiver scalp. The wounds are then dressed and the patient has completed surgery. Normally, the procedure takes about four hours to be completed. Because the operation involves a lot of procedures, most surgeons will carry out the procedure with at least the help of two assistants.

The final step is now on how to look after your hair after hair transplant surgery. The hair is to be shampooed. Shampooing the hair strengthens their shafts, thus allowing the hair strands to establish themselves firmly. After surgery the patient is advised to avoid exposing the scalp to sunlight. UV radiation from the sun has a negative effect on the establishment of transplanted hair follicles. Any loss of hair from the transplanted area within the first few days should be ignored, as this is usually due to shock. After a month or two, new hairs will grow back and begin to grow normally.