When carried out correctly, a hair transplant should last a lifetime.
All patients suffering from male pattern hair loss will have a band of hair around the back and sides of their head that is immune to the balding process. This is referred to as the donor area as this is where the grafts are taken for transplantation.
The beauty of hair transplantation is that when we remove hair from this area and transplant it into an area of hair loss, the newly transplanted hair keeps the characteristics from where it came, remaining immune to the balding process. This means that this hair is essentially permanent in its new location.
Given this there are three important things worth considering before hair transplantation;
Initial Consultation and Diagnosis
It is important before proceeding with hair transplantation that you have a proper initial assessment with a qualified doctor to determine the cause of your hair loss. If your hair loss is caused by another condition other than male patter hair loss the transplanted hair may not grow properly. The good news is that in the vast majority of cases of men, their hair loss is caused by male pattern hair loss.
Donor Area
As the hair from the donor area is immune to the balding process it is very important that only this hair is used in transplantation. If hair is taken from outside of the donor area, the transplanted hair may eventually fall out.
This is particularly true of patients undergoing an FUE procedure. In many commercial FUE clinics worldwide, grafts are taken from outside of this safe donor area meaning that part of the transplant may be temporary and can cause further issues in the future.
Care in Designing the Transplant
As hair transplantation is permanent, it is very important that great care is taken in designing a hair transplant that will look natural over a patient’s lifetime. A poorly designed hair transplant is not easily reversed. See more information about the importance of hair line design. At HRBR, we have seen an increase in the number of patients presenting to us who require hair transplant repair work as a result of poor hair transplant design.
Results
The before and after photo below shows a patient 10 years following his hair transplant at HRBR, demonstrating the strong growth of the transplanted hair many years later.
As the cost of a quality hair transplant can be significant it is reassuring to know that it is a lifetime investment.
Hair Transplant 10 Years Later – Before and After
Take a look at our photo gallery featuring patients who have had hair transplants at HRBR over 10 years ago. Some have had one hair transplant procedure at HRBR, others have spread their treatment over a number of procedures.
To speak to the team about timing your transplant at HRBR contact us on +353 1 209 1000
About the Author
DR Maurice Collins
Consultant Surgeon
MB, B.Ch, BAO, DLO, FRCSI, FRCS, FRCSEd.
Registered with the Medical Council of Ireland
Dr Collins is Medical Director and Team Principal of Hair Restoration Blackrock. He was educated at Belvedere College Dublin and did his undergraduate medical studies at University College Dublin. After graduating as a doctor he trained in General Surgery and received his Fellowship (FRCSI) in this specialty from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Find out more about DR Maurice Collins and our team of doctors and surgeons.
