A hair transplant is a procedure where active hair follicles are transplanted from one area of the scalp to the bald part. This will result in natural-looking hair that can help treat alopecia and boost your self-confidence. But it’s important to know about the possible side effects of hair transplant, some patients experience pain, edema, hair loss in transplanted hair as well as the donor area, and many unwanted complications. Keep reading to know the risks involved with this procedure.
What are the types of Hair Transplant?
The procedure is a hair restoration surgery, where active hair follicles from the scalp or any body part, are transplanted onto the bald areas of the scalp. There are two types of hair transplantation:
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
This procedure involves placing the extracted follicular units on the recipient's scalp. This requires precision as the punches for the follicular units need to be placed right. The punches should not be larger than the units.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
This hair transplant procedure involves extracting the follicular units from the donor site. An area of healthy hair growth is opened, and some follicular units are taken from there. With the help of special micro punches, the units are implanted in the bald area.
If you'd like to know more about hair transplant surgery, read more on…
What can be treated by hair restoration surgery?
Hair loss can happen for a variety of reasons; it could be temporary but it might be permanent. Read on to see if you are a candidate for hair transplant surgery. Hair may help with permanent hair loss caused by:
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles.
Androgenic alopecia, or pattern baldness.
Thyroid diseases or hormonal imbalances.
Traumatic injuries or burns.
As with any type of medical procedure, there are risk factors involved. So if you’re planning on undergoing a hair transplant it’s advisable to do proper research and see what’s the best choice of treatment for you. And if the risks outweigh the reward, you’d be better off with your natural look, than going through the procedure. Now let’s dive in and see what happens right after surgery, what complications it brings, and what are the long & short-term side effects of undergoing hair transplant surgery.
Immediately after hair transplant surgery
How you feel afterward depends on the extent of the surgery. After the operation, you can expect:
bruising and swelling
possible numbness
pain, throbbing, and discomfort
a tight feeling in the scalp
to wear dressings or bandages (a pressure bandage may be worn for one or two days)
formation of small scabs across the treated areas of the scalp.
Complications of hair transplant surgery
All surgery carries some degree of risk. Some of the possible complications of hair transplant surgery include:
risks of general anesthesia, including allergic reactions, which may (rarely) be fatal
surgical risks such as bleeding or infection
scars that may be severe, raised, reddened, and itchy
nerve damage, including permanent loss of sensation
death of the skin grafts
tissue death along the wound
further surgery to treat complications.
Side Effects of Hair Transplant Surgery
Hair Shedding
Excessive hair shedding can be a common side effect of hair transplantation. The donor area where the active hair follicles are extracted may experience hair thinning due to vascular disruption and surgical trauma. This side effect occurs more in Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) than in Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) as the graft is larger.
Bleeding
Bleeding is one of the most common hair transplant side effects. However, you may also experience bleeding during the post-operative recovery time. However constant bleeding may require additional stitching.
Scarring
Scarring or sterile folliculitis is common in some people who undergo hair transplantation. This side effect is more common in patients who opted for the strip hair transplant method. But this side effect can be easily treated with proper medical treatment.
Inflammation
Lichen planopilaris (LLP) is a rare inflammatory hair disorder and an extreme version of sterile folliculitis. This disorder can even lead to permanent alopecia and replace the hair follicles with scar-life fibrous tissue.
Infections
Your suture sites are at risk of infection, so it’s important to keep up your scalp hygiene to avoid infection in the donor and recipient areas. If epidermal cysts occur, they’ll need drainage.
Pain
If the anesthesia is not administered in the right dose, hair transplant surgery can be quite painful. Also during post-operative recovery, you might feel a stretching sensation.
Swelling
Fluid buildup is another common side effect that can cause swelling on the scalp and face after a hair transplant operation. You may experience swelling around the eyes and forehead. It can be severe sometimes and make the eye appear darker. Swelling is one of the rather rare hair transplant side effects. It usually takes about 3-5 days for the fluid to get onto the face.
Itching
Forming of scabs at the transplant site can cause itching. Whether you undergo FUT or FUE procedure, tiny scabs will form where implants were inserted. A normal itching of the scalp should stop after the initial days of the surgery when the scabs slough off on their own. You should avoid scratching, as it can remove scabs and delay the healing process. To help alleviate this side effect, you should wash your hair daily with non-perfumed shampoo.
Hair Thinning
Hair thinning in the donor area where the transplanted grafts were taken is a common side effect after a hair transplant procedure. This may worry patients since it seems they are losing hair from the area they weren’t worried about. But bear in mind this is due to the vascular disruption and general trauma associated with harvesting the grafts. This side effect is greater with FUE than with FUT since much more donor skin is cut.
Numbness
Numbness may occur due to local anesthesia or if hair transplantation is done by inexperienced hands, leading to nerve damage. As your anesthesia wears off, the numbness reduces. The reason for the numbness or decreased sensation in the first place is the trauma of surgery.
Cysts
Cysts can potentially appear in the transplant area after your procedure. A cyst is one of the major hair transplant side effects. They occur when the scalp has been damaged as the hair follicles have been pushed deeper into the layers. Although they’re easily treatable, you shouldn’t leave them untreated.
Are There Any Possible Long-Term Complications?
As you’ve gathered by now, most side effects of hair transplant surgery are temporary, but there is a possibility of long-term complications that every patient should be aware of before undergoing the procedure. These are:
Grafts Which Fail to Take
While in most cases the patient gets hair growth in the recipient area in a couple of months, there are cases where there was no growth of any new hair or the growth was only in patches. In such cases, the patient has to undergo the entire procedure again.
Hair curl
The hair follicle that was transplanted could curl under resulting in ingrown hair. This could make the hair look unnatural as compared to the remaining hair. It could also cause irritation and subsequent infection in the scalp.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while hair transplant procedures have advanced significantly and can provide impressive results, they are not without potential side effects. These may include swelling, bleeding, infection, scarring, unnatural-looking tufts of new hair, and the possibility of the transplanted hair not taking root, leading to less density than desired. Furthermore, as with any surgical procedure, there is always a risk associated with anesthesia. It’s crucial for individuals considering a hair transplant to thoroughly discuss these potential side effects with their healthcare provider. Understanding the risks and setting realistic expectations can help ensure a satisfactory outcome.
Read more: