The reasons for hair loss can be genetic, traumatic, or related to a disease or injury. Hair transplantation allows the patient freedom from worry about the unnatural appearance of hairpieces, since surgical hair transplantation actually relocates follicles, encouraging natural hair growth in balding areas. Although this procedure is most commonly performed on men, hair transplantation is growing more popular among women, and may even be performed on children who have suffered permanent hair loss due to injury or disease. Recent advances in hair transplantation have improved the natural appearance of the hair transplant, and many people are now turning to the newer methods in order to mask older ones such as hair plugs.

A hair transplantation recipient will usually need between 300 and 3000 grafts, but this varies depending upon the size of the balding area. Newer surgical hair transplantation procedures give surgeons the ability to transplant small grafts-even individual hairs. The options provided by the various methods of hair transplantation allow for specific uses:

Minigrafts : (3-4 hairs/graft): commonly used for men whose hair is thinning over a large area, to fill in gaps around plug grafts.

Micrografts (1-2 hairs/graft): often used along hairlines, this method of hair transplantation is especially useful if the hairline has receded only slightly.

Follicular grafts (1 hair/graft) look very natural and are used along the front hairline, or for areas that are thinning but not bald. This type of hair transplantation is also suitable for men who have a large bald area and would be satisfied with a light but natural looking thin coverage.

After working with the cosmetic surgeon to determine the type and location of hair transplantation, the patient will schedule the procedure. A local anesthetic is used, and a small strip of skin to be used in the hair transplantation is removed from an area where the missing hair will not show, such as the back of the head, just above the neck. This is referred to as the "donor site". The surgeon cuts tiny hair transplantation grafts from this strip of skin, then places them into tiny incisions in the balding area. In the case of single hair grafts, the hole for hair transplantation is simply made with a needle or in some cases a laser. The grafts are held in place by the clotting blood, while the donor site is closed with sutures. Usually hair can be washed the day after hair transplantation, and because the scalp has a good blood supply, the sites heal very quickly.

Within a few months of hair transplantation, it is often very difficult to distinguish between the graft sites and the natural hair. The successful outcome of hair transplantation is determined by the skill of the surgeon, the amount of hair in the donor site, and the individual's expectations. During consultation, the specific methods and requirements for your hair transplantation will be fully discussed, including the number of sessions, the potential coverage, and the precise cost. Contact a plastic surgeon to learn more about hair transplantation or to schedule a personal consultation.