Among the most popular or favored form of hair implant is donation, this could come from you or from a donor. This procedure will require you to do grafting and is a convenient outpatient procedure, meaning it can be performed without an overnight stay at the hospital.
Grafting involves a surgeon removing a small section of hair-bearing skin. Generally, the scalp back of the head is the prime real estate for acquiring necessary patch of hair needed for the procedure and this is known as the donor skin.
The patch of hair or the donor skin if you may then is partitioned into smaller pieces purposely containing varying amount of hair. The wide range of hair amount on every donor skin ensures the hair growth to look natural after the procedure. Each partitioned donor skin is then transplanted into the patient’s scalp using stitches. During the entire procedure anesthetics will be performed, but if necessary, you may ask for sedation for more comfort.
The completion of the procedure will require several sessions. For each session you can expect to have as low as 100 donor skin to be transplanted and as high as 1000 donor skin transplantation. The part of the scalp where the donor skin was acquired will be closed with stitches. It will be well hidden from the view of others by the hair in the surrounding scalp.
After the procedure, the scalp will be cleaned and bandaged to keep it protected and sanitized. The stitches can be removed after short 10 days of wait, but you will be required to allow it to heal for at least 2 months, preferably 4 months. Individual cases will vary, but generally 3 to 4 sessions are necessary to receive maximum benefit from the procedure.
It isn’t uncommon for hair implants patients to suffer from side effects such as, swelling, crusting of the scalp at the donor area, brushing around the eye, itching, numbness, but they should subside within a week or two. However, you should understand the transplanted areas will not feel comfortable for at least 2 months. Non-aspirin pain reliever may be used to manage discomfort, but if any side effects persist, you should visit your doctor for additional consultation.