Outdated and Potentially Dangerous Hair Transplant Techniques

admin    Hair Transplants    

Not all doctors keep up on the latest techniques in hair transplantation simply because it is a matter of economics.  Current acceptable transplant procedures require highly specialized tools and equipment and it is an extremely expensive endeavor for the average doctor to totally revamp his or her practice.  This would require hiring a full time staff of qualified technicians, purchasing the latest state-of-the-art equipment like binocular stereomicroscopes and it could likely mean that the facility would need to be expanded significantly.  That is an expense that many physicians are reluctant to take on.

Not only does the surgery itself take a good deal longer than the older methods, but the staff and the doctor himself would also need to be ‘re-trained’ in the newer techniques and skill required to utilize the highly specialized equipment.  Hair transplant surgery now takes a minimum of four hours and can last an entire day, depending on the scope of the transplant.  These new procedures transplant one follicle at a time.  It is labor intensive and costly and for that reason alone there are still doctors out there who utilize outdated and potentially dangerous techniques.

The first outdated technique that potential hair transplant patients should be aware of is when a flap of skin that bears hair is cut on three sides so that it is not severed from the supply of blood.  It is then twisted and stretched, turned right-side-up and sutured to the area where the bald spot has been surgically removed.  This is major surgery and it is necessary to be performed in-hospital.  The flap of hair is usually about one inch wide and up to seven inches in length.  As with any major surgery, there are any number of complications that can transpire and for this reason it is not suggested that flap transplantation be performed.  Of course there is always the issue of scarring and infection among other unwanted adverse reactions and complications.

A second method that is a variation of flap transplantation is called a ‘free-form flap.’  This is where all four sides are cut and the entire flap is stitched to the bald area.  There are a few things to be aware of here.  First of all, this usually requires a ‘donor’ and there is always the very real possibility that the donated tissue could be rejected causing serious scarring and/or disfigurement.  For this reason, free-form flap is usually reserved for burn victims or other severely disfigured patients.  Also, it would require taking anti-rejection medications for the rest of the transplant patient’s lifetime and it is known that many of those drugs carry a plethora of side effects that are none too pleasant.

It is vitally important to keep up with current techniques and research in hair transplant procedures to protect yourself against potential dangers, or at the very least, undesirable results.  Remember, it is your head and the decision is yours and yours alone.  Don’t fall prey to exaggerated advertising claims and Madison Avenue hype.  Spend the time to do the research before you spend the money.  Hair transplant techniques have come a long way and there are qualified doctors out there.  Find one!

If you enjoyed this article please consider sharing it!