Patient Guide

Before the Hair Transplant

The topic of hair loss may cause both psychological and aesthetic concerns. However, hair loss is a treatable occurrence and is widely addressed by the hair transplant procedure. There are numerous things that must be considered prior to receiving a hair transplant. We have prepared a list of items that will be helpful if you are considering getting a hair transplant and are currently in preparation stages:

Speak to Your Doctor

Speaking to a hair transplant specialist during the early stages will prevent disappointment that may surface later on during the treatment process. Our specialists at Zen Polyclinic will provide you with the knowledge on hair transplant surgery, maintenance after surgery, healing process; as well as, insight on how long it will take for you to witness the desired results. During the preparation stages, your doctor will examine your medical history, look into whether or not hair loss is a genetic occurrence and will also consider your lifestyle. All the aforementioned topics will determine whether or not you are a qualified candidate for receiving a hair transplant operation.

Quit Smoking

Aside from all the negative impacts smoking has on your body, it also interferes with your healing process. You must quit smoking two-weeks prior to the operation, in order to ensure a healthy healing period. If you are unable to quit permanently, you must at least avoid using cigarettes for the time being.

Refrain From Alcohol Consumption

Just as it is the case with smoking, alcohol consumption may also affect your healing process. In order to avoid any complications that may rise during healing, you must not use alcohol for at least a week prior to the operation.

Allow Your Hair to Grow

It is definitely not a good idea to get a haircut during a time-frame leading up a hair transplant procedure. Hairs within the donor area must be long enough for the transplant to occur successfully. Should you cut your hair too short, you will need to wait longer before receiving a hair transplant.

Massage Your Scalp

It is recommended that you massage your scalp for a duration of one month before the operation. Massage should last only ten minutes – allowing for the scalp to be softer, while increasing blood circulation in the massaged area.

Avoid Blood Thinners

It may seem as if it is a good idea to take blood thinning medicine before an operation, though the effects change depending on the degree of previous surgical wounds. Blood thinners will intensify bleeding, thus, they are not suggested.

Please contact Zen Polyclinic to receive what you must pay attention to before receiving the treatment.

Hair Transplant Service

Hair transplant is performed to add more hair on places that have been experiencing hair loss. The hair is taken from other parts of the scalp, as well as, from the rest of the body and is then applied to areas experiencing hair loss. Hair transplant is generally more successful compared to over the counter hair restoration products.

Hair transplant does not work for everyone. It is for those that generally experience hair loss or for those that are experiencing hair loss due to an injury.

How Does Hair Transplant Operate?

To put it simply – during hair transplant, hair from other parts of the body are transplanted onto areas that are experiencing hair loss. Generally known as donor areas, the back and sides of the head are suitable for the removal of hair. If there is not enough hair in the mentioned spots, other parts of the body are consulted for the operation.

During the early years of hair transplant, Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) was a widespread operation method. For this method, a portion of the scalp was removed in the form of a strip, which was then transplanted onto to receiving area. However, due to visible scarring, Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) has become the preferred method today.

How is Follicular Unit Extraction Performed?

Our surgeons go by the following steps when performing a FUE:

Hair on the back of the head is cut.

The surgeon then begins to remove individual follicles from the scalp. Visible scars form following the removal of each small follicle.

Just as it is the case with FUT, the surgeon makes tiny holes and applies the roots of the hairs to those holes.

Afterwards the area on which the surgery was performed is bandaged and covered with gauze.

Healing After Hair Transplant

The completion of the hair transplant may differ depending on the body part; ranging from a few hours to a few days. Once the operation has been completed, your surgeon will carefully remove all bandages. The area may have been swollen, triamcinolone may be injected in order to decrease the degree of swelling. You probably will experience pain or discomfort throughout areas on which the transplant was performed. Below are some maintenance tips in reference to a hair transplant operation:

Wait a few days before washing your hair once the operation has been completed. For the first few weeks, only use light shampoo.

You should be able to return to your job and daily activities within three days.

Do not comb areas with newly forming grafts.

Do not wear a hat until your doctor allows for it to be worn.

Do not exercise for about a week.

Do not worry if some hair loss occurs. This is a part of the process. Recently transferred hair may not grow within the first few months or it may not fit well with hair that surrounds it.

How Can I Find the Right Doctor?

Hair transplant is a very delicate operation and requires close attention. For this reason, choosing the right doctor carries a high-level of importance. You could consider the following when looking for the right doctor:

Only choose a certified and licensed surgeon.

Choose a doctor that has completed a successful hair transplant. If possible, ask to see a portfolio of their work.

Read reviews on the doctor.

Zen Polyclinic doctors are highly experienced in the field of hair transplant. We are ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Post Hair Transplant

Hair transplant is a sensitive procedure. The days and weeks that follow the hair transplant are very important, for this reason, for patients to reach optimal results, it is crucial that they follow the instructions given by surgeons. It is vital that patients abide by certain precautions; which will lead to successful results.

Important points to be paid attention to during the days and weeks that follow the hair transplant procedure are as follows:

Do not wear a hat.

Do not use shower heads with a high level of water pressure.

Do not use hair products.

Do not use a hair dryer.

Be sure to wash your hands often during this period.

Instructions for Healing

A big portion of the overall success of your procedure is tied to maintenance. Taking good care of your newly implanted hair and following your doctor’s instructions as best as possible are necessary for witnessing satisfactory results.

Below are the instructions for healing during the post hair transplant period:

Immediately after the operation, you will experience swelling on the scalp. In order to avoid additional swelling, keep your head oriented 45 degrees during the first couple days.

Regardless of how talented and experienced your surgeon may be, it is not possible to avoid scarring. While waiting for the scars to heal, be sure to take the prescribed medicine, which will decrease swelling and speed up the healing process. This will lessen the chances of irritation and infection, while also lessening the probability of a permanent spot.

Avoid physical activities that may lead to sweating. Sweating increases the risk of infection; thus highly affecting the healing process, as well as the outcome. Moreover, refrain from directly exposing your scalp directly to the sun for at least a month. For the same reasons, stay away from saunas.

Shaping After the Hair Transplant

For certain reasons, the shaping and the cutting of the hair must be done in a specific manner. Following hair transplant, you must gain insight as to how you should stylize your hair. Once the transplant is completed, the patient must wait three weeks before getting a haircut.

Since it is not possible to fully guess the behavior of newly formed follicles, it is beneficial to avoid dying your hair during the first few weeks after the hair transplant. It is not a bad idea to discuss the topic with your doctor. You may dye your hair a few weeks prior to the hair transplant.

Hair must be dried naturally following the hair transplant. The use of hair dryers are to be avoided, since they may damage the grafts. Few weeks later, a hair dryer may be used on low-heat.

Do not forget to receive information about what to pay attention to following a hair transplant operation from Zen Polyclinic doctors!

You can ask for before and after images of hair transplants from us!

If you are curious about hair transplant results, you can ask for before and after images of hair transplants from us. Reach us by filling the form below with needed information, we will provide you with before and after images of our patients from our archive. This way you would get detailed information about hair transplant and examine results in detail.