Hair Transplant for Women

What Happens During a Hair Transplant for Women?

For most women, using mini-grafts is the most suitable choice to fill in the thinning areas. Other than this technique, flap and tissue expansion techniques may also be used or combined with mini-grafts to provide desired results to the patients. 

Depending on the technique chosen for hair restoration, the procedure steps may vary slightly for each patient. In general, female hair transplant surgery is carried out in the following steps- 

Phase 1- Hair Extraction

• The surgeon’s team (most likely a nurse) will trim the hair short to make the grafts easily accessible. 
• Local anesthesia is administered on the scalp to ensure the patient doesn’t feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure. 
• If the treatment plan consists of using punch grafts, a special tube-like instrument is used to punch out round grafts from the donor site. For other types of grafts, the surgeon will use a scalpel. 
• Once the grafts are harvested, they are divided into mini-grafts, micro-grafts, slit grafts, or strip grafts, depending on the technique being used. 

For most women, using mini-grafts is the most suitable choice to fill in the thinning areas. Other than this technique, flap and tissue expansion techniques may also be used or combined with mini-grafts to provide desired results to the patients. 

Depending on the technique chosen for hair restoration, the procedure steps may vary slightly for each patient. In general, female hair transplant surgery is carried out in the following steps- 

Phase 2- Hair Extraction

• The surgeon’s team (most likely a nurse) will trim the hair short to make the grafts easily accessible. 
• Local anesthesia is administered on the scalp to ensure the patient doesn’t feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure. 
• If the treatment plan consists of using punch grafts, a special tube-like instrument is used to punch out round grafts from the donor site. For other types of grafts, the surgeon will use a scalpel. 
• Once the grafts are harvested, they are divided into mini-grafts, micro-grafts, slit grafts, or strip grafts, depending on the technique being used. 

Phase 3- Graft Preservation 

After the extraction, the grafts are placed separately at 4 degree Celsius to maintain healthy circulation. Usually, grafts are very resilient and don’t die immediately when the fresh blood supply is halted. They can survive for almost 6 hours outside the scalp. If kept further, their ability to grow hair is affected considerably. 

In most cases, the grafts are implanted shortly after extraction to ensure they remain healthy. 

Phase 4- Hair Implantation 

• The surgeon makes tiny incisions in the recipient scalp area while observing the angle and direction of the existing hair. 
• Each graft or follicle is inserted into the incision with precision. 
• Once the implantation is complete, the surgeon will clean the donor and recipient sites and cover the scalp with gauze. 

The entire procedure is likely to take around 4 to 8 hours, depending on the number of grafts being used. In women, the procedure is slightly complex. Hence, most women require multiple sessions to complete the treatment.

After the extraction, the grafts are placed separately at 4 degree Celsius to maintain healthy circulation. Usually, grafts are very resilient and don’t die immediately when the fresh blood supply is halted. They can survive for almost 6 hours outside the scalp. If kept further, their ability to grow hair is affected considerably. 

In most cases, the grafts are implanted shortly after extraction to ensure they remain healthy. 

Phase 5- Hair Implantation 

• The surgeon makes tiny incisions in the recipient scalp area while observing the angle and direction of the existing hair. 
• Each graft or follicle is inserted into the incision with precision. 
• Once the implantation is complete, the surgeon will clean the donor and recipient sites and cover the scalp with gauze. 

The entire procedure is likely to take around 4 to 8 hours, depending on the number of grafts being used. In women, the procedure is slightly complex. Hence, most women require multiple sessions to complete the treatment.

Techniques Used for Surgical Hair Restoration in Women

Besides using the standard FUT (follicular unit transplant), FUE (follicular unit extraction), and DHI (direct hair implantation), several other techniques can also be used to address hair loss in women. These techniques include- 

Tissue Expansion

This technique is mostly performed as a reconstructive surgery to repair burn wounds or injuries in the scalp. In this technique, a balloon-like device called a tissue expander is inserted beneath the hair-bearing scalp, right next to the balding area. The device is then inflated using salt water over the next weeks. This causes the skin to expand and grow new cells.

When the skin has stretched enough (2 months on average), surgery is performed to bring the expanded skin over the adjacent bald area. 

Flap Surgery

This technique has been used successfully for hair restoration in women for more than two decades. It allows the surgeon to cover large areas of baldness according to the patient’s needs. Furthermore, the size of the flap can be customized further, and one flap can do the work of 350+ grafts. 

It involves cutting a section of the bald scalp and lifting a flap of the hair-bearing skin off the surface. The flap is stretched to its new position and sewn into place. As the incision heals and new hairs grow from the scalp, the scar will be hidden. 

What to Expect After Hair Transplant Surgery?

Immediately after the surgery, the patient can expect to feel slightly disoriented and have tenderness in the scalp. To help the patient manage the pain and discomfort, pain medications are prescribed. Other medicines, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicines, etc., are also prescribed for the recovery period.

The patient is kept under observation for an hour or so and then discharged. Before discharge, the patient is given detailed post-op care instructions and a follow-up schedule.

For 2-3 days, the scalp will be covered with bandages. After the surgery, the treated area will be inflamed. The scalp will also start to swell in the next few days. Redness, swelling, bruising, etc., are common side effects of hair transplant surgery and are temporary. These effects take around 10 to 15 days to resolve.

Potential Side Effects & Risks of Surgical Hair Restoration for Women

The potential risks of a Hair Transplant for Women are similar to a male hair transplant. The common side effects and risks include-

• Bleeding in the scalp
• Infection in the donor or recipient area 
• Inflammation of the follicles (folliculitis)
• Shock loss 
• Itchiness in the scalp
• Scab formation

Other than these risks, the patient may not feel satisfied with the results of the treatment.

Benefits of Hair Transplant for Women

Hair loss in women is often a matter of emotional distress. And when no other remedy works, hair transplant surgery can do wonders. Here are some key benefits of hair transplants for women- 

• Increased Confidence- Aesthetics are usually very important for men and women. And losing hair can affect any individual’s confidence. After getting treatment, women regain their self-confidence. 
• Long-lasting Treatment- Unlike medications and non-surgical hair growth treatments, the results of a female hair transplant last for a lifetime. The implanted hairs continue their lifecycle as usual, and women enjoy a full head of hair for the rest of their lives. 
• Cost-Effective Hair Restoration Technique- Unlike other hair treatments that need to be taken frequently to keep the hair healthy and growing, hair transplant surgery is a one-time procedure. Thus, the patient doesn’t have to keep spending their hard-earned money on hair treatments. 
• Natural-looking Results- The surgeon implants the hair grafts or follicles, considering the patient’s hairline, angle, and direction of hair growth. Thus, once the hairs start to grow, it looks completely natural.
• Minimal Scarring- The resulting scars of female hair transplant are minimal. Over time, the scar heals, and as hairs grow long, it becomes almost unnoticeable.

Recovery After Hair Transplant for Women

The recovery period after a hair transplant in women is usually between 10 to 20 days. Firstly, the newly implanted follicles will become stable, and scabs will start to form in the treated area. The scabs will start to fall off after 4-7 days.

Later on, the patient may also experience shock loss, due to which the implanted hair will fall off. But there is no need to worry as this is perfectly natural. Throughout the recovery period, the patients have to follow very extensive instructions to prevent post-surgery complications and get the best possible outcome. 

The common instructions that are usually given to the patients include the following points-

• Until the scalp heals and the grafts become secured, keep the head elevated while sleeping. Sleeping normally can dislodge the grafts as the scalp rubs against the clothes. 
• Avoid washing hairs for 3-5 days. After that, it’ll be safe to wash the scalp with a gentle or mild shampoo. 
• Take the prescribed medications as directed by the doctor to reduce swelling, bruising, and inflammation. 
• Within 5 days after the surgery, scabs will start to form over the treated area. Don’t rub or scratch the scalp or try to remove the scabs forcefully. Most of them will fall off on their own during the wash. 
• Within 7 to 10 days, the donor area will be healed completely, except with a FUT hair transplant. With FUT, the healing of the donor area will take around 10-14 days. 
• The transplanted hair will be secured within 2 weeks, and it’ll be safe to cover the scalp and resume other activities.

It will take around 6 to 12 months for the patients to notice considerable hair growth after the treatment. Thus, the patient needs to follow the doctor’s advice further to get the best results.

Results- Hair Transplant for Women Before & After

As mentioned above, the results after a hair transplant for women will take around 6 to 12 months. The patient can expect the following-

• Two Weeks After the Surgery- The patient will experience shock loss during this period as the hair follicles in the resting phase will fall out. It is a natural process, and the patient doesn’t need to worry about it. There won’t be any visible changes in the next few weeks. 
• Two or Three Months After the Surgery- Minor hair growth will become visible in 2-3 months after the surgery. Up to this period, only about 10-20% of hair growth is achieved. Patients who had a FUT hair transplant will notice that the scar in the donor area is shrinking and the appearance is improving. 
• Four to Six Months After the Surgery– Around 50 to 60% of hair growth happens in this period. The initial growth, which was thin, will improve, and the hair texture will also improve. 
• Seven Months to One Year After the Surgery- Within this period, around 80 to 90% of hair growth will become visible. Moreover, the hair texture, volume, and density will also improve significantly. The hair will continue to grow further.

The doctor will also advise to eat a healthy and balanced diet and engage in physical activities throughout the recovery period. This will ensure that the hair follicles get enough nourishment and blood supply to grow new hairs. 

Women's Hair Transplant Cost in India

The Women’s Hair Transplant Cost in India ranges from Rs. 60000 to Rs. 120000. The actual cost of the treatment varies for each patient depending on the following factors-

• Level or extent of baldness 
• The total number of grafts that need to be used
• The technique used for the transplant 
• Choice of the hospital or clinic 
• City or location where the patient is getting treatment