A hair transplant relocates hair from areas where it is abundant to areas where a patient is suffering from hair loss. This can return a patient’s appearance to a more normal state. But is a hair transplant permanent?
Hair transplants aren’t necessarily permanent, but they do last for a very long time in most cases. In fact, they typically last long enough that they can be considered permanent, lasting for up to 20 years or more. In particular, an FUE transplant offers patients a chance at a permanent balding solution.
Is a Hair Transplant Permanent?
If you have a hair transplant planned and are curious about the longevity of the work that you’re about to receive, take a look at this overview of the process and what you might expect.
Why Do Hair Transplants Last So Long?
Part of the reason that hair transplants last for so long is because it is formed from hair gathered around the sides of a patient’s head. This type of hair is not affected by male or female pattern baldness. Thus, when it is transplanted onto the top of the patient’s head, which is affected by baldness, the hair that is harvested from around the patient’s head tends not to disappear.
It is possible to experience some hair loss even after your hair transplant is performed. This is especially true if you receive a hair transplant at a younger age, as your hair may recede again as the years proceed.
However, a quality hair transplant will likely last most patients throughout the remainder of their lives, as they tend to last for decades. This is barring some of the more extreme forms of hair loss. You can return to the clinic that performs your initial procedure to check in on whether your hair loss is severe enough to threaten your transplant.
Will I Need a Second Transplant?
There’s some possibility that you will end up needing a second transplant after your initial one has been performed. This typically occurs if a patient’s hair begins to recede again past your implanted hairs. This is one of the reasons that physicians recommend taking medications in conjunction with your hair transplant so that it reduces the potential for another round of hair loss.
Second or third hair transplants are not out of the question, but any more than that, and there’s a distinct possibility that the donor area of one’s head will become too thin to harvest from. This is why physicians will typically recommend that you look into other methods of hair loss prevention rather than doing hair transplants over and over again.
Hairstyles, Medications, and More
What type of hairstyle you choose to wear after your hair transplant will depend on several different things. There are certain hairstyles that are more or less suited to hair transplant patients due to the mechanics of a hair transplant. Much of it has to do with the hairline that you desire with respect to your transplant.
In addition, if you are on stable hair loss medications, then you can plan a hairstyle around the fact that you will likely not bald or have your hair recede further. If you decide not to take hair loss medications, then you should wait until your hair loss stabilizes prior to having a hair transplant.
In general, doctors recommend that patients plan for a “mature” looking hairline and style, as the amount of hair that one can harvest from the side of one’s head is oftentimes limited in the amount of coverage it can provide on the parts of your scalp that have experienced hair loss.
Bad Hair Transplants
If you are ultimately unhappy with the results of your hair transplant, then the good news is that you have a few options regarding trying to rectify your results. Some of these include:
- You can simply schedule another transplant should you qualify for one
- If you have a hairline that is too low, you can opt for laser hair removal
- You can thicken hair transplants that seem too thin by having another hair transplant to thicken your results
All of these options require that a patient still has donor hair to give for another transplant. If you have received too many transplants already, you may not have sufficient hair for the process.
The Hair Experts of Denver
Denver hair surgery is one of the Denver area’s leading experts in hair restoration. If you’re suffering from baldness patterns and would like to rectify this issue, contact our office today in order to set up an appointment.
