If you suffer from bald spots or hair loss, you may want to consider getting a hair transplant. Hair loss and receding hairlines plague up to 80% of men and 40% of women, and compared to convention hair restoration creams or products, a hair transplant procedure may be a more long lasting and effective solution for you.
Dr Gerard Ee consults at The Clifford Clinic, 50 Raffles Place, Singapore.
What is a hair transplant?
A hair transplant is a surgical procedure involving the transfer of hair follicles from the back of the scalp to an area of the scalp that has thinning hair. Hair transplantation has a 90 percent success rate and is mainly used to treat balding in males, but can also be used to add/restore facial hair.
What are the causes of hair loss?
Pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) is a condition that affects up to 80% of men and 40% of women. Androgenetic alopecia causes hair loss mainly in the top and frontal regions of the scalp, it presents as a receding hairline or baldness at the crown of the scalp in men (male-pattern hair loss) or as a diffused thinning of the hair throughout the scalp in women (female-pattern hair loss).
Pattern hair loss is a hereditary condition, while the exact cause of female-pattern hair loss is currently unknown, male-pattern hair loss is linked to the presence of a male hormone known as di-hydro-testosterone (DHT).
Other factors that may affect hair loss include:
- Genetics – Hair loss can be hereditary and certain hormones produced by your body can increase your chance of experiencing hair loss
- Side effects from medication – Drug/medication used to treat cancer, heart problems, high blood pressure or depression can cause increased hair fall
- Poor diet – Lack of nutrition or vitamin/mineral deficiency can affect hair growth and lead to hair fall
- Stress – Emotional or physical stress can lead to abnormal hair fall
Types of hair transplant procedures available for you
The Clifford Clinic offers both Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), the key difference between both procedures being the method that the hair grafts (a strip of skin from the patient that contains hair follicles) are extracted from your scalp.
- Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT): The hair grafts are taken from the donor area and carefully separated. The grafts are then inserted into the target area (area with hair loss). The procedure to obtain the graft may leave a scar at the donor site where the skin was taken from.
- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE): Instead of taking a strip of skin for the donor site, individual hair follicles are harvested from the donor site and transplanted onto the target area. This procedure takes loner to perform compared to FUT but is scarless and has a shorter recovery time.
While both treatments are effective and performed daily at my clinic, my recommendation is the Follicular Unit Extraction due its scarless nature and natural look. While the FUE procedure is longer, the time taken to heal after the procedure is shorter and FUE is able to produce very natural looking results. Results from FUE are akin to naturally growing hair, and most people would not even be able to tell that you had a hair transplant procedure done.
Is the FUE hair transplant procedure suitable for you?
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is suitable for patients who have:
- Healthy donor site on their scalp with viable hair follicles
- Healthy blood vessels in the target area (hair loss area) for the hair transplant
- No existing medical condition that may complicate the hair transplant procedure
A mandatory blood test will be performed prior to the start of the procedure to ensure that you do not have any underlying medical conditions that may affect the procedure.
How many grafts are needed for a hair transplant?
The number of grafts vary between individuals and is dependent on the size of the target area receiving the transplant and the desired hair density. 500-2000 grafts are typically used, but up to 4000 grafts can be used to treat male-pattern hair loss.
Is FUE hair transplant permanent and what results can I expect?
During the first 4 months following a successful transplant procedure, you can expect the transplanted hair to shed. Shedding is normal, and new hair growth will begin around the 4th month. Results are best seen 1 year following the FUE hair transplant procedure.
Hair transplant is a permanent solution to covering up bald spots or improving the density of thinning hair, however, it cannot guard against future hair loss in other parts of the scalp. I recommend a two-pronged approach of a hair transplant in conjunction with follow up treatments such as Regenera Activa or treatment with the 1927 nm thulium Fraxel laser to maintain the density and health of your hair.
Allow me to touch briefly on 2 of the maintenance treatments available at The Clifford Clinic:
- Regenera Activa – A quick treatment with no down time that employs capillary regeneration technology to utilise hair follicles from your scalp to stimulate hair growth. Hair follicles are harvested from the back of the head and mixed in a solution that is injected back into the balding areas on your scalp to stimulate new hair growth.
- Fraxel laser for hair loss – The Fraxel hair laser operates using 1,927nm wavelengths to remove dead skin cells from the scalp and stimulate cell rejuvenation via improving blood circulation. Improved blood flow helps to nourish existing hair follicles on the scalp and encourage healthy hair growth.
While both procedures are unable to treat severe hair loss or cover up large bald spots, they are recommended for mild hair loss/hair thinning cases and for maintenance after a hair transplant procedure.
Final words
Hair transplant is an effective and permanent solution for those suffering from hair loss. However, the effectiveness and success of a transplant procedure is highly dependent on the skill of the doctor and team carrying out the procedure. If the hair grafts are not anchored properly or deep enough, the transplant may fail.
The hair transplant team at The Clifford Clinic performs transplants daily. The technique used by the team has been refined over the years.
Do drop by for a consultation if you are concerned about your hair loss. The clinic treats both mild and severe hair loss, with follow-up maintenance treatments to keep the density you have gained.
Book a consultation with Dr Gerard Ee at The Clifford Clinic
Dr Gerard Ee consults at The Clifford Clinic, 50 Raffles Place, Singapore. Consultations are by appointment. Message the clinic on WhatsApp, or call 6532 2048.
This page is written from published research and from clinical experience in Singapore since 2012. It is for general education, not medical advice. Whether a treatment suits you, what it may achieve and what it may risk can only be established at a consultation. Dr Gerard Ee is the Medical Director of The Clifford Clinic, a private clinic in Singapore, and treatments discussed on this site are provided commercially.
