At Face Body & Soul we understand the deeply emotional issues involved in visible hair loss.
Our surgeon Dr. Les Blackstock and the highly qualified Face body & Soul support team, offer private one on one consultations to give you a complete understanding of the procedure so that you can select the hair transplant process that is right for you.
At Face Body & Soul we pre-plan your hair transplant procedure to suit your hair and scalp condition and general health. Our pathology provides a personal map that helps us prepare you for your transplant procedure.
The reasons for premature hair loss are many and varied. Some people begin to lose hair in their twenties. Frequent shampooing, poor circulation, wearing hats or any other personal habits are not factors that cause hair loss.
For men, heredity is the major factor in hair loss, while for women it's more likely to be hormonal.
Accidents, burns, and disease can also trigger hair loss.
Hair transplantation is the most natural and permanent way of reversing baldness available today.
Forget about 'Hair Fusion', 'Strand-by-Strand' and other forms of wigs and hair-pieces, artificial hair, and costly non-medical treatments that claim to regrow hair - only transplants with your own living hair follicles will give you care-free, long-term, natural results.
Hair transplantation involves the movement of one's own hair follicles from one part of the scalp to another.
Hair transplants cannot be donated by another person, as they would be rejected by the body's immune system. Once in their new location, the follicles grow completely normal hairs - which often look stronger and healthier than surrounding existing hairs.
The transplanted hair follicles from the 'healthy' donor area have a different genetic code, and tend to produce full-size hairs over a person's lifetime. Even when these follicles are transplanted into an area of baldness, they retain their hair-growing qualities.
Usually, the donor area is located at the back or sides of your head. The hair follicles in the body, including the donor areas, do not regenerate, and therefore, there is a slight drop in hair density in the donor area. The donor follicles are removed by gentle surgery, and there are sutures in place for about a week.
Gone are the days when hair transplants were large, tuft-like, and unnatural looking.
Today, the grafts consist of only one or two, or sometimes three hairs each, and even with close inspection, look completely natural. The state of the art technique we use is called Follicular Unit Transplantation.
At Face Body & Soul the procedure is performed by surgeons, not inhouse trained consultants.
Hair transplantation is an exacting procedure, involving a team of nurses/technicians and the surgeon.
The donor follicle tissue must be carefully separated into individual follicles, or groups of 2 or 3 hairs.
These are called follicular units. The recipient sites are then made with delicate instruments or a laser.
The procedure can take between 2 to 6 hours, depending on the number of grafts transplanted, and the area and qualities of the recipient area.
We are able to transplant hairs to the scalp, face (eg for beard scarring etc), eyebrows, and pubic regions.
The smallest session is 100 grafts, and the largest we prefer to do is 1000 grafts. Technically, there is no limit to the number of grafts that can be transplanted in one session, but we believe that in the larger 'mega-sessions', which some surgeons advocate, the percentage of survival transplants drops, and patient comfort is reduced.
It is more reliable, safer and easier to plan for medium size sessions, so any small areas where further grafts are required can be handled in the scheduled treatment program.
This of course depends on the area of hair loss that needs to be covered. For example, about 200-400 grafts could be used to fill in receded temple areas. Only single hair grafts can be used in the front hairline and a mixture of 2's and 3's further back for density - as larger groups of hairs could look 'too tufty'.
As a guide, about 100-200 grafts can be placed in an area about the size of your thumb, depending on how closely they are packed. Once they have grown, further grafts can be placed into the spaces between the new follicles, bringing about further hair density. This process can be repeated until the hair density is quite thick.
The latest transplant techniques minimize damage to existing follicles.
Hair transplantation is carried out under local anaesthetic, combined with mild sedation.
The procedure is virtually pain-free. Afterwards, there can be some mild discomfort in the donor or recipient areas, but many patients say they do not even need to take analgesics.
Right after the treatment, your scalp will be red and slightly swollen.
There may be some small scabs over the individual grafts that will remain for about a week.
There are no bandages, and the grafts will take within the first 24-48 hours.
With our latest techniques, which result in minimal handling and trauma to the follicles during the procedure, most of our patients report that many follicles start growing straight after the procedure.
Optionally, these methods can be combined with special topical medication applied before and after the grafting in conjunction with micro-current stimulation - an option unique to Face Body & Soul.
Grafts will grow faster and stronger using this method.
Sometimes follicles may need 3-4 months of rest before they start growing; this delay seems more pronounced after megasessions and after laser grafting. We believe that well over 90% of the grafts we place will survive and grow normally in their new position. Grafts placed into scars, or other problem areas may have a lower yield.
Most patients find that they can return to work the second day after the procedure. Occasionally there may be some slight bruising or swelling around the forehead that may need several days to resolve.
Sutures in the donor area will need to be removed about 7 - 10 days after the procedure. Mild exercise and gym work can be progressively resumed two days after the procedure, with unrestricted activity allowed after two weeks.
The new grafts need to be protected and gently treated for about 10 days after the procedure.
The scalp can be gently washed the day after the procedure. All medication and shampoos are provided
Our Surgeons will recommend some professional hair care products and possibly some medication, to help boost follicle growth, and keep the treated area and all of your hair looking its very best.
Hair transplant procedures are of course surgical, and bruising, swelling, infection and bleeding are possible, if very uncommon outcomes. If they occur, they can almost always be easily resolved, without risk to patient or transplanted follicles. Rarely, will a patient have unexpected poor healing of the donor and/or recipient areas, in the form of a scar. Smoking and lifestyle can adversely affect follicle yield and growth.
This information provides a broad overview of the Face Body & Soul hair transplantation procedure. Should you wish to learn more, our doctors and hair consultant will provide you with a proposal specifically tailored to suit you.
Photographs and video based patient educational material are available.