Introduction
Statistically, up to 85% of males and 40% of females experience hair loss or alopecia at some point in their life. It can occur due to various reasons, heredity, hormonal changes, medication, stress, etc. Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) is the process through which one can regain their hair or at least try to get a fuller head. However, for the best results, you need to consult the best hair transplant clinic Kolkata.
The Right Time to Consult a Doctor
The best time to consult a doctor is when you see the following symptoms.
- If you notice your hairline to be receding slowly or a lot of hair falling out while shampooing or combing.
- There is a visible change in your hairline or hair thickness
- When bald patches or receding hairline is visible in men
- Common signs of balding in men
Sudden hair loss can be the cause of an underlying disease or disorder, so consulting a doctor as soon as you see your hair fall is advisable.
Types of Baldness
Baldness mostly occurs in men, and it has a total of seven grades, which are as follows.
Type 1. There is no visible recession of the hairline. But you can see hair fall during a bath or shuffling hands through the head.
Type 2. In this type of baldness, symmetrical, triangle-shaped hairline recession is observed in the frontotemporal area.
Type 3. In this case, a symmetrical hairline recession is observed near the temples. As a result, the temple eventually becomes bald or covered with only thin hair.
Type 4. More recession in the frontotemporal compared to Type III is seen, and there is sparse or no hair on the vertex.
Type 5. In this, the band of hair, as seen in Type IV, across the crown is narrower. The loss is more significant in the vertex and frontotemporal regions.
Type 6. In this type of baldness, the bridge of hair crossing the crown disappears and is left with only thin hair. The vertex and frontotemporal regions are barely joined together here.
Type 7. A narrow band of hair shaped like a horseshoe remains on the sides and rear of the scalp. This hair is not dense or fine.
Process and Price of FUT
The process of transplantation in a hair transplant clinic Kolkata is usually not very complicated. It has three different parts.
1. Pre-Operative Treatment
In this initial process, the patient’s scalp is analyzed, and their preferred treatment is discussed. Sometimes a medication of minoxidil and vitamins benefits the person, and they do not require any surgical treatment.
If they do, single or multiple sessions are discussed, and the patient is asked to refrain from consuming medications that might result in intraoperative bleeding and result in poor grafting. Smoking and alcohol must be prohibited to prevent poor graft survival. Certain postoperative antibiotics are commonly prescribed to prevent wound or graft infections.
2. Harvesting
Harvesting is of two types.
- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
It is the process through which individual follicular units of 1 to 4 hairs are removed under local anaesthesia. It usually takes a single long session or multiple small sessions. FUE gives you more natural results, but its only drawback is that this process is very costly. The recovery period of FUE is around 7 days.
- Strip Harvesting or Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
It is the most common technique for removing follicles from a donor site. Usually, a strip of skin from the back side of the scalp (where there is good hair growth) is harvested and applied accordingly. The recovery period of FUT is around 2 weeks.
3. Application
Grafts are used to apply to people who are seeking treatment for alopecia, eyebrow transplant, and frontal hairline reconstruction.
The hair transplant cost in Kolkata mostly varies from procedure to procedure. Regeneration of the volume and the method of transplant depends on the number of grafts planted, which costs approximately Rs. 60,000.
The secondary criterion, apart from the cost of a transplant, is the safety of the procedure. The best clinics aim to enhance their customers’ looks by re-growing natural hair without any side effects from the procedure. However, do note that the cost of a transplant does not come under health insurance as it is a cosmetic procedure.
Expectations and Recovery Risks
Usually, after the surgery, you will feel your scalp to be very tender. Pain medications are usually prescribed to take for several days.
Bandages over your scalp will be kept for at least a day or two by your surgeon. They may also recommend an anti-inflammatory or antibiotic.
Most people can resume working 2 to 5 days post-operation. Within 2 to 3 weeks, the transplanted hair will fall out, and new growth of hair is visible within a few months. Usually, 60% of the patients witness hair regrowth 6 to 9 months post-transplantation. A hair-growing drug such as minoxidil is sometimes prescribed to improve hair growth after transplantation.
Conclusion
Experiencing hair loss can be a difficult and stressful event. But with the presence of procedures such as transplants, you can easily regain your youthfulness without any problems. Hair transplantation is not just for men; women experiencing hair loss can also benefit from this procedure, achieving fuller, thicker hair. The process can be either difficult or very easy for you to go through, but by taking the correct precautions post-surgery, you will see your results in no time.
