Hair transplant

How it works

Hair at the back of the head is largely unaffected by the hormone that drives male-pattern loss. Follicles taken from there and replanted at the hairline or crown keep that property and continue to grow. Harvesting is either strip (a band of scalp is removed) or follicular unit extraction (follicles taken one by one); the scarring and recovery differ.

Used for

• A hairline that has receded into an M shape
• A crown that has visibly thinned
• Areas already bare, where medication can no longer fill in

Cautions

• Transplanted hairs mostly shed at two to four weeks and regrow from month three or four — this is normal
• Loss in the surrounding original hair continues, so medication is often combined
• The strip method leaves a linear scar at the back of the head

Aftercare

• Do not rub or scratch the recipient area for two weeks
• Judge the result at six months at the earliest; final at twelve
• Avoid alcohol, smoking and hard exercise for the first two weeks