Losing hair is something that will affect most men around the world over the course of their lifetime and can happen at any point in their lives for a wide range of reasons. When this happens, there are several options that men can turn to in an attempt to get their hair back. Starting off small with things such as medication or topical serums, these options can range through non-surgical options and finally to full blown hair transplant surgery.
Hair transplant surgery is popular among both men and women (as hair loss doesn’t target people specifically based on their gender) and the biggest contributing factors to hair loss are health or hereditary conditions. But once you’ve made the decision to have a hair transplant, one of the main questions you’ll find yourself asking is “how long does a hair transplant last?”.
So, what is a hair transplant?
Hair transplants have been a popular treatment for hair loss since the 1950’s, but over the last few decades they’ve seemed to suddenly explode in popularity. With more and more celebrities starting to open up and go public with the news that they have undergone a hair transplant, as well as explaining how it helped with their careers, more and more men and women are booking themselves in for consultations.
There are two different forms of hair transplant surgery, follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT).
The FUE transplant method is the most advanced and most popular form of hair transplant surgery. During this form of procedure, individual follicles are harvested, extracted and then transplanted into a different area of the scalp. One of the reasons behind its high level of popularity is because there is much less scarring associated with it than with FUT procedures, as well as a high rate and level of satisfaction in patients.
The FUT transplant method on the other hand is less advanced but has been practiced for a longer period of time. As opposed to FUE where the follicles are taken individually, the FUT method is performed by taking a follicle rich piece of the scalp and moving it to the area being operated on. This is where the FUT method gets its name as the “strip farming” or “strip harvesting” method.
However, no matter which method is performed, the surgeon will be able to leave you with incredibly natural looking hair that is almost indistinguishable from your regular hair growth.
How long does a hair transplant last then?
After undergoing a hair transplant surgery, you will instantly be able to see the outline of the new hairline or filled balding area. Although it will look a bit red and feel a bit sore at first, this is completely natural and will fade fairly quickly, allowing you to start to come to terms with your new hair.
After the initial growth period, one issue that many patients run into is shedding and loss after their initial growth. Again, this is something that is completely natural but it can cause some patients to panic about their hair transplant and make them feel like they’ve wasted money. The transplanted hair will fall out initially, but will then regrow and the results from this point are completely permanent.
After around 6 months, this is where most people start to notice significant changes to their hair growth and begin to see their true results, with the final results being fully visible after approximately one year.
In modern times, patients are considered ideal for a hair transplant as long as they have healthy follicles and growth in an area that is commonly not affected by hair loss, such as the sides and rear of the scalp. The area to receive the hair transplant also needs to be eligible to receive the transplanted follicles and effectively grow them, so heavily scarred scalp may not be eligible to undergo a hair transplant procedure effectively. But, as long as you fit the criteria above, your hair transplant will be safe, natural and have completely permanent results.
Hair transplants are life changing
Back in the day, there was a perception that men who were balding opted for hair plugs (that were often incredibly obvious) to try and mask the appearance of their hair loss and keep a youthful appearance. Now, those days are long gone with permanent, natural looking hair transplants available for people of all genders, races and ages.
Without going as far as opting for a hair transplant, there are other options that you can look at like medication, shampoo or specialised topical solutions, but the only way to completely fight and reverse hair loss is to undergo hair transplant surgery.
To find out more about the FUE or FUT hair transplant procedures, please feel free to contact us for a completely free and no-obligation consultation on how we can help you.