Hair Transplant in Ambattur, Chennai

What is a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure in which follicular units are moved from a donor area, commonly the back or sides of the scalp, to selected thinning or bald areas. The objective is to redistribute existing follicles. The procedure cannot create an unlimited donor supply or stop untreated hair from thinning in the future.

A natural result depends on diagnosis, hairline planning, graft handling, placement angle, donor preservation and aftercare. A consultation should therefore discuss both the proposed procedure and the longer-term plan for the patient’s remaining hair.

Who may be considered?

Suitability is individual. A clinician assesses whether hair loss is stable enough for surgical planning, whether the donor area can support the desired coverage and whether expectations match what can be achieved safely.

• The diagnosis and pattern of hair loss
• Donor density, hair calibre, curl and colour contrast
• The size of the recipient area and the density being requested
• Age, rate of progression and likely future loss
• Scalp health, medical history, medicines and healing risk
• Previous surgery, scarring and available donor reserve

FUE, FUT and DHI terminology

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) removes small follicular units individually from the donor area. Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) removes a strip of donor scalp that is divided into grafts, leaving a linear donor scar. Direct hair implantation (DHI) is commonly used to describe implantation with a pen-style device and is generally a variation in placement technique rather than a separate source of donor hair.

Each approach has trade-offs involving donor management, scarring, procedure time and graft requirements. The techniques actually available at iGlow, and the professional responsible for performing each surgical stage, must be confirmed during consultation before a recommendation is made.

Consultation and treatment planning

The assessment may include scalp examination, dermoscopy, standardised photographs and discussion of the desired hairline. Blood tests or treatment of an active scalp condition may be advised before surgery. If hair loss is still progressing quickly, a period of medical management and observation may be more appropriate before committing donor follicles.

The proposed graft number is an estimate based on the recipient area, target density and donor reserve. More grafts do not automatically mean a better or safer result. Conservative donor use can be important when future procedures may be needed.

Procedure and early recovery

Hair-transplant procedures are usually performed under local anaesthesia and may take several hours. The selected follicles are harvested, prepared and placed according to the agreed design. Patients should receive written instructions covering wound care, sleeping position, washing, activity and medicines.

Temporary swelling, redness, tenderness and scabbing are common during early recovery. Many transplanted hairs shed in the first few weeks before new growth begins from the follicles. Visible change develops gradually, and maturation can continue for a year or longer. Timelines vary and should be discussed in the context of the individual procedure.

Risks and limitations

Hair transplantation is surgery. Possible problems include infection, bleeding, scarring, temporary altered sensation, folliculitis, poor graft growth, an unnatural design, uneven density and temporary shedding of nearby hair. Donor thinning or over-harvesting can be difficult to correct.

Risk is reduced by appropriate patient selection, a qualified surgical team, careful donor planning and adherence to aftercare, but it cannot be removed completely. Ask who will perform the diagnosis, extraction, recipient-site creation and implantation, and what follow-up is available if healing does not proceed as expected.

Alternatives and complementary care

Some people are better served initially by medical hair-loss treatment, correction of an underlying deficiency, treatment of scalp disease or observation. PRP or GFC may be discussed as an adjunct for selected patients, but it does not replace donor planning. Hair patches, toppers and wigs offer non-surgical coverage without using donor follicles.