So, you’ve made the decision to enhance your appearance and go for a hair transplant and now you’re hearing all about “graft numbers”. You should know and understand graft calculation to better prepare you for your hair restoration surgery consultations so you’re getting realistic expectations.
Although your main goal is likely having as much hair transplanted as possible in order to look like you did when you were 20, there is a limit to the number of grafts that can be transplanted in one session. Be aware of physicians who offer these outrageous graft numbers as you are likely being scammed and now your intelligence has been insulted as well. They’re either giving you a fictitious number or they are attempting to place too many at one time which carries many risks.
If the follicular units (1-4 hairs) are extracted and then divided up into smaller groups, or into individual hairs, the fictitious “graft numbers” will significantly increase and so will the price of your hair restoration procedure (if the patient is charged by the graft), without any increase in fullness (and possibly even less fullness due to sub-optimal growth). So, more than likely the clinic was counting follicular grouping or hairs and sometimes this can be deceiving because 4,000 hairs may amount to only 2000-2,500 grafts.
For example, if a patient has a 2,000 graft hair transplantation procedure where the 4- grafts were split up into 1- and 2-hair grafts, either through poor dissection or intentionally, the new procedure would now have much more ‘grafts’ with exactly the same number of hairs. Now, more sites would need to be unnecessarily placed into the patients scalp to accommodate these grafts. This in turn would cause the hair to be spread out over a larger area of the scalp, decreasing the potential density in the more important areas such as the front and increasing the cost of your new hair transplant!
That is why Dr. Yazdan does a full exam and consult to discuss this in depth and NEVER charges by the number of grafts. It’s simply unrealistic resulting in unrealistic expectations from the patient.
Another reason for an absurdly high graft count is physicians attempting to plant a large number of grafts in “mega-sessions” which poses its own set of challenges. As the number of hair grafts placed per area rises, so does the risk of vascular compromise (decreased blood flow to the area caused by injury to the scalp) and this can result in sub-optimal graft growth.
For instance, in an FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) transplant, Dr. Yazdan typically recommends no more than a true graft count of 2,000 and for the traditional Strip/FUT method, no more than 3,500 should be harvested in one procedure. Using the FUT technique- a 3,500 hair graft procedure will require an incision greater than 20cm on the back of the scalp consequently excellent scalp elasticity is needed otherwise this could significantly increase the risk of a widened scar. A wide donor scar can potentially create a cosmetic problem and can limit the amount of hair that can be obtained if a future hair transplant procedure is needed.
Another word of caution, in FUT (Follicular Hair Transplantation), microscopic dissection is used to dissect naturally occurring 1-4 hair follicular units from the donor area. If these units are kept intact during dissection, growth will be maximized, and a hair transplant patient will get the greatest possible fullness and density. However, if dissection is poor and some of the hair in the follicles are destroyed, the results will be less than ideal.
To avoid such problems, men and woman in need of a larger hair transplant should take caution when choosing the right surgeon and should only be reserved for the most experienced surgical teams. As you see in the photo above, this is a great example of a physician at an outside clinic who overharvested the donor area while using a much larger punch size than needed.
Because these factors are ‘deep-rooted’ in all hair transplant procedures, it is important that the surgeon focuses on maximizing hair growth, rather than seeking some arbitrarily high target number of grafts.
“What is ultimately critical for the patient is not how many grafts were transplanted, but how many actually grow. My results speak for themselves.” Said Yazdan.
This blog was written as a result of a patient being told that he was receiving a 7,000 graft transplant. See link below.
https://www.realself.com/question/paris-fr-hair-after-7000-hair-transplant#6245220
For questions or to schedule a consultation, call one of our offices conveniently located in Irvine, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas at 888-717-5273 or contact via our website at contact Modena Hair Link
Tag Archives: hair dye
Is a Hair Transplant a Risky Procedure?
Hair transplant is a surgical process used as a hair loss treatment. If you are suffering from baldness and want to rid yourself from hair loss than a transplant may be right for you.
As with all cosmetic surgical procedures, there is risk involved. Like with many things in life, you need to balance the risk versus reward. Finding an experienced surgeon who specializes in hair restoration will greatly reduce the “risk” factor.
Overall, a surgical hair transplant procedure whether it may be FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) or the Strip method is a completely safe procedure.
Generally speaking, risks are usually limited to:
Swelling – This is your body’s way to heal an area as blood reserves collect in the area. Mild swelling is normal after a hair transplant, but excessive swelling that might result in black eyes requires immediate medical attention.
Bleeding – Similarly to all wounds, bleeding may take place as the body heals. Rarely, a graft might dislodge from the area, which results in excessive bleeding that will require pressure to stop.
Numbness -Some transient numbness is inevitable. Typically, and if any, this is felt at the suture line or graft sites and generally lasts from 3-18 weeks.
Pain -This is actually a good sign for it demonstrates that your body is working to heal itself. Often, over the counter medications help alleviate the symptom, and some patients don’t need anything for pain.
Itching -Another sign of healing as your body adjusts to the new follicles and is usually alleviated with regular shampooing.
Infection -Even papercuts are vulnerable to infections if they are not properly cleansed. After undergoing this procedure, and under the guidance of your physician, it is important to regularly clean the wound site accordingly.
Scarring -Scarring generally occurs in FUT/Strip method plantations and is occasionally seen from the FUE technique with an inexperienced physician.
Every individual varies greatly in their physical reactions and healing abilities. Yet, these associated risks are relatively minimal when you’re looking at the bigger picture of what a hair transplant can do for you and your self-esteem for many years to come.
In hindsight, the ‘biggest’ risk is a bad result or no result from an inexperienced doctor or non-licensed practitioners whom aren’t properly trained to do surgical hair transplants. As long as you feel comfortable that you’re in the hands of skilled, artistic hair transplant doctor, you’re likely to have fantastic results that will look very natural!
Do some extensive investigating to find a well qualified full-time hair restoration surgeon and your benefits will certainly outweigh the costs, these risks are fairly minimal and shouldn’t be a major deterring factor with proceeding with such a life-changing procedure! Having a hair transplant can significantly boost one’s self-confidence and compliment your appearance leaving you with smiles for days, or decades, rather!
For questions or to schedule a consultation, call one of our offices conveniently located in Irvine, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas at 888-717-5273 or contact via our website at contact Modena Hair Link
Is coloring my hair causing it to fall out?
This is a common question we get from patients who enjoy coloring their hair regularly. Some individuals notice increased hair loss around their coloring sessions, while others have heard bad things about hair dye and are wondering if the damage could cause hair loss. The answer depends on a variety of factors.
The first factor is the current condition and health of your hair. If you have strong, healthy hair, then coloring your hair a few times a year will most likely not damage it so severely that you experience hair loss. While it is true that hair dyes can be harsh on the hair (even the most expensive kinds), if our hair is healthy in every other way, it is likely resilient enough to withstand some coloring. That being said, hair is like life in that everything is about balance and moderation. Coloring your hair frequently doesn’t allow the hair to regenerate and heal and over time can cause irreversible damage. Try going with a balyage style that requires little maintenance.
The second factor is what kind of hair coloring you are doing. Box hair dyes and bleach jobs are the worst options for your hair’s health. Bleach strips your hairs follicles, and if you have naturally darker hair, this can be extremely damaging. Box dyes are made of cheap ingredients and they sacrifice quality for price and time. If you’re going to color your hair, do it the right way, and spend the money on a professional. Salons are equipped with moisturizing sealants that help minimize the damage to your hair.
Thirdly, if you are prone to hair loss or have been experiencing it recently, lay off the dye until you track down the cause and find a working solution. Sometimes a change in medication or starting a new medicated shampoo is all it takes.
In conclusion, it’s possible that hair coloring may be contributing to your hair loss, but in most cases of healthy-haired individuals, this isn’t a problem. Just make sure you’re taking care of your hair and doing deep conditioning masks and getting trims as often as possible.
Should you use a colored toning shampoo?
Anyone who’s colored their hair has witnessed first-hand the color change that occurs over time. You know how it goes, you leave the salon with your new color feeling amazing. Your hair is bright, dimensional, and perfect. Over the next few weeks your hair begins to change color. It might get brassy, show yellow or red hues, and dull. This can be due to washing, the environment, style tools, or the chemistry of your hair (fine, wavy hair loses color faster).
If this has happened to you, you may want to jump on the color shampoo train. Colored shampoos are shampoos that contain ingredients meant to counteract color change in dyed hair. The idea is to keep your hair looking as true-to-color as possible until your next hair coloring or toning appointment.
Colored shampoo comes in a few different options. Most popular is silver, blue, and purple. When you wash your hair with colored shampoo, the pigment is actually deposited into your hair. These colors counteract the colors you don’t want, keeping it true to your dyed color.
Colored shampoo is beneficial to blondes, graceful greys, redheads, and even brunettes. The tone-cancelling goodness may not be as evident in darker-tones but it’ll still prevent unwanted colors from peeking through.
If you aren’t sure which color shampoo is best for you, ask your hair stylist at your next appointment. They’ll be able to determine which color will best counteract the tones your hair is prone to turning.
