Hair transplantation provides respite to permanent hair loss. However, before opting for the procedure, it is important to know the side effects associated with it. This article deals with various side effects that may develop after the procedure.
Not only is thick, shiny hair a sign of good health, it also has a positive effect on one’s psychology and self-esteem. Although there are numerous hair care products and medicines that can ensure good hair, in case of baldness the only way left is hair transplantation. It is a surgical procedure and in case one is planning on this method, it is important to know its side effects.
What is Hair Transplantation?
Hair transplants are primarily used to treat male pattern baldness. In this procedure, grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to thinning are transplanted on to the balding site. The area from where the grafts are taken is known as the donor site. Although most commonly used to treat men, it can be successful in treating certain cases of baldness in women as well. However, that would primarily be based on the type of hair loss. There are two hair transplant procedures. One is the strip harvesting method and the other is the follicular unit extraction harvesting method.
Side Effects
As in case with any surgery, even hair transplantation has its own side effects. Although they are minor and common with this procedure, it always helps to be familiar with the possible ill effects. Some of them are:
- Some amount of pain and discomfort may develop in the scalp after the surgery. Since the procedure is carried out under anesthesia, no such discomfort is felt during the procedure.
- Some people complain of loss of original hair after the surgery. This is a temporary phase as the normal hair grows back along with the transplanted hair.
- Numbness of the scalp may persist for a small period after the surgery.
- Swelling around the forehead and the eye. This condition generally lasts for 2 to 5 days.
- Some people may also experience itchy scalp after the surgery.
- In rare cases, some patients may suffer from scarring, bleeding, infection, and cysts in the scalp. Although these side effects rarely occur, they are serious and medical help should be sought immediately.
Hair Transplants Gone Wrong
Be it hair transplant, a nose job, or a facelift, there are chances that some undesirable changes may occur, which can affect a person’s appearance. Since, these surgeries have aesthetic implications, proper research must be done before opting for them. Some of the common problems that occur during the surgeries are:
- Plug-Like Effect: In case the density of hair in the plug is more than the natural hair density, then it means that the graft is too large. In such a case there are hair strands growing in high density within the large graft with prominent empty spaces between them. This results in an unnatural plug-like look on the scalp of the patient.
- Scarring of the Recipient Site: Sometimes large wounds may be created in the scalp due to improper grafting techniques. These wounds leave scars on the scalp that can cause problems like irregularities visible on the skin of the scalp and changing the direction of hair growth that gives an unnatural look. Scars may also lead to graft elevation or depression.
- Improper Hairlines: A surgeon should be aware of the positioning of the hairline. For males it is usually 1.5 cm above the upper brow crease at the midline. In case the surgery results in too low a hairline it may distort the look of the face.
- Hair Placed in Wrong Direction: In order to give a natural look to the patient, it is important that the grafts are placed correctly. In many cases, inexperienced surgeons are unable to do that. The result is an undesirable hair transplantation side effect.
It is very important to do proper research before going for any kind of surgery. Although the usual hair transplantation side effects are hard to ignore, they are easy to deal with. However, big blunders are expensive and sometimes impossible to correct.
