▷ Hair Transplant Before & After: 6 things you should pay attention to
Dr. Sternberg Written by Alex Rode Published on 1 Feb 2021
6 Things You Should Look for in Before and After
Results photos from verified clinics
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sternberg Written by Alex Rode on 1 Feb 2021
Before and after photos of hair transplants are one of the most useful tools for individuals to use when evaluating the quality of a surgeon’s work. You are able to find patients who suffered from a similar form of hair loss and see how a hair transplantation restored their hair growth.
Sometimes hair transplant clinics will upload misleading photos to give the appearance of a higher quality hair transplant than it is in reality. These photos are dimly lit and have poor resolution or the hair is styled in a way that hides the details of the hair transplant. It is important to know what you are looking for when reviewing before and after photos.
Hairline Single Grafts?
Donor Overharvested?
Density >40 per cm²
Temples Degree and Single Grafts?
Hairlines look more natural when single follicular units are transplanted rather than in groupings. The results photos should show an up-close photo of the hairline to see if multiple grafts make up the hairline or if individual grafts do.
When the hairline is redesigned one of the tricky portions for surgeons to do properly is creating a natural, smooth transition from the hairline to the temples. Proper placement of single grafts in the temporal region can achieve this natural look.
In order to achieve the appearance of high density there should be at least 40% of the original hair density after hair transplantation. You should look at before and after photos to assess the surgeon’s ability to pack hair grafts in the balding areas.
Proper donor area management is very important when it comes to disguising a hair transplant. When a surgeon overharvests the donor area it can lead to a moth-eaten or patchy appearance. The donor area should also be harvested evenly to avoid these undesirable results as well.
Hair surgeons should also have experience in fixing poor results from prior transplants. Are they able to properly fix an unnatural looking hairline or cover an obvious scar left from an FUT transplant?
Another very difficult portion of the hair for surgeons to reconstruct is the whorl, or vertex at the back of the head. The hair there is naturally thinner and grows in a spiral pattern which can be hard to surgically reconstruct. You should pay special attention to how the surgeon has recreated the whorl in their patients.
Many patients are primarily searching for the cheapest hair transplant clinic. However, besides the price multiple other factor should be considered. Here we have compiled appropriate, high resolution photos of hair transplant results from our many partner clinics. You may look through these results to find patients who had similar hair loss as your own whose treatment you would like to have:
The results of a hair transplant, if done correctly, are permanent. The hair in the donor area is resistant to the hormone DHT, which causes hair loss. The transplanted hair will retain this quality even when it has been relocated.
How long after a hair transplant do you see results?
After the first three to five weeks the transplanted hair will fall out, this is called the shedding effect and it happens as a result of the grafts being cut off from it’s blood supply. The hair follicles will then begin to regrow after several months and full results of the hair transplant will be seen in roughly a year.
The most painful part of a hair transplant is the shot from the anesthetic needle prior to the procedure. The patient’s entire head is numbed by this shot and the rest of the surgery is painless. The healing procedure can be uncomfortable with only minor pain felt by the patient.
There is no set age for a candidate to have a hair transplant, although patients over the age of 35 are generally preferred. There are many factors which determine whether an individual is an appropriate candidate for a hair transplant. These include family history of hair loss, extent of hair loss and donor area.
With modern technology and increased research in the hair transplant industry it is very easy for patients to find a surgeon who can provide natural results. The “pluggy” hairlines and moth-eaten appearance is a thing of the past for certified hair transplant clinics.