Hair Transplantation is a surgical method in which the hair follicles from one area of the body (the donor site) are transplanted to the bald or balding portions (the recipient site). This technique is basically used to treat the problem of ‘male pattern baldness’. It can be done by two techniques: follicular unit transplant (FUT) or follicular unit extraction (FUE). In FUT or strip method, a strip of skin containing hair is removed from the donor area and then dissected into many individual follicular units which are later implanted over the affected area. However, it leaves a linear scar at the back of the head and this technique is rarely used nowadays. In FUE technique, follicular units are extracted individually from patient’s donor area; hence there is no incision or stitch.
We use the same FUE technique of hair transplant in women as we do in men. However since, Female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) is different from male pattern baldness, so planning hair transplant in females is also slightly different from males.
- Since the hair loss in females tends to be diffuse, so in women, the grafts are to be placed in between the existing hair. This requires considerable skill and expertise of the surgeon and his team.
- Again since the hair loss is diffuse, so the donor area at back of scalp needs to be carefully evaluated. It should have stable hair. Also its density should be such that sufficient number of grafts could be taken from here to adequately cover the recipient area.
- But a caution, before considering hair transplant in any female, it is a must to rule out any underlying hormonal or medical problem which could be responsible for hair loss.
"I knew I was going bald when it was taking longer and longer to wash my face."