Can a Hair Transplant Be Done Twice?
People can have multiple hair transplants if they have sufficient hair available from the donor area, which often includes the two sides and back of the scalp.
Pros of Doing a Hair Transplant Twice
Patients return for additional hair transplants for a variety of reasons, including achieving fuller coverage and correcting issues with previous transplants.
Achieve Fuller Coverage
After a hair transplant procedure, the transplanted hair typically falls out before regrowing in a few months. Some patients may not be satisfied with the results and decide to schedule a second transplant.
The average hair transplant procedure includes 4,000 to 6,000 grafts. Each graft includes groupings of up to four hair follicles.
However, every patient is different. Some individuals may have less hair available in the donor area, limiting the amount of coverage provided by the transplant.
Waiting until the hair in the donor area regrows allows patients to complete a second transplant and achieve a fuller head of hair. Most clinics recommend that patients wait at least nine months before undergoing a second session.
Patients need time to allow the scalp to heal and hair to regrow.
Correct Issues with First Transplant
Clients may schedule a second hair transplant to correct issues with the first transplant.
If the hair transplant was not successful or completed by an inexperienced surgeon, the patient may suffer from hair loss or unsatisfactory regrowth.
Most patients experience a 60% regrowth of newly transplanted hair within nine months of the procedure.
Mistakes during the procedure may reduce the number of follicles that produce new hair.
Fewer Grafts Per Transplant
Anticipating the need for multiple transplants allows clients to receive fewer grafts during each procedure, which reduces the recovery time and risks of side effects, such as shock loss.
Some people don’t like the ide of sitting in a chair for 7 hours during a procedure!
Often called a “mega-session”.
They may want to split the mega-session into two “mini-sessions”.
The number of grafts required depends on the size of the balding area. If you want to cover a large area of your scalp, you need more grafts.
However, you have a limited amount of hair available from the donor area.
The average person has enough hair in the donor area for 4,000 to 8,000 grafts, which is also close to the average number of grafts completed during a typical procedure. By completing fewer grafts, you may avoid depleting the donor area.
Cons of Doing a Hair Transplant Twice
Additional hair transplants increase the risk of negative side effects, such as the depletion of the available donor area, future hair loss, and a reduction in skin laxity.
Depletion of Donor Area
The depletion of available hair in the donor area is a potential risk of scheduling a second hair transplant too soon after the first one.
You have a limited amount of hair available on the sides and back of the scalp.
Some patients also experience hair loss after a transplant session due to trauma.
Depending on your age and the health of the hair follicles in the donor area, some of the hair may not grow back.
Waiting at least nine months after the transplant gives the donor area time to heal and allows the hair in the recipient area to achieve maximum growth.
Future Hair Loss
Hair transplants are often used to address natural balding and hair thinning. The transplant procedure offers a temporary solution but does not stop hair from thinning and falling out.
Patients should understand that future hair loss is inevitable. If the rate of hair loss increases, future transplants may not offer satisfactory results.
This is why it is vital to do a hair transplant once your hair loss is stable.
Loss in Skin Laxity
A hair transplant procedure may reduce scalp laxity, which is an essential factor in determining the availability of donor follicles and the recovery time needed for each graft.
Scalp laxity refers to the elasticity of the skin around the scalp.
Or how “stretchy” the scalp is.
Hair transplant procedures involve removing strips of hair follicles (FUT) or holes of skin containing several hair follicles (FUE). The removal of hair follicles leaves a small scar.
While tighter skin results in smaller scars, the scarring reduces the laxity of the skin.
Healthy skin can stretch when pulled. As you age, your skin loses laxity, which makes it more difficult to successfully transplant hair follicles.
Tighter scalps may limit the size of the donor area that can be safely removed and the number of follicles in each graft.
Pharmacist with special interest in hair loss and hair transplantation.
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