Hair Transplant
1 DoctorsOverview
Hair transplant program started at AIMS Hospital, Ernakulam in 2005 and in 2019 a dedicated operating room for hair transplantation in Kerala was started. More than 1000 hair transplants have been performed here with good results.
Services Offered
Hair Implantation
1. Immediate Hair Implantation Technique
- The technique ensures that the hair follicle is outside the body for less than 20 minutes. The scoring of the grafts, harvesting of grafts, counting and loading into implanters and implantation into the recipient site is done simultaneously. So, the time outside the body is kept to the minimum.
- There is no cooling and thawing over ice which decreases the life of grafts.
- The grafts are kept in the platelet poor plasma of the patient which increases the survival of grafts.
- With the use of implanters, we are able to achieve very high density that too in a short time.
2. Hospital based hair transplant
- It is always better to do surgical procedure in hospital-based centers because,
- An anesthetist is always present and local blocks are given by him. They are also present to take appropriate care in the unfortunate event of an anaphylactic emergency.
- Monitored anaesthesia care takes care of the patient till he leaves the hospital.
- The instruments are sterilized using the same highly sophisticated methods used for complex surgeries.
- A large team of experienced staff is present so that fatigue doesn’t set in.
3. Expertise hair transplant doctors
- We have a team who is trained and experienced in hair transplants of more than 15 years. The team includes doctors, physician assistants, nurses and trained technicians.
- We have a dedicated operating room that is operational on all days.
4. Advanced ultra-modern Equipment
- We use Safe Scribe FUE machine which is the gold standard of FUE machines. Imported punches help to take grafts with minimal scaring. In the event that the patient requests the FUT technique, we have the state-of-the-art Carl Zeiss Operating Microscopes for the slivering and separating into follicular units
- Vibrator is used to make the procedure as painless as possible.
5. Body Hair Transplant:
- We transplant hairs from areas other than the scalp in appropriate cases.
- Specialized areas of transplant like eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, moustache and chest wall are done here.
- Sundeep Vijayaraghavan who is championing the hair transplant program has been performing hair transplants since 2002. He does both FUE as well as strip methods of hair harvesting.
- Marathi Arjun Reddy is a dedicated aesthetic surgeon who is trained here itself.
- Rajeesha P. R. is our physician assistant, who has been in the team since 2008.
- Dhanesh Sahadevan, our plastic surgery nurse, was trained in hair transplant in 2007.
- Thangathurai, Mr. Prakash K., Mr. Nandakumar.P., Mr. Vipin P.P. and Ms. Latha V.S. have been in the team since 2010.
- Hari Shankar U. has been undergoing training with us for the last one year.
Hair Transplant
Hair Loss and it’s causes
There are around one lakh hair follicular units in the adult scalp. A follicular unit is a family of hairs that comes out through a single hole in the scalp. Usually there are around 90-100 follicular units in a sq cm. If more than 50% are lost we start noticing hair thinning.
The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, is in a resting phase. After 3 to 4 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.
It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle.
Common baldness” usually means male-pattern hair loss. It is also called androgenetic alopecia. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. Hair starts to “miniaturise” that is the size and the diameter starts to come down. Typically, it starts either in the front or the crown.
Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp. The most common cause of hair loss in females is stress of any cause.
A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.
Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment of thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.
Post-partum: Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they’ve had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.
Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, high blood pressure or heart problems, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.
Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.
Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.
Yes. If you wear pigtails or cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on your hair can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss.
In India it is commonly called turban alopecia; seen in patients who tightly tie their hair before weaving a turban.
Hot oil hair treatments or chemicals used in permanents (also called “perms”) may cause inflammation (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss
Depending on your type of hair loss, treatments are available. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.
Hair loss is usually not due to any single cause. So along with commonly available medicines like Minoxidil and Finasteride, other Vitamins and Minerals that are required for hair growth are also prescribed. It normally takes up to 4 – 6 months before you can visibly see the change. So, it is advisable to take photos of your scalp at 2 monthly intervals.
If the result at 4 months is not to your liking, it may be advisable to go for Hair Transplant.
Procedure
Hair transplant is based on the concept of donor dominance. Hairs fall off in male pattern baldness due to the presence of the receptors for Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone. So, these hairs will fall off once the DHT gets attached to it. The permanent hairs (the ones on the back of the head) lack these receptors and so if transplanted in the bald areas will last as long as the hairs on the back of the head.
Hair Transplant is a team effort with doctors, nurses and technicians trained in doing the procedure coming together in different stages to perform their respective roles.
Hair Transplantation procedures include:
Strip Method – Initially after preparing an IV access, local anesthesia blocks are given to the back and side of the head. Once the scalp there is numb, the surgery is commenced. A strip of scalp is harvested. To get the best possible scar and to get hair to grow through the scar, trichophytic closure is done. Sutures are used which have to be taken out later. The strip is then taken to the hair lab where it is cut into single hair wide strips under a microscope (Slivering). Each single hair strip is then further cut into single follicular units in the hair lab.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Method – Local anesthetic block is given to the front of the scalp so that the entire scalp is numb. After anesthesia to the scalp, we use SafeScribe, a motorized Follicular Unit Extractor to get the grafts. It requires clipping the hairs.
The Transplant
The marking of the new hair line is made and shown to the patient. It is staggered to give a natural appearance to the hair line.
The necessary holes are made and the follicular units are implanted in them. It is done in the same direction as the natural hairs.
In between the procedure the patient can take breaks to eat and visit the wash room. Once the procedure is complete the patient can go home after half to one hour.
Post-Operative care
- The scalp should be kept moist with saline and pressed with saline soaked gauze every 15 minutes for the first 12 – 15 hours or till the ooze of the serous ooze stops.
- Avoid pillows for 72 hrs.
- Please follow the medications as per the instruction sheets.
Follow Up
Patient is first followed up after 10- 14 days for suture removal. Then regular follow ups are required every 3 months.
Many of the hair shafts will fall off by the end of one month. But the roots will be intact. The hairs start to grow in three months. It would reach the length of other hairs by 8-12 months. In case further density is required, further procedures are performed after six months.
Preparations before your Hair Transplant Surgery
Scalp loosening exercises are required if mega sessions are to be done. So please do the to and fro movement as shown in the picture.
Please take the cyclical hair therapy before the transplant as long as it is possible.
Please do not cut your hair very short as it is required to hide the incision
Please avoid the following two weeks before surgery
- Hairouse Mx 2%(Minoxidil)
- Aspirin
- Clopidogrel
- Vitamin E
On the day before surgery
- Avoid Alcohol
- Shampoo your hair
- People with grey hair is required to dye their hair with their routine dye.
- Please make sure that the dye reaches the roots.
On the Operating Day
- Shampoo your hair again in the morning of the surgery.
- Avoid wearing a tight necked T-shirt as after the surgery it will be difficult to put it on.
- Do not wear anything that will have to be pulled tightly over your head.
- Eat a good breakfast
- Take the Antihypertensive medicines if you are a hypertensive.
- Please bring along someone. Sometimes it may not be possible to drive back home.
Hair Transplant is a team effort with doctors, nurses and technicians trained in doing the procedure coming together in different stages to perform their respective roles.
Anesthesia
Initially after preparing an IV access, a numbing agent is used to numb the skin before giving small doses of local anesthetic to the back of the scalp. Then hair is cleaned with betadine scrub solution. Further injections are given. Once the scalp there is numb, the surgery is commenced. A strip of scalp or follicular units by FUE technique is harvested.
Trichophytic closure
To get the best possible scar and to get hair to grow through the scar, trichophytic closure is done. Sutures are used which have to be taken out later.
Block is given to the front of the scalp so that the entire scalp is numb. Later tumescent solution is injected so that the bleeding is reduced.
The marking of the new hair line is made and shown to the patient. The necessary holes are made and the follicular units are implanted in them. It is done in the same direction as the natural hairs. In between the procedure the patient can take breaks to eat and visit the wash room. Once the procedure is complete the patient can go home after 1/2 to one hour.
FAQs
1. What is the cost of hair transplant?
It depends on the method. It is approximately Rs. 65 per follicular unit for the strip method and Rs. 65 for FUE technique as specialized equipment is used.
2. When can I return to work?
You go home the same day. Usually, you can return to work with in 48 hrs.
3. What are the potential complications?
· Like any surgery, there may be wound infections which may have to be tackled with dressings and medicines.
· Rarely resuturing may have to be done.
· In the recipient site there can be pustules which settles with topical medications.
· Sometimes a prick with a sterile needle may be required.
· There may be numbness of the scalp which settles within a few months.
· Rarely there can be eyelid puffiness in the immediate post-operative period which can be avoided if you sleep without pillows for the first week.
4. Is this procedure painful?
To make your hair transplant as comfortable as possible, we have an anesthesia team who will give sedation to cool your nerves. We use coolsense cryo before the local anesthetic injection so that the injections are also pain free. The finest needles are used so that you are comfortable.
5. Is there any alternative to surgery?
To make your hair transplant as comfortable as possible, we have an anesthesia team who will give sedation to cool your nerves. We use coolsense cryo before the local anesthetic injection so that the injections are also pain free. The finest needles are used so that you are comfortable.
6. Is there any alternative to surgery?
Systematic investigations and medical treatment with cyclical hair care therapy has been found to increase hair growth in many patients where there is thinning of hair. In as less as three months, results will be seen. Only if the patient is not satisfied, he has to opt for the transplant.
7. Is there some quick method to regain the hair density?
Electrostatic microfibres are extremely fine particles of cellulose that stick to the hair to apparently increase the density of the hairs. It will be washed off during shower. It is preferable to use cellulose to keratin which is mainly available in the market.
8. Can hair transplant be done for areas other than the scalp?
Specialized areas of transplant like eye brows, eye lashes, beard, mustache and chest wall are done here.
Can hair be taken from areas other than the scalp?
Yes, it can be taken for the shadow area of the beard, chest, arm pit and the pubic area. The hairs are less robust than the scalp hairs but over time they tend to have some recipient area characteristics as well.
Contact Us
Phone:0484 - 2851401, 0484 – 6681401
Email: plasticsurgery@aims.amrita.edu
Doctors
Overview
Hair transplant program started at AIMS Hospital, Ernakulam in 2005 and in 2019 a dedicated operating room for hair transplantation in Kerala was started. More than 1000 hair transplants have been performed here with good results.
Services Offered
Hair Implantation
1. Immediate Hair Implantation Technique
- The technique ensures that the hair follicle is outside the body for less than 20 minutes. The scoring of the grafts, harvesting of grafts, counting and loading into implanters and implantation into the recipient site is done simultaneously. So, the time outside the body is kept to the minimum.
- There is no cooling and thawing over ice which decreases the life of grafts.
- The grafts are kept in the platelet poor plasma of the patient which increases the survival of grafts.
- With the use of implanters, we are able to achieve very high density that too in a short time.
2. Hospital based hair transplant
- It is always better to do surgical procedure in hospital-based centers because,
- An anesthetist is always present and local blocks are given by him. They are also present to take appropriate care in the unfortunate event of an anaphylactic emergency.
- Monitored anaesthesia care takes care of the patient till he leaves the hospital.
- The instruments are sterilized using the same highly sophisticated methods used for complex surgeries.
- A large team of experienced staff is present so that fatigue doesn’t set in.
3. Expertise hair transplant doctors
- We have a team who is trained and experienced in hair transplants of more than 15 years. The team includes doctors, physician assistants, nurses and trained technicians.
- We have a dedicated operating room that is operational on all days.
4. Advanced ultra-modern Equipment
- We use Safe Scribe FUE machine which is the gold standard of FUE machines. Imported punches help to take grafts with minimal scaring. In the event that the patient requests the FUT technique, we have the state-of-the-art Carl Zeiss Operating Microscopes for the slivering and separating into follicular units
- Vibrator is used to make the procedure as painless as possible.
5. Body Hair Transplant:
- We transplant hairs from areas other than the scalp in appropriate cases.
- Specialized areas of transplant like eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, moustache and chest wall are done here.
- Sundeep Vijayaraghavan who is championing the hair transplant program has been performing hair transplants since 2002. He does both FUE as well as strip methods of hair harvesting.
- Marathi Arjun Reddy is a dedicated aesthetic surgeon who is trained here itself.
- Rajeesha P. R. is our physician assistant, who has been in the team since 2008.
- Dhanesh Sahadevan, our plastic surgery nurse, was trained in hair transplant in 2007.
- Thangathurai, Mr. Prakash K., Mr. Nandakumar.P., Mr. Vipin P.P. and Ms. Latha V.S. have been in the team since 2010.
- Hari Shankar U. has been undergoing training with us for the last one year.
Hair Transplant
Hair Loss and it’s causes
There are around one lakh hair follicular units in the adult scalp. A follicular unit is a family of hairs that comes out through a single hole in the scalp. Usually there are around 90-100 follicular units in a sq cm. If more than 50% are lost we start noticing hair thinning.
The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, is in a resting phase. After 3 to 4 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.
It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle.
Common baldness” usually means male-pattern hair loss. It is also called androgenetic alopecia. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. Hair starts to “miniaturise” that is the size and the diameter starts to come down. Typically, it starts either in the front or the crown.
Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp. The most common cause of hair loss in females is stress of any cause.
A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.
Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment of thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.
Post-partum: Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they’ve had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.
Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, high blood pressure or heart problems, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.
Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.
Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.
Yes. If you wear pigtails or cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on your hair can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss.
In India it is commonly called turban alopecia; seen in patients who tightly tie their hair before weaving a turban.
Hot oil hair treatments or chemicals used in permanents (also called “perms”) may cause inflammation (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss
Depending on your type of hair loss, treatments are available. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.
Hair loss is usually not due to any single cause. So along with commonly available medicines like Minoxidil and Finasteride, other Vitamins and Minerals that are required for hair growth are also prescribed. It normally takes up to 4 – 6 months before you can visibly see the change. So, it is advisable to take photos of your scalp at 2 monthly intervals.
If the result at 4 months is not to your liking, it may be advisable to go for Hair Transplant.
Procedure
Hair transplant is based on the concept of donor dominance. Hairs fall off in male pattern baldness due to the presence of the receptors for Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone. So, these hairs will fall off once the DHT gets attached to it. The permanent hairs (the ones on the back of the head) lack these receptors and so if transplanted in the bald areas will last as long as the hairs on the back of the head.
Hair Transplant is a team effort with doctors, nurses and technicians trained in doing the procedure coming together in different stages to perform their respective roles.
Hair Transplantation procedures include:
Strip Method – Initially after preparing an IV access, local anesthesia blocks are given to the back and side of the head. Once the scalp there is numb, the surgery is commenced. A strip of scalp is harvested. To get the best possible scar and to get hair to grow through the scar, trichophytic closure is done. Sutures are used which have to be taken out later. The strip is then taken to the hair lab where it is cut into single hair wide strips under a microscope (Slivering). Each single hair strip is then further cut into single follicular units in the hair lab.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Method – Local anesthetic block is given to the front of the scalp so that the entire scalp is numb. After anesthesia to the scalp, we use SafeScribe, a motorized Follicular Unit Extractor to get the grafts. It requires clipping the hairs.
The Transplant
The marking of the new hair line is made and shown to the patient. It is staggered to give a natural appearance to the hair line.
The necessary holes are made and the follicular units are implanted in them. It is done in the same direction as the natural hairs.
In between the procedure the patient can take breaks to eat and visit the wash room. Once the procedure is complete the patient can go home after half to one hour.
Post-Operative care
- The scalp should be kept moist with saline and pressed with saline soaked gauze every 15 minutes for the first 12 – 15 hours or till the ooze of the serous ooze stops.
- Avoid pillows for 72 hrs.
- Please follow the medications as per the instruction sheets.
Follow Up
Patient is first followed up after 10- 14 days for suture removal. Then regular follow ups are required every 3 months.
Many of the hair shafts will fall off by the end of one month. But the roots will be intact. The hairs start to grow in three months. It would reach the length of other hairs by 8-12 months. In case further density is required, further procedures are performed after six months.
Preparations before your Hair Transplant Surgery
Scalp loosening exercises are required if mega sessions are to be done. So please do the to and fro movement as shown in the picture.
Please take the cyclical hair therapy before the transplant as long as it is possible.
Please do not cut your hair very short as it is required to hide the incision
Please avoid the following two weeks before surgery
- Hairouse Mx 2%(Minoxidil)
- Aspirin
- Clopidogrel
- Vitamin E
On the day before surgery
- Avoid Alcohol
- Shampoo your hair
- People with grey hair is required to dye their hair with their routine dye.
- Please make sure that the dye reaches the roots.
On the Operating Day
- Shampoo your hair again in the morning of the surgery.
- Avoid wearing a tight necked T-shirt as after the surgery it will be difficult to put it on.
- Do not wear anything that will have to be pulled tightly over your head.
- Eat a good breakfast
- Take the Antihypertensive medicines if you are a hypertensive.
- Please bring along someone. Sometimes it may not be possible to drive back home.
Hair Transplant is a team effort with doctors, nurses and technicians trained in doing the procedure coming together in different stages to perform their respective roles.
Anesthesia
Initially after preparing an IV access, a numbing agent is used to numb the skin before giving small doses of local anesthetic to the back of the scalp. Then hair is cleaned with betadine scrub solution. Further injections are given. Once the scalp there is numb, the surgery is commenced. A strip of scalp or follicular units by FUE technique is harvested.
Trichophytic closure
To get the best possible scar and to get hair to grow through the scar, trichophytic closure is done. Sutures are used which have to be taken out later.
Block is given to the front of the scalp so that the entire scalp is numb. Later tumescent solution is injected so that the bleeding is reduced.
The marking of the new hair line is made and shown to the patient. The necessary holes are made and the follicular units are implanted in them. It is done in the same direction as the natural hairs. In between the procedure the patient can take breaks to eat and visit the wash room. Once the procedure is complete the patient can go home after 1/2 to one hour.
FAQs
1. What is the cost of hair transplant?
It depends on the method. It is approximately Rs. 65 per follicular unit for the strip method and Rs. 65 for FUE technique as specialized equipment is used.
2. When can I return to work?
You go home the same day. Usually, you can return to work with in 48 hrs.
3. What are the potential complications?
· Like any surgery, there may be wound infections which may have to be tackled with dressings and medicines.
· Rarely resuturing may have to be done.
· In the recipient site there can be pustules which settles with topical medications.
· Sometimes a prick with a sterile needle may be required.
· There may be numbness of the scalp which settles within a few months.
· Rarely there can be eyelid puffiness in the immediate post-operative period which can be avoided if you sleep without pillows for the first week.
4. Is this procedure painful?
To make your hair transplant as comfortable as possible, we have an anesthesia team who will give sedation to cool your nerves. We use coolsense cryo before the local anesthetic injection so that the injections are also pain free. The finest needles are used so that you are comfortable.
5. Is there any alternative to surgery?
To make your hair transplant as comfortable as possible, we have an anesthesia team who will give sedation to cool your nerves. We use coolsense cryo before the local anesthetic injection so that the injections are also pain free. The finest needles are used so that you are comfortable.
6. Is there any alternative to surgery?
Systematic investigations and medical treatment with cyclical hair care therapy has been found to increase hair growth in many patients where there is thinning of hair. In as less as three months, results will be seen. Only if the patient is not satisfied, he has to opt for the transplant.
7. Is there some quick method to regain the hair density?
Electrostatic microfibres are extremely fine particles of cellulose that stick to the hair to apparently increase the density of the hairs. It will be washed off during shower. It is preferable to use cellulose to keratin which is mainly available in the market.
8. Can hair transplant be done for areas other than the scalp?
Specialized areas of transplant like eye brows, eye lashes, beard, mustache and chest wall are done here.
Can hair be taken from areas other than the scalp?
Yes, it can be taken for the shadow area of the beard, chest, arm pit and the pubic area. The hairs are less robust than the scalp hairs but over time they tend to have some recipient area characteristics as well.
Contact Us
Phone:0484 - 2851401, 0484 – 6681401
Email: plasticsurgery@aims.amrita.edu
Doctors