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What risks exist for patients who choose medical hair replacement?
Thousands of men each year undergo hair restoration surgery. Depending on the surgeon and type of surgery, these procedures can be microscopic cut-and-paste jobs, or can be much more drastic, involving the lifting and moving of much of the scalp. While all of the procedures have become more efficient and effective over time, they still vary when it comes to the length of the procedure, discomfort level, and risks involved.
The main risks associated with hair restoration surgery are scarring and an outcome that makes a persons hair look unnatural. All other risks associated with surgery, such as infection, are also present.
Most cosmetic surgeons agree that the most effective way to conduct hair replacement surgery is not to do it all at once. If a doctor tries to perfect the whole head in one session, the surgery could last up to 12 hours, which means hair grafts are being handled for a long time. This handling could cause damage. Second, the more grafts put into the scalp, the more incisions. Many incisions raise the potential for damage to a scalp's blood supply. The safer route is to plan for more that one transplant. Many sessions lessons the risk of graft or scalp injury, and helps surgeons make the transplant denser, which of course is the ultimate goal.
As with all cosmetic surgery, doctors' skills and levels of artistry can widely differ. As a way to mitigate the risks involved with hair replacement surgery, it is important to make sure any prospective doctor has had past success. A reputable doctor may provide referrals from past patients, and may also refer potential patients to the associations listing public complaints about certain doctors.
Posted on May 30, 2004 at 04:54 PM
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