COSMETIC SURGERY FOR AGEING SKIN: HAIR TRANSPLANTATION
Hair transplantation is the creation of an optical illusion by relocating the hair from areas of thick growth to areas of thin growth. No new hairs are created, yet the hair appears thicker. Under local anesthetic, hair is removed from the back of the scalp using special transplant punches. The hair is cleansed and then placed in holes created at the front of the scalp where the hair is thin. The transplanted hair still behaves as though it was in its old location and continues to grow.In the last few years hair transplantation has improved with the use of ‘mini-grafts’, where the original hair transplant is cut into smaller pieces and inserted into finer slits at the front of the scalp. This produces a more natural appearance because there is a larger number of a finer hair, instead of a lesser number of hair ‘clumps’.If hair transplantation is seriously considered, it should be performed before a person is too bald, so the new hairs can be interspersed with the old ones. Hair transplantation is often combined with scalp reduction, to remove large bald areas of the scalp. Both are performed as outpatient procedures under local anesthetic. During scalp reduction, an area of scalp is cut out, and the remaining scalp is reunited. By reducing the bald area in this way, an illusion of thicker hair is created and less hair transplants are necessary.
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