Male pattern baldness is an issue for most men at some point in their adult life. A solution that is becoming more and more popular is a hair transplant.
If this is something you’d like to consider, there are two things you need to know. They can be extremely costly and painful.
Is it worth it? It depends on what your goals are and how important your hair is to you. Hair transplants aren’t for everyone and there’s a lot of questions to ask before going through with one. So we’ve arranged the top 5 things to know before you start.
1. How Should I Decide Who Should Do the Surgery
This isn’t any different than most big buying decisions you make. Anyone you ask will have their own opinion but you really must do your own research and due diligence. Take you time and make sure you exhaust all the possibilities. Double and triple check. Ask a close friend to help you. It’s always good to bounce ideas off of other people. This is something you must feel comfortable with when you make your decision.
2. How Much Does a Hair Transplant Cost?
Your hair transplant could cost as little as $4,000 or as much as $15,000 depending on the extent of hair loss, the type of procedure you have and the quality of the clinic and its team. To give you a clearer idea of what you’re likely to pay, ask for a quote, go get a consultation. Just don’t let them sell you until after you’ve done all your research.
3. Are There Possible Hair Transplant Side Effects
The first few days after your hair transplant surgery you will probably experience a tight, achy and swollen scalp. There could also be some temporary scabbing. Some even complain of lack of sleep right after having the procedure. After the first three days it’s normal for some of your transplanted hair to fall out. Don’t panic, this is normal. For the first two months you could experience transplanted hair falling out, but be patient it should work. The other risk is that you might not like the results, and that’s why the consultation process is so important. Ask the surgeon what your options are if you don’t like it. Go over any concerns you can think of having with the surgeon during the consultation.
4. Will Everyone Know?
As a rule of thumb allow yourself a minimum of three weeks after the procedure. During that time, wear a hat because the surgical area will be red and a little obvious to anyone who sees it. Don’t forget it will also be shaved to provide an ideal surgical environment and to protect existing hairs.
After the procedure, the hair will grow very slowly but as time passes, you’ll probably have people noticing something looks different about you. They might even think you’ve lost weight. Many people have a hair transplant and no one ever knows unless they tell them.
5. Will The Results Be Permanent
It’s important to remember that the transplanted hair follicles are genetically-resistant against baldness. That means that, in theory, they will continue to grow over the course of your lifetime. Everyone’s metabolism and body chemistry is different. You may still notice hair loss on different areas of your head. If you pick the right surgeon, they perform the correct procedure, and you follow the after care plan then the odds of success will be very high.