Hair Transplant Surgery

Marc Avram, MD

Hair Transplant Specialist & Cosmetic Dermatologist located in Upper East Side, New York, NY

Hair loss affects both men and women. Dr. Marc Avram performs innovative hair transplants for his male and female patients from the Upper East Side in New York City. If you’re concerned about losing your hair, contact Dr. Avram’s office for a consultation appointment to determine the cause of your hair loss and to determine if a hair transplant procedure will restore your hair.

212-734-4007

Hair Transplants Q & A

What are hair transplants?

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that restores hair to men and women whose hair is thinning. Hair transplants take 3 to 6 hours, depending on the size of the area undergoing transplantation. If you have concerns about hair loss and are curious if a hair transplant will help to restore your hair, contact Dr. Avram’s office to schedule a consultation today.

Where does the transplanted hair come from?

Hair in the posterior scalp of men and women remains largely unaffected by pattern hair loss. This is our donor source. Hair is removed by either elliptical donor harvesting or robotic follicular unit extraction. Both techniques produce consistently natural appearing transplanted hair. Dr. Avram will review which technique will be optimal for you.

How is the hair transplanted?

Before the transplant can begin, a team of experienced surgical assistants prepares the donor follicles, creating 400-1800 tiny grafts. While the grafts are being prepared, the patient receives a local anesthetic to the recipient site. Then, Dr. Avram uses a needle to create hundreds to thousands of recipient sites for the follicular units in a dense but random pattern to produce the highest density of new hair. The grafts are then placed into the tiny incisions with delicate microvascular forceps. The patient is awake throughout the procedure and can watch a movie, read, or chat with the transplant team.

Should I do FUE or FUT donor harvesting?

Both techniques are state of the art. There are advantages and disadvantages to both techniques. During the consult the pros and cons of each will be reviewed to help determine which is best for you.

What happens after surgery?

When the transplant is complete, a dressing is applied to the recipient site and the patient is able to go home. The hair grafts will heal overnight with the body’s normal clotting and healing process. Patients can get return to normal activity immediately, although it’s recommended to take a few days rest from any heavy exercise or strenuous activities. It is also possible that there will be some scabbing for 6 to 9 days on the hair transplant sites, most patients go back to work after 2 to 3 days. While results may vary depending on the patient, transplanted hair will begin to grow 4-6 months after the procedure and have maximum cosmetic impact 12 to 18 months after the procedure.

How long after the procedure do I have to avoid heavy exercise?

For the vast majority of patients 10 days after the procedure they can resume their full workout. This is because it takes 10 days for the donor sites to fully heal.

Will I notice a difference after the surgery?

The new, transplanted hairs will grow well with the vast majority of patients growing fully in 12-18 months after the procedure. How much you see in the mirror depends on two factors: 1. how much hair is transplanted in the area, and 2. how much further hair loss you have experienced. If your hair loss continues the perceived density from a procedure will be less than if your hair loss is stable through medical therapy. Successful medical therapy is key for long-term maximum density for patients with existing hair on their scalp.