Frequently Asked Questions
Is hair transplantation a reasonable option for women?
Hair loss/baldness in men is referred to as male pattern baldness (MPB), while in women, it is referred to as the female pattern baldness (FPB). Both of these, MPB and FPB, are quite different from each other. In FPB, the patient does not lose hair like men, front hairline is not receded, and vertex is never empty. But, the hair loss is conspicuous and visible in parting areas, scalp is visible and the gap between two hair is also visible. Thinning and scanty hair loss is also very common in FPB. Generally, this stage comes when the patient has an autoimmune disorder, thyroid level fluctuation, hormonal disorder, post menopause, and sometimes after pregnancies. This stage can easily be treated with medication and therapies like mesotherapy, PRP therapy, low laser level therapy, and lastly, if required, with hair transplant.
How will the transplanted area look after surgery?
Immediately after the surgery, the transplanted area will be reddish-black. The tip of the follicles of grafts will be visible. Gradually, in 3-4 days’ time, the crust from the transplanted zone will start falling. Within a period of 12-15 days, the scalp will be absolutely clean and normal. Immediately after this, the shedding phase will start when the newly transplanted grafts will shed the hair follicle. At QHT Clinic, the shedding phase is not that prominently visible because under the technique of QHT hair transplant, the graft faces less trauma, and therefore, the shedding is not that prominent. The new hair after shedding will start growing within 4 months onwards, and then the result of hair transplant will start appearin.
Will I have scar after the surgery?
In FUT, if suture is not closed with the trichophytic closure, then a wide and long linear scar will be visible. Whereas in FUE, if punch grafts of bigger diameters are used, then the dotted scars may be seen in donor area. At QHT Clinic, the latest imported punches are used to minimize the scar.
Are there any side-effects or complications of hair transplant?
Hair transplant is the safest medical procedures since it is executed superficially only on the skin. But, as in the case of any surgical process, there is a chance of having some side-effects or complications post-surgery. However, at QHT, we make sure that these side-effects and complications are avoided under the guidance of our senior doctors, who have gained experience of many surgeries over the years, and experienced nurses, who are highly qualified to assist such a team of doctors and to handle any emergency, if any arises.
Will smoking or drinking alcohol affect my hair transplant procedure?
Yes, smoking reduces the oxygen supply to the hair grafts, turning the hair weak and thin. Therefore, patients should avoid smoking cigarettes or any other form of tobacco at least a few weeks before and after the surgery. Similarly, excessive intake of alcohol may lead to interfere with certain medications or unwanted complications such as bleeding, during or after the surgery. Therefore, it is advised that the patients avoid drinking alcohol a couple of weeks before and after the hair transplant surgery.
Can I style my hair after getting a hair transplant?
Yes, however, one must wait up to one year after getting the hair transplant to style their hair because it usually takes about a year for the hair to completely grow after the hair surgery. After this period, you may use any of the styling products, such as sprays, gels, etc., and may even colour/dye their hair.
How do I get an appointment date?
You can contact the clinic by logging in to our website, www.qhtclinic.com. You will be required to attach 5 photos of all sides and top of your scalp for graft estimation and share your contact details in our online appointment form. Our team will get back to you within 24 hours. In the appointment form, you will find a column for your preferred dates of surgery. You can let us know the date of your choice and convenience for the surgery. We will check those dates with our available slots, and if the dates match then we will finalize one of those dates, otherwise you will be requested to send us few more choices of dates. After finalization of the date of your visit, you will be asked to pay the booking fee. You may opt any convenient mode of transaction according to your choice. All fund transfer modes shown on the QHT website are 100% safe so please feel free to transfer the amount in any mode of your preference. Immediately after receiving your booking amount, QHT team will send you the confirmation of your appointment date. You may then book your tickets and inform QHT team. Please note that your arrival ticket should be according to the date of appointment however, it is strongly recommended that you book your return ticket in consultation with the QHT team.
Is hepatitis B & hepatitis C patients eligible for hair transplant?
Where will the consultation take place?
The consultation will take place at the clinic, i.e., QHT Clinic, Uttarakhand & Hyderabad
The Cost of Hair Transplant
The cost of hair transplant is generally dependent upon the complexity of the surgery and on the time consumed in the procedure. Therefore, the cost cannot be quoted randomly. Cost estimation is also done according to the number of grafts needed to cover your bald region. If the number of grafts is below 3000, then you touch an average cost of hair transplant, but, if the need of grafts is more than that, then the cost will automatically increase. If the grafts are harvested only from the back of the scalp, then the cost remains standard. However, if the beard or body grafts are used, the cost will increase accordingly. In a gist, it can be specified that if due to any reason, the time of procedure is prolonged, then the cost of the transplant also increases. Other factors that may prolong the procedure time are the transplant of curly hair, thin or fine hair, repair cases of wrong hair transplant. All of these procedures are of a higher costing than the normal hair transplant procedure. Compared to a hair transplant on the head, beard transplants are costlier. In case a senior surgeon is required, or specifically requested by the patient, then the cost may increase accordingly.
Is the booking amount refundable?
Yes, if under any circumstances, QHT Clinic cancels your hair transplant surgery, or you cancel your surgery up to 48 hours before the date of appointment, then your booking amount will be refunded in full.
What is hair transplant?
Hair Transplant is a scientifically proven method to overcome baldness. With the evolution of science and technology, this procedure has turned into a minimal invasive procedure that is almost painless and with less downtime, and having a minimal possibility of any complications or side effects, which are also temporary. During the procedure of hair transplant, a surgeon picks up hair grafts from the back of the scalp which is referred to as the donor area and implants the grafts into the bald area. QHT Clinic is known as the leading centre for hair transplants for men. Apart from giving an amazing transformation to its patient. It renders the best hospitality services with complete travel, lodging-boarding, and site-seeing arrangements for every patient and their family members according to the choice and request of the patient.
Are the results permanent?
Yes, since the hair follicles that are transplanted to the balding areas are taken from areas that are genetically resistant to going bald, the transplanted hair grows for the rest of the life.
Is hair from other part of body used for hair transplant?
Yes, though the best hair grafts are considered to be from the back of the scalp, but if the donor area is not adequate to cover the wide or large bald region, then the grafts from other parts of the body are used. The second priority is given to the grafts from the beard, which is below the jawline. And after that, grafts from chest and shoulders can also be used in hair transplant. Harvesting graft from body hair needs a high-end infrastructure and tremendous expertise of doctors. We at QHT, always try to keep the donor area intact and dense, therefore, we vigorously use body hair in most of the cases.
What is safe zone?
A safe zone is the part of the donor area from which hair can be extracted for transplantation such that the extracted hair results in a good and healthy growth once transplanted. There are a few such safe zones in a male body – the area at the back of the scalp between ears, jawline area under the beard, chest hair, shoulder hair, and such. Hair graft present at the back of the scalp is not affected by male hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone). The hair extracted from this zone will last throughout the life, but the hair present below and above this area may not sustain for a longer period of time. Therefore, in order to do the correct hair transplant, extraction must be done from the safe zone only.
What is donor area?
Donor area means the area from which the hair graft are extracted for hair transplant. It could be from the back of the scalp, it may be beard under the jawline, chest or shoulder. Hair graft from one individual cannot be used for hair transplant of another person
What is platelet rich plasma (PRP)?
FUT means Follicular Unit Transplant, or the Strip Method of hair transplant. In this method, a strip from the safe zone of the donor area (back of the scalp) is excised. After removal of the strip from the scalp, the scalp is sutured with a trichophytic closure. This strip is dissected and hair graft present in this strip are separated. All hair grafts extracted from this strip are preserved in saline water or Hypothermal solution to keep it moist under the temperature of 4oC. After that, slits are made, and then the grafts are placed into the slits. Graft with single follicular strands are placed in the front row, and then graft with double and multiple follicles are placed in mid-scalp. FUE is a minimal invasive technique of hair transplant, where the patient does not have to go through the surgical procedure under the knife and stitches. Hair grafts are harvested one-by-one by motorized graft punch, and then implanted into the slits. This non-cut and non-stitch procedure is very popular, being less invasive and minimally painful. At QHT Clinic, the most advanced versions of FUE are used for hair transplant, where Implanting and Harvesting are done simultaneously. A leading surgeon makes the slit in the bald region and then the team of assistant doctors harvest the grafts from the donor area. Immediately grafts are separated and loaded in the implanter by the trained nurses and then implanted side by side, without keeping the graft, out of the body for a long time. This process increase survival rate of the graft and saves it from multiple traumas.
What is combination method of hair transplant?
The combination method means combination of two techniques of hair transplants, FUT and FUE. When a person has a high grade of baldness, but very less availability of graft in safe donor zone of the head, then this combination method is applied. With the FUT technique, a strip, bearing hair grafts from the back of the scalp is excised. Then the grafts are extracted from the slit and then implanted into the slits of bald region. Similarly with FUE Technique, graft from other parts of the body such as beard, chest etc. are harvested and implanted in the large bald region.
What are the limitations of FUT?
FUT, the Follicular Unit Transplant or the strip method transplant, is not workable when the person has a tight scalp. Keloid patients are not suitable for this method of hair transplant either. Persons having low level of immunity and less healing power capacity sometimes face a lot of pain in the stitched area. If the cut is not properly closed with the trichophytic closure, then the long, linear scar, which may be up to 2 cm wide, is prominently visible. This entire procedure needs a lot of teamwork and a highly equipped operation theatre. It cannot be done with the limited number of technicians and doctors.
What are the limitations of FUE?
FUE, Follicular Unit Excision, or Extraction, is the most popular technique of hair transplant, but it also has certain limitations. FUE procedure, cannot be applied on a person having C-shaped, curly hair. In case of non-availability of high power magnification, graft damage rate becomes very high
Which technique is better, FUT or FUE?
Both the techniques work perfectly well to give patients the desired outcome. At the end of the day, no one technique is better than the other, and the result rests in the skilled hand of the doctor.
Why the slit must be made only by an experienced surgeon?
At the time of the procedure, specially while doing with QHT-FUE technique, slits are made first, and then harvesting of hair grafts starts. Slits mean creation of space for the newly implanted hair. It is a very crucial step because at the time of making slits, depth, angle and direction of every individual graft, is to be properly calculated. If the depth is more than the size of the graft, then the graft will not grow. Or, if it is lesser then that the graft might get dislodged. If the angulation is not correct, then the hair may grow incorrectly and appear straight as a porcupine quill. Slit-creation, for a natural looking result, is done by matching the pattern and direction of existing hair. Slight mistake in the slit making process may spoil the complete outcome of the hair transplant. At QHT Clinic, the slit making is done only by highly experienced and qualified surgeons.
How do you control grafts damage?
At QHT Clinic, harvested grafts are immediately planted into the slits so that their out-of-the-body time is considerably less and they are protected from damage. In most of the other centres, after harvesting, the grafts are stored in machines or in surgical plates. As a result, their out-of-the-body time from harvesting to implant is pretty long (as long as 6-8 hours), and therefore, a large number of grafts get damaged during this course. The harvested grafts need to be kept under certain temperature of around 4oCand must be moist. Most of the centres use ice plates to keep the grafts cool and use Hypothermo solution to keep them moist. But, the ice keeps melting, the temperature cannot be maintained and therefore, the grafts do not survive for long time in any solution. That is why many patients do not get proper growth in spite of high density transplant. We at QHT Clinic, use the technique which is the most advanced version of FUE, where every graft is protected from thermal shock, disrupted oxygen supply, structural and chemical trauma, and distortion of texture.
After surgery, how long will it be before I see a difference?
Normally, complete result takes around 12 months, but considerable difference may be seen from 6 months onwards.
What are the chances of wrong hair transplant?
Hair transplant is done solely for aesthetic looks. It does not come within the ambit of any type of medical emergency. The entire purpose of hair transplant is defeated if somehow the result of hair transplant either appears very odd, or is not natural. The following reasons are the mainly responsible for the wrong hair transplant: i. Incorrect hairline design: Many times it has been seen that due to an unrealistic approach, the hairline is either very low, or the shape of the hairline is not correct. Due to these mistakes outcome of the hair transplant appears unnatural and odd. ii. Incorrect graft placement: In many cases, it has been noted that a graft with multiple follicles is implanted in the front row, which looks very odd, and can easily be marked as a wrong hair transplant. iii. Improper density: If the density is not proper, then the scalp will be visible. This would also be seen as a wrong hair transplant. Apart from these, an inexperienced hand of a doctor may denude your donor area, which appears scanty after the hair transplant. Lastly, if the harvesting is done from an unsafe zone of the scalp, then the newly planted hair falls after due course of time, leaving the recipient region open and bald as before. Therefore, it is always advisable to choose an experienced hair transplant surgeon with very good infrastructure.
When is the appropriate age to have hair transplantation surgery?
Hair transplant is one of the remedies for hair loss. Hair loss is very common in men, and sometimes, it is treated with medication and therapies. When the hair loss turns into baldness, then hair transplant is the only remaining option for hair loss. The ideal age for hair transplant is 25-45 years. However, it can be done at a later stage as well, subject to an individual’s health, which must be in perfect condition, and elements like blood sugar, thyroid, hypertension (if any) must be under control. It is advisable to go for hair transplant after crossing the age of 25 years because hair loss is not stable before this period.
How many hairs would you estimate that I need?
It is very difficult to quote beforehand the requirement of hair (grafts) one may need. On an average, Asian races have around 40-50 hair follicles/strands in 1 sq.cm. Koreans have more and Africans have less than that. It is also believed that one head full of hair has around 1 lac hair strands. If you can measure your bald region, you can easily find out approximately how many grafts you would be needing.
Are hair transplants painful?
It depends upon the threshold of an individual, but on an average, it has been recorded that after minimal pain of local anaesthesia shots, transplant becomes very smooth and 100% painless.
How long does the hair transplant surgery take?
At QHT Clinic, a typical session involving 1,500 to 3,000 grafts normally takes 6 to 8 hours of surgery on an outpatient basis. Most patients will arrive in the morning and have their procedure done by late afternoon.
What is the importance of hairline design?
Hairline design is the first step of a hair transplant procedure, where your surgeon marks your front line, temple, and defines the zones for implant. This step is very crucial and needs the highest level of expertise because there are several factors that are taken into consideration before performing this step, such as: (i) availability of donor area from the back of the scalp to beard and other body hair; (ii) your age and grade of baldness; and (iii) your facial profile. Every hairline is different, and is not the same for any two individuals, and therefore, it has to be designed according to the proper proportion of face. A face can be divided into three parts – first, from the chin to the tip of the nose; second, from the tip of the nose to glabella, or glabellar point (the mid-point between the eyebrows); and third, from glabella to the frontline of your hair. While designing the hairline, surgeons plant the density required in various zones of your bald region. At the time of corrective surgeries of wrong transplants, hairline is planned in such a way that the earlier mistakes of hair transplant surgeries are concealed and the patient gets the same, consistent density throughout. The purpose of the transplant is served and the person gets aesthetically good looks with the result.
Is an undetectable hair transplant possible?
Yes, with the evolvement of science and technology, the hair transplant techniques nowadays are such that may give you a natural looking result. Hair transplant is a combination of art and science. The role of science may be seen in the form of modernized tools such as high power magnification, surgical loupes, US-FDA approved microscopes, graft punch, CTS blades, and implanters. Along with the usage of advance scientific tools for hair transplant surgery artistic vision and experience of the hair transplant surgeon, give perfect angulation, direction, and density of newly implanted hair. This combination of art and science can give you an undetectable hair transplant.
How long should I wait between hair transplant procedures?
Baldness is measured using the Norwood Scale, which classifies the extent of baldness on a scale of 1-7. If your grade of baldness is 6-7, then sometimes the procedure is divided into 2 phases. In the first phase, frontal hairline and partial middle scalp are covered. And in the second phase, the remaining middle scalp and vertex are covered. It is always advisable to give a gap of 6 months between two procedures because after every transplant procedure, there is a shedding phase that starts from the 7th day and may go up to 45 days after the surgery. The new hair grows after the completion of this shedding phase. At this point, the surgeon can understand your body reaction and result of the first transplant. At the same time, it is safe to go for the second session after the successful result of the first transplant.
How long will I need to be off work after the surgery?
It is recommended to be at home for two full days after the surgery. You can resume your daily routine work from the day after the surgery. IT professionals can also resume their desk jobs from the next day of the surgery. After two days, one can move out while wearing a surgical cap, and after 7 days, one can start using a loose cap instead. All the strenuous work is recommended to be avoided for a minimum period of two weeks. It is very important to cover the transplanted zone as well as the donor zone and protect them from sunlight, heat and dust, at least for a period of 14-15 days. Extra precautions need to be practised in case the graft is harvested from the beard zone. In such a case, one must cover the donor area with a large, black handkerchief or a loose bandana as the skin remains sensitive for up to 3 weeks after the procedure.
Do I need to mention or make QHT aware of any medical condition that I might have?
Yes, definitely.
Are there any medications that I need to avoid before surgery?
Yes, it is advised that the patients must avoid blood thinners, anti-oxidants, and green tea. If the patient has any cardiac issues, then with informed/written consent of your cardiologist, certain medicines are also required to be avoided for the time being. You may contact the QHT Team to discuss the same in detail.
