A hair transplant is a surgical procedure whereby permanent hair is taken from the back and/or sides of the head (the “donor area”) and placed in thinning or balding areas (the “recipient area”). Hair restoration is a general term that could include both surgical treatment—i.e., a hair transplant—and non-surgical treatment, such as medication, low level laser therapy (“LLLT”), and some newer experimental treatments.

This is undoubtedly the most important question to be asked, and why it is so important to meet with a qualified, experienced and empathetic hair restoration surgeon who will exercise good judgment in advising you at the time of your consultation. The answer will depend on:

For all practical purposes, the terms are interchangeable.

The hair on your scalp grows in “units,” or groupings, of one to four or five follicles. Each follicle grows a single hair, but there can be more than one follicle, and therefore more than one hair, in a follicular unit. The modern era of hair transplant surgery began with the recognition that using naturally occurring follicular units provides more pleasing results than using “plugs,” which consisted of large, random clusters of follicles.

Probably most important is to choose a surgeon whose entire practice is devoted to hair restoration and who performs at least several hair transplants a month, not one or two every six months. Membership in the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) and certification by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery are indications that your surgeon holds himself to a high standard, is committed to association with his peers, and is involved in continuing medical education.

Most people simply want to look their best. If you are not happy with your appearance due to hair loss, having a hair transplant could be one of the best things you’ve ever done for yourself.

A properly performed hair transplant should be virtually painless. Through the use of sedation techniques, even the few minutes it takes to administer local anesthesia should cause minimal or no discomfort. Once your scalp is numb, you should feel nothing during the procedure. Likewise, you should have only minimal discomfort during the days after the procedure, whether your grafts were obtained via the FUT (strip) or the FUE method.

There will be some redness and crusting where the grafts were placed that gradually resolves over the first few days and generally is undetectable by 8 or 10 days after the procedure. With FUT (strip) surgery, the donor area usually looks normal immediately after surgery. It takes about a week for the donor area scabs to heal after FUE surgery; also, unless you wear your hair at #2 length or shorter, it will be awhile before the hair in the donor area catches up to the hair elsewhere on your head.

After a dormant period of 3-4 months, you will begin to see some light growth. The transplanted follicles do not all start growing new hairs at the same time, so growth is very gradual. It takes a year or longer to get the final result, but by 6-8 months there is usually enough hair to make a cosmetic difference.

A hair transplant performed by a skilled and experienced surgeon should look like you were born with it, and should blend imperceptibly with any surrounding hair. It should be undetectable even close-up.

In all but very rare cases, yes. The follicles carefully chosen to be used for your hair transplant are genetically programmed to continue growing for life. These follicles are resistant to the hormone (“DHT,” or dihydrotestosterone) that causes other follicles to gradually stop growing.

Patients are very often happy with the results of a single procedure, though two or more surgeries may be necessary to achieve the desired result. Your surgeon should discuss your particular situation with you candidly.

This will depend on the number of grafts to be obtained and transplanted, and the method (FUT or FUE). Small sessions (several hundred grafts) typically can be done in about 4 hours; larger sessions (2500-3000+ grafts) can take all day (or two days with the FUE technique). You will be able to take breaks during the day, and you can sleep, listen to music, watch TV or a movie, or chat with our friendly staff.

Like any cosmetic surgery procedure, the cost varies depending upon the extent of the surgery performed. Expect to spend several thousand dollars or more for a quality hair transplant, depending on the size of the area. It is important that you choose your surgeon based on his or her qualifications, and not on price. Your best chance for a good result is your first one; shopping for a “bargain” may lead to disappointment, regret, and further expense.

No, even (in most cases) when performed for “medical” reasons, such as hair loss due to scars, burns, trauma, radiation treatment, etc.

Yes, for qualified applicants. Our staff will be happy to discuss options with you at the time of the consulation.

A patient who is unhappy with the results from a previous hair transplant should not assume that nothing can be done to improve the situation. Dr. Ballon has performed many corrective surgeries, and they can be some of the most gratifying transplants for patient and surgeon alike.

This is the subject of enormous discussion, confusion, misinformation, misunderstanding, and controversy, largely because of aggressive and frequently misleading advertising. Myths abound, making it very difficult for the prospective hair transplant patient to truly understand his or her options.

Very briefly, there are two different methods for obtaining the follicles to be used as grafts for your hair transplant, “FUT” (follicular unit transplant) and “FUE” (follicular unit extraction).

The FUT method involves removing a narrow strip of tissue from the back and/or sides of the head and dissecting it into individual follicular units by means of precise stereomicroscopic dissection. Typically, the scalp heals in a fine line which is undetectable through the overlying hair in the vast majority of people. In the FUE method, grafts are removed by drilling small holes in the scalp and extracting the follicular units one at a time. Rather than a single linear scar, this technique leaves many small circular scars which can be less noticeable through extremely short hair (contrary to the many advertising claims, FUE surgery is not “scarless”).

The terms “FUT” and “FUE” are unnecessarily confusing and create a false distinction: both are techniques for extracting follicular units from the donor area, and both involve transplantation. Sadly, many surgeons and prospective patients seem to be paying more attention these days to the method by which donor follicles are harvested rather than how they will be used to create a natural and esthetically pleasing hair transplant.

Both FUE and FUT have their advantages and disadvantages depending upon the individual. Dr. Ballon is an expert when it comes to evaluating patients on a case-by-case basis and explaining the pros and cons of the different methods. He will spend as much time as you need during your consultation making sure that you understand your options and answering any questions you might have.