As risk factors that promote hair loss increase, the age range of hair loss patients is also widening. Along with genetics, irregular lifestyle patterns, unbalanced eating habits, smoking, excessive drinking, and excessive stress are cited as factors that contribute to hair loss among younger people. In fact, the number of young people who experience hair loss symptoms at an early age and consider hair transplant surgery is also on the rise.
A hair transplant is a treatment that can be considered in cases of severe hair loss where further improvement is difficult to expect through drug therapy and similar approaches. Taking hair loss medication can slow the rate at which hair loss progresses, but it cannot restore areas where hair has already been lost. Therefore, to address this fundamentally, a hair transplant should be performed together with taking hair loss medication.
Hair transplant surgery is a precise treatment that must take into account various aspects such as the type of hair loss as well as each patient's scalp condition, hair thickness, direction, and design. For this reason, choosing a medical team with accumulated know-how is regarded as a key point for success.
The choice between the incisional and non-incisional method is also a core point. Hair transplant surgery is divided into incisional and non-incisional methods according to how the hair follicles are harvested. The incisional method works by making an incision in the scalp at the back of the head, then separating the hair follicles and transplanting them. The non-incisional method involves shaving the hair at the back of the head without incising the scalp, then harvesting and transplanting hair in follicular units.
The key consideration in choosing a hair transplant procedure is the graft survival rate. When hair follicle cells are located at the back of the head, they receive blood from the capillaries and carry out their function. If they are forcibly detached for a hair transplant, the nutrient supply from the blood vessels is cut off. Above all, even when they are newly transplanted into the area affected by hair loss, it takes a certain amount of time for blood vessels to reconnect. Getting safely through this process and having the blood vessels reconnect is called graft survival.
Ultimately, the most important point determining hair follicle survival is the medical team's level of skill. If cell damage occurs during the follicle separation process, or if a mistake is made during the implantation process, the follicle survival rate will inevitably decrease. Establishing systems such as real-time microscope monitoring, the use of special preservation solution used in organ transplantation, and low-temperature moisture devices can also be factors in raising the survival rate.
Director Yoo Hwa-jung of Modi Hair Plant Clinic advised, "When performing hair transplant surgery, a higher graft survival rate means it is that much more efficient and the possibility of revision surgery is reduced, so it is true that this is also far more advantageous in terms of cost," adding, "The hair transplant survival rate can vary depending on various factors, including hair transplant technology as well as the medical team's know-how, the surgical environment, and aftercare."
Source: Segye Biz │ Published 2021.01.18