We understand that you probably have many concerns and questions when considering a hair transplant. This is a life-changing surgery and can have a drastic effect on your appearance. Therefore, you want to get it right and be sure of the outcome.
A common question concerns the permanence of hair transplants. Afterall, in the medical world, things like transplanted organs do not last forever and people with organ failure can need multiple surgeries. But is the same for hair loss? We answer your questions below.
Yes, but There are Considerations
The basic answer is YES – an FUE or FUT hair transplant is considered as close as possible to permanent as you can get.
This is because high-quality hair follicles that are not subject to your hair loss are extracted from your scalp and transplanted to the balding or thinning area.
Once they are transplanted to the new area, they act exactly as normal hair follicles (because that’s what they are!). This means that they should last indefinitely like the rest of your non hair loss hair.
You may need multiple surgeries, but this is merely to increase the density of the transplanted hair – not to replace transplanted hair that has fallen out. A hair transplant Turkey from a qualified professional gives you permanent hair exactly where you need it.
Considerations That Affect the “Permanence” of a Hair Transplant
Now, the underlying procedure does result in a permanent transplantation of good quality hair follicles that won’t fall out. However, there are considerations that could have an effect on the degree of permanence which we discuss below.
Natural Hair Aging
The first consideration is that the transplanted hairs are real and they come from your scalp. Therefore, they are subject to the standard growth cycle of hair and will only be as strong or thick as your actual existing hair.
The natural growth cycle of hair is split into four distinct phases:
- Growth
- Regression/Transition
- Rest
- Shedding
This happens continually with old hairs eventually shedding and replaced with new ones. Your transplanted hairs will undergo this cycle too so the look, thickness, growth, and shedding depends on the quality of your hair.
Over time, as we age, our hair also naturally thins and this is something that will happen to your transplanted hair. It should never fall out, but it is subject to aging so it could eventually look thin and turn gray or white etc. Find out what is the best age for a hair transplant.
Your Type of Hair Loss
We have to ask what are the common causes of hair loss and why you need a hair transplant in the first place too.
Your hair loss can have an effect on the permanence of a hair transplant and how effective it is. For example, if you are still in the process of losing hair or your hairline thinning then having a hair transplant might not be the best idea – at this point in time.
With active hair loss, there is the chance that follicles subject to your hair loss condition could be extracted and transplanted. This could be disastrous and result in the transplanted hairs falling out.
Obviously the surgery involves assessment of your hair and hair loss to hopefully determine the best surgery and extraction sites for the hair follicles. This all aims to reduce negative effects like this happening.
In most instances, even if you are balding you will still have thick and strong hair at the back and sides of your scalp. Therefore, FUE and FUT surgeries have a high success rate and it is usually quite easy to extract good quality hair that won’t fall out due to your hair loss.
Surgery Success
It is essential to understand that FUE and FUT surgeries do not have a 100% success rate. FUE have a high success rate, usually over 90% with manual techniques and as high as 95% or more using tools like the Choi Implanter pen, which removes some of the potential for human error.
Similarly, FUT hair transplants have a success rate of over 90%, which is pretty good compared to traditional medical procedures.
So, you have a 90%+ chance of the transplanted hair taking correctly and continuing to grow and function exactly as your normal hair would.
Just remember that there is a 10% chance that the hair will not grow properly and fall out. In instances like these, you could simply have more surgeries, so for all intents and purposes, the surgery will be successful.
Also Read: How Does Hair Transplant Surgery Impact Daily Activities and Routines?
A Hair Transplant is as Near as it Gets to Permanent
As you can see, procedures like FUE hair transplants and FUT hair transplants are considered “permanent”. The surgery involves physically transplanting your own hairs and thus providing that the transplanted hairs are of good quality and not subject to your hair loss, they should last indefinitely and be subject to the standard growth and aging pattern of hair.