Planning Your Surgery

Always keep in mind that hair replacement surgery is an individualized treatment.

In your first meeting, your hair transplant surgeon will evaluate your hair growth and loss, review your family history of hair loss and ask about any previous hair replacement surgery. Your surgeon will also ask you about your lifestyle and discuss your expectations and goals for surgery. Medical conditions that could cause problems during or after surgery, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood-clotting problems or the tendency to form excessive scars, should also be checked by your doctor. Be sure to tell your hair transplant surgeon if you smoke or are taking any drugs or medications, especially aspirin or other drugs that affect clotting.

Once you and your surgeon have agreed on the best surgery for you, your doctor will explain anesthesia, where the hair transplant surgery will take place (usually in your surgeon’s office or in an outpatient clinic) and the risks and costs involved. Now’s not the time to be shy, ask lots of questions. Make sure you understand the procedure that will be used and how long each hair transplant procedure will take. The number of sessions required depends on the individual patient, the extent of baldness and the number of grafts done at each session.

It’s also a good idea to ask your doctor to give you an idea of what you will look like after the procedure or, in the case of grafts, after each stage of treatment.