January 24, 2009

Dr Nasir Zaman Khan, Professor and Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, gives his opinion regarding hair transplant treatments.

What is the hair transplant treatment and what are its common types available in Pakistan?
Basically, hair transplantation means to remove hair from the back of the head and transplant it in the bald portion. There are two ways this can be done: either by removing a strip of scalp and later dissecting hair follicles for transplantation or removal of hair follicles by instrumentation (follicular unit extraction or FUI). The later has some disadvantages such as multiple sessions, as very little hair can be transplanted in one sitting, plus it is tedious and requires a lot of time and expertise.

The former is by far the most popular method, and is practiced widely in Europe, the US, and here too. As a large amount of hair can be transplanted in a single sitting, depending on the density of the back of the head and how flexible the scalp is to allow a strip of maximum width, this may vary from person to person.

Which type of baldness problems can this method benefit?
All types of male pattern baldness can be treated, again depending on the density of the donor area and the flexibility of the scalp.

For the early stages of baldness, less hair is required therefore a single sitting usually leaves a patient quite satisfied. But in case the bald area is large, multiple sessions can be undertaken about nine months apart.

How safe and effective is it?
Hair transplant, when done by an expert, is very safe and effective. It is really surprising how a person is transformed by the addition of hair to a bald scalp. The whole procedure is performed under local anaesthesia while the patient listens to music or watches a video.

What is the latest trend in hair transplant in Pakistan?
Any new development in hair transplant is quickly adopted here, as we are in touch with the latest literature all the time.

The equipment used is all imported from the US, and many technicians are trained by American technicians.

What is follicular unit transplantation?
These days all hair transplants are follicular unit transplantation. A hair follicle may contain a single hair, two, three or even four hairs.

The follicles with a single hair are reserved for the front hair line, for a feeling of naturalness, while the rest are reserved for the rest of the scalp so that a dense appearance is produced.

Is this an expensive treatment option?
Cosmetic surgery the world over is expensive, and yes, hair transplant too is expensive. However, compared to the west, it is very cheap to get cosmetic surgery done in Pakistan.

What are the common side effects?
There are no side effects which can be called permanent, however, the scalp is numb for about three months or so till the new nerves, which have been superficially severed, grow back. There may be a little swelling over the eyes in the immediate post operative period, but it happens very rarely. Small pimples form over the grafted area after four to six weeks which are treatable and stop by about six months after surgery. There may be a little discomfort till about a month on the back of the scalp, but that too goes away in a month’s time.

What would you suggest to people who want to go for this treatment option?
It is a completely safe procedure, but I would like to stress again, that in safe hands only. Beware of the doctors and technicians who are performing hair transplant without proper training and expertise, as not only the doctor, but the technicians also need to have proper training. If a technician destroys the follicles, there is very little the doctor can do.

A patient has every right to enquire all about the doctor, examine the clinic, and, of course, take a second opinion. I have encountered so many patients who have been to untrained surgeons just because they offered the procedure cheap and ended up in a complicated situation! — S.E.K.