Science and technology have become so advanced that you don’t have to worry about pain while you are getting surgery for anything. However, there are various methods of preventing pain, and one prominent one is anesthesia.
Hair loss is a condition that the average person either suffers from or is likely to suffer from. It occurs when hair gradually falls out of or comes off your head and refuses to grow back. It is not that it chooses not to grow back; it just simply can’t.
There are many causes of hair loss, and some of them include your diet, genetic composition, and in some cases, diseases. Sometimes, a treatment you maybe be undergoing could also result in hair loss.
You don’t need to fret. There are various ways you can combat this condition. Also, you are not alone in this. A lot of people go through this at a point in their lives. You could choose to have it temporarily or permanently sorted out.
Temporary solutions include using medicated shampoos, lotions and creams, and sometimes, medication. You may also decide to wear wigs or hairpieces. However, these solutions can be pretty bothersome. You always have to worry about one thing or the other.
Why not go for a lasting solution to hair loss? This solution entails getting surgery for your condition. Depending on your budget and your surgeon’s recommendations, you can opt for Follicular Unit Transplant or Follicular Unit Extraction. They are both guaranteed to be effective in the long run.
Follicular Unit Extraction
Follicular unit extraction is a hair transplant method where your surgeon extracts hair follicles from a part of your head or body, where there is a healthy growth of hair. These hair follicles are then transplanted into incisions that would have been made where hair is needed.
The scalp would, however, have to be shaved. Shaving isn’t mandatory, but it makes the job easier for the surgeon. It also makes room for the consistent growth of your hair. Some specialists give you the option of not shaving your head; however, you would likely be paying more than if you allowed your head to be shaved because choosing not to shave makes the work a bit more tedious and time-consuming.
This method is the more common one because it requires less skill. It is also relatively safe. Your surgeon does not have to remove tissues or graft skin from your scalp. You also do not have to worry about scarring because the incisions made on your skin would be tiny and next to invisible.
Follicular Unit Transplant
If you are in the market for a procedure that would result in a natural-looking hair transplant, then a follicular unit transplant is advisable. This method is for people who don’t want it obvious that they are undergoing or have undergone any form of surgery for hair improvement. Also, as opposed to FUE, you don’t have to worry about shaving or not shaving your scalp. It also ensures you have a faster recovery period.
Your surgeon takes a strip of tissue that contains hair follicles from your scalp or any other part of your body with a considerable amount of healthy hair. The hair follicles are then harvested from the strip or graft and planted at the spot with thin or receding hair.
This method involves cutting into the skin, making incisions and sutures. You would end up sporting some minor and unnoticeable scars in the long run.
The two methods require surgery, which means that you cannot avoid the surgeon’s table. But, of course, it’s a guaranteed long-term solution to hair loss, so the short-term inconvenience is worth it, and this is where anesthesia comes into play.
Anesthesia in the Hair Graft
The two methods of hair transplants require some work done on your scalp. Hair would be harvested from one part of your scalp to the area where it is needed. It could be your hairline, the middle of your head, or any other region where you might be losing hair.
If you opt for Follicular Unit Transplant, your surgeon will have to cut into your scalp. Even beyond that, regardless of the method you opt for, incisions would have to be made on your scalp to make room for the hair that would be transplanted.
Anesthesia is a medically induced method of reducing or preventing pain during surgery. There are about three major types of anesthesia. First, there is one that puts you to sleep entirely, and you don’t wake up until the surgery is over. It is the most common type of anesthesia.
Another keeps you awake but numbs just a small part of the body. This part is where the surgery would be carried out. You would be conscious of your environment but wouldn’t feel any pain in that area.
The last type numbs all the parts of your body while also keeping you awake. If the anesthesia starts to wear off at any point of the surgery, more is injected into your system.
In surgeries for hair grafting, enough anesthesia is injected into the scalp to weaken the cells in that area temporarily. For instance, the area which contains the strip of skin to be harvested has to be numbed so you won’t feel any pain. When sutures are being carried out to close the openings, anesthesia prevents you from feeling any pain.
The recipient area also has to be numbed because incisions would be made to allow the hair to be inserted into the scalp. Your surgeon would ask if you have any allergies before deciding on the most suitable anesthesia for you.
In Conclusion
Hair grafting is a painless and effective procedure. You don’t have to worry about feeling any pain at any point during the surgery. Irrespective of the method you decide to go for, you would be given the right amount of anesthesia.
If you would rather be asleep during the process, you can inform your surgeon.