Hair Transplantation

Q1 What are hair transplantation procedures?

The hair transplantation surgical procedure is meant to provide a long term solution treatment for men and women who desire hair that originates from themselves in the balding area. Hair transplantation is an effective treatment option for androgenetic alopecia in both men and women. Other common sites include eyebrows, beard, moustache, pubic hair transplantation. Other than for aesthetic purposes, hair transplantation is also done for facelift hair revision and body scars revision due to infection, trauma, and inflammation.

Q2 Why select hair transplantation procedure with Dr Eileen Tan?

This is a very important question. Dr Eileen Tan is an experienced dermatologist and has been involved in the treatment of various hair disorders. She has also performed hair transplantation since 2002 after completing a one-year fellowship in hair transplantation at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Dr Eileen Tan has attained surgical proficiency and fulfilled the criteria to be awarded the title of diplomate member by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery.

Hair Transplantation is a combination of both art and science. Dr Eileen Tan will personally assess the suitability of individuals for hair transplantation in every single consultation. In our clinic, it has always been Dr Eileen Tan that does the surgical procedures on you. Under her supervision, her team of experienced staff members will dissect the follicular units and produce high-quality hair grafts. Every hair on your head grows at a definite angle, in a specific direction, and this makes every hair pattern unique to the owner. In the process of restoring your hair, we try to duplicate the original pattern naturally. Using the follicular unit transplantation technique, Dr. Tan creates a hairline that looks natural. The newly transplanted hair growth becomes obvious four to five months after the surgery procedure. When your new living hair grows, you can return to your normal quality of life. Dr Eileen Tan aims to achieve the best possible result and does everything in her power to achieve maximum patient satisfaction.

Q3 What are the techniques of hair transplantation ?

Our clinic offers both follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE) donor site harvesting.

Using the strip harvesting technique, the donor follicular units to be transplanted are removed carefully from the donor area. Follicular units are distinct physiologic and anatomic entities and are carefully preserved in the process of hair transplantation. The strip technique causes lower follicular damage and lesser wounding to the donor region. As a result of this, the total area of scarring in the donor site is reduced through the usage of the strip harvesting technique. This technique enables patients to get a significantly greater number of grafts to fill the balding areas during a single surgery session. In general, this is a procedure that is both significantly less expensive and much faster that also achieves the desired clinical outcome.

Using the FUE technique, follicular units from the donor site are harvested via tiny punches or automated machine-assisted extraction. It is often described as a “minimally invasive” surgical procedure and the tiny excisions are left open to heal without sutures.

The main advantages of the FUE technique include the absence of stitching and suture removal required. On top of this, skin elasticity is not a limiting factor. However, this causes FUE to be more expensive. Despite there being a risk of necrosis, permanent damage of the donor area, thinning and patchy hair loss, and multiple keloids, the reported risk of these outcomes has been shown to be very rare.

Q4 What can we expect post hair transplantation surgery?

Hair transplantation is a day-surgery procedure. Post-operative care by our clinic includes daily dressing and shampooing during the first few days immediately after surgery. Patients are also provided with a mild analgesic to relieve any discomfort. Patients may experience mild swelling to the forehead area for a few days post-surgery. Small crusts may form on each graft, but they can be camouflaged easily by any existing hair by combing over the recipient area. These crusts will flake off by 10-14 days post-surgery. Sutures in the donor area are undetectable as they are thoroughly covered by your existing hairs. Complications are rare. Minor infections may occur around newly transplanted hair follicles, but this is easily resolved by using oral antibiotics. Numbness may occur in donor or recipient areas and usually disappears within 12 months after the surgery. Patients should avoid strenuous physical activity 2 weeks after surgery. The grafted hair usually sheds in one-two months’ time. New hair growth will begin in four to six months. Medical hair restoration (Examples of such include minoxidil, finasteride, and low level hair laser therapy) are often combined with hair transplantation to produce the best possible clinical outcome.

Q5 When should I start hair treatment?

Patients may do hair restoration surgery at any age, but it is often better to start before complete baldness to use existing hair to help camouflage the procedures. However, seeing as hair loss tends to be both gradual and progressive, it is often unwise to start surgical treatment in patients who are very young.

Medical treatments such as Finasteride and Minoxidil may be offered to men with mild to moderate hair loss to help preserve thinning hair in the crown. Hair transplantation can be performed to fill in the front hairline and thicken the front half of the scalp, medical treatments can also be used to maintain the hair behind the transplants and to possibly enhance the long-term results of hair restoration surgery. Dr Eileen Tan will work with you to design a customised plan suited to your specific needs.

Q6 How do I know if I am a good candidate ?

An ideal candidate is someone with dense hair in the permanent fringe of hair-bearing scalp. A patient with light-colored hair and pale (as opposed to dark hair and light skin) may appear to have a denser look. Patients with very wavy and/or curly hair may require fewer sessions than someone with straight hair. While hair transplants look very natural, the end result may not achieve the density or total coverage that you had when you were in your teenaged year. Results can vary from patient to patient.

Hair Follicles

Pre-op Assessment

Insertion of Hair Follicles