Hair
Restoration is usually performed under either local
anesthesia or under intravenous sedation administered
by an MD Anesthesiologist. A strip of hair bearing
skin , usually from a hair bearing area like the
back of the head, is removed and closed. Then, this
strip is cut up to yield usually between 1000 and
2000 even individual hairs.
The hairless scalp area to be restored is marked
and an equal amount of tiny puncture marks are made
into which the hairs are carefully and meticulously
inserted.
A light dressing is applied which is removed in
a day or two with gentle shampooing of the hair
after several days. There is numbness of the scalp
as well as swelling of the forehead and even into
the face and discomfort.
The transplanted hair follicles act and grow as
if it were still from the donor area.
The costs for the operating room and MD anesthesiologist
average about $2500 because of the length of the
procedure which can be several hours and is less
if performed totally under local anesthesia. The
surgical fee is about $10 per transplant.
