Chance for hair like before chemo

When a doctor diagnoses his patient with cancer, the human world is turned upside down. Almost everyone knows what it is connected with. The next few months of life are focused solely on the struggle for recovery. It is necessary to carry out complex treatment, which is often based on chemotherapy. This method of treatment is closely related to the gradual hair loss or thinning after chemotherapy. For many people, hair grows back only partially after treatment. After such mental and physical stress, people after oncological treatment only dream of returning to a normal life. Ordinary life and former appearance. Scientists are constantly developing new technologies that allow hair to return to its former appearance. The most recognized method is FUE hair transplant. Moreover, doctors also recommend it to their patients, who, due to oncological treatment, cannot enjoy the former look of their hair.

How does chemotherapy affect hair?

The introduction of chemotherapy is extremely valuable in the process of cancer treatment. These drugs contain cytostatics, which are characterized by the destruction of tumor cells. A side effect of their action is also a negative effect on healthy cells of the body, including hair follicles. Hair cells are not protected from the toxicity of cytostatics. As a consequence, people undergoing chemotherapy experience excessive and permanent hair loss. Cytostatics affect all hair follicles, not just those located on the head. They also damage the eyebrows, eyelashes and pubic hair. Hair loss is a very quick effect of chemotherapy. In some cases, the hair falls out completely within 7 days. Instead of focusing on a quick recovery, patients worry about the regrowth of the hair that has fallen out, as well as their condition after recovery. The end of the treatment is associated with the growth of hair, but they do not always have the same appearance due to damage to the hair roots. Severe damage results in not all hair growing back, or only to a certain extent. After the end of chemotherapy, patients note thinning of the hair on the top of the head above average or it is much weaker than it was before the disease. 

Hair transplant after chemotherapy

The FUE method, that is, the extraction of follicular units, is very popular among former cancer patients. It is also used by people suffering from partial alopecia for other reasons. The basis for starting hair transplantation with this method is the complete completion of oncological treatment and the regrowth of at least part of the hair that will be used for transplantation. FUE hair transplant cannot be performed on people who do not grow hair after treatment. 

When performing hair transplantation using the FUE method, the doctor collects individual groups of hair follicles. This is done with a metal stamp. The skill of the operator is responsible for the success of the procedure, as he must collect the necessary hair structures, especially stem cells, which provide further hair growth. The skillful collection of stem cells is responsible for future hair growth, which in turn determines the effectiveness of the treatment in the future. The biggest advantage of FUE hair transplantation is the complete safety and superior results compared to the classic FUF method. The FUE method is based on minimizing the signs of the specialist's activity. The scars left after transplantation are almost invisible, and the wound healing process is much faster.

Necessary preparation for FUE hair transplantation

Admission to FUE hair transplant surgery requires a number of previous steps, which will further affect the results obtained. First, the attending physician prescribes certain tests that allow the patient to undergo hair transplantation. On their basis, the specialist determines whether the state of health allows the procedure. The date of the procedure is set later than the consultation. It is necessary to withstand a two-week break before the planned date of the procedure in taking aspirin and other drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid. At least a day before the procedure, you should completely abandon the use of alcohol and strong coffee, as this negatively affects blood pressure and blood circulation in the body. Don't forget to bring your hair transplant hat with you so you can put it on when you get home. The headgear should not additionally irritate the scalp, and at the same time protect it from the weather.

How does the FUE hair transplant procedure work?

Many people are afraid of hair transplant due to the circulating legends about the tremendous pain that comes with the procedure. It turns out that these stories have nothing to do with reality. In fact, for the comfort of the patient, local anesthesia is performed before transplantation. As a result, the transplant itself is painless. During the consultation, the specialist carefully assesses the condition of the hair. Then he chooses two places. The first is known as the donor area, that is, the place on the body from which the hair will be taken for transplantation. The second, recipient area, is where the transplanted hair will be placed. It is also necessary to document the places from which he collects and places grafts with photographs. Before the actual treatment, it is necessary to shave the hair to a length that fluctuates between 2 and 3 millimeters, only then can you start collecting it.

About 30 minutes should elapse from the moment the anesthesia is administered to the start of the procedure. After this time, the patient should lie on his stomach. FUE hair transplant time is not the same for everyone. It usually takes 2 to 4 hours. In the first step of the procedure, the hair follicles are collected. It is very important to store them properly until transplantation, which minimizes the amount of dead hair. To do this, they are placed in a special refrigerator. When the attending physician completes the collection of hair follicles, a special dressing is applied to the donor area. After fixing the site, you can proceed to the stage most expected by the patient. Then you no longer need to spend time lying down. After that, the treatment position is acceptable. Before transplanting the hair follicles, anesthesia is once again applied, with the difference that they are injected into the recipient area.

The last step in the FUE hair transplant procedure is the application of a special ointment to the hair transplant sites. Due to the fact that before the procedure, the hair is shaved to a length of 2-3 micrometers, noticeable effects appear over time. Hair needs time to adapt and then it starts to grow at its own pace. Visible changes in the scalp are noticeable after 4-6 months. However, a satisfactory result is noticeable about a year after the hair transplant operation.

What are the benefits of FUE hair transplant

Modern methods of hair transplantation have a longer list of advantages, as specialists rely on the disadvantages of other methods. Thus, they strive to avoid all inconvenience to the patient. The FUE hair transplant method has a number of advantages, which is why many doctors especially recommend it. 

The most important benefits of FUE hair transplantation include:

• reducing the visibility of scars at the sites of hair follicle sampling
• the procedure, unlike other methods, can be performed in people prone to spontaneous hypertrophic scarring,
• it is permissible to correct the scar on the scalp,
• the method has a very short wound healing time after hair transplantation.
• after follicle transplantation, there is no need to visit a doctor for follow-up.

It is worth remembering that FUE hair transplantation is one of the most modern and innovative methods. Numerous studies show that this procedure is one of the most effective in cancer patients. In addition, the opportunity to return to the previous form brings them great relief and relieves additional stress during the recovery period. A sick person can focus on the most urgent and important things. FUE transplantation is gaining not only positive feedback not only among doctors and scientists, but also among people who, thanks to it, can look the way they used to.