Currently, hair can be recovered through a hair transplant with the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method. But to understand why and how hair loss (alopecia) can occur after hair surgery, it is necessary to first understand the normal hair cycle. For example, everyone loses hair continuously (normally it can oscillate in 100 hairs per day) and this rate changes depending on many factors, including hair surgery.
The phases of the capillary cycle are determined by a multitude of factors such as diet, genetics, anxiety, stress, age, etc
The evolution of a hair is independent of that of the adjoining ones. The capillary cycle has three different phases:
- Growth phase (anagen). Its duration ranges between 2 and 8 years; the root is attached to the papilla. The hair is born and grows due to its high concentration of melanin. Condition the length according to the duration of the phase.
- Transition phase (catagen). It lasts between 2 – 3 weeks. The hair stops growing and goes to the surface of the scalp, separating from the papilla. The activity of the follicle cells is stopped causing a stop of the growth.
- Rest phase (telogen). In this stage, which lasts about 3 months, the follicle rests and the hair falls out, beginning a new phase of growth. During stress, such as hair surgery, most of the hair can enter the telogen phase prematurely, resulting in the temporary loss of accelerated hair. This is known as telogen effluvium.
Recover Hair – Stress and hair loss
Stress is an important factor in hair loss. During stress our body diverts nutrients to the heart, lungs, muscles and other vital organs. As a result, the hair can be weakened by not receiving enough nutrients and vitamins and, in some cases, the hair follicles stop producing new hair. This is known as telogen effluvium that we have discussed above.
This is the most common way to lose hair and usually, two or three months after suffering stress from major surgery, a chronic illness, a significant infection, etc. There may be a case of hair loss. In women, it can also be the case with a sudden change in hormone levels such as during pregnancy or after delivery.
Recovering hair is something difficult without opting for surgery and these suggestions will help you before and after hair surgery. Maintaining a minimum level of tension and stress can be achieved by relaxing at the end of the day, doing aerobic exercise (walking 1 hour a day is a very good way to relieve tension) and of course taking things slowly. This will help to avoid tension and stress and especially so that very few hair fall after the capillary intervention.
Diet and Metabolism:
Durante el postoperatorio aumenta el metabolismo del cuerpo y hay un aumento de necesidades en nutrientes como las proteínas, hierro, zinc y biotina entre otros. Hay que aumentar los nutrientes y vitaminas para que la fase postoperatoria del trasplante capilar sea rápida y de la mayor calidad. Para hacer correctamente un postoperatorio debes tener una dieta equilibrada y nutritiva. Frutas y verduras ayudarán de manera natural, aportando grandes dosis de zinc, biotina e hierro. Se recomienda tomar vitaminas una semana antes de la intervención como Árnica Montana y Bromelina para minimizar la inflamación.
During the postoperative period the metabolism of the body increases and there is an increasing need of nutrients such as proteins, iron, zinc and biotin, among others. It is necessary to increase the nutrients and vitamins so that the postoperative phase of the hair transplant is fast and of the highest quality. To properly do a post-operative you must have a balanced and nutritious diet. Fruits and vegetables will help naturally, providing large doses of zinc, biotin and iron. It is recommended to take vitamins one week before the intervention such as Arnica Montana and Bromelain to minimize inflammation.
Hormonal changes and hair loss
The interruption of your normal hormonal cycle can be reflected in hair loss. Although it is more pronounced in women, men are not exempt from this affecting them as well. A prolonged state of rest (remaining lying for a long time after capillary surgery can affect in the postoperative phase), as well as some healing medications after the intervention. Your doctor will tell you what you should and should not do as soon as you exercise and what medication you can or should take.
Anesthesia and hair loss
It is not conclusive that anesthesia causes hair loss, although patients and many doctors believe that there may be a link. The truth is that general anesthesia is likely to create more hair loss, so that recovering hair with a hair transplant is not a problem since the surgery is performed in a day and with Local Hair Anesthesia (painless in Sanantur Clinic)
According to the medical research unit of Harvard University, its latest study shows that anesthesia can slow down cell division, cells that depend on rapid cell division, such as hair follicles, are pushed into their resting phase. The good news is that this is temporary and the follicles will change back to their normal irregular hair growth pattern.
In short, a variety of daily habits are associated with hair loss, including various diseases, alcohol, tobacco and hundreds of different drugs.
Field of hair surgery:
Changes in blood flow and scarring (deep at the skin level) can cause the hair follicles to close and prevent the growth of new hair. The current hair can go in the latent phase (telogen) and fall (telogen effluvium). The donor part must be treated with great care, without abusing the extraction of follicles and not making incisions above 1.1 mm, since the healing would take longer and may cause a case of hait not growing in the donor area.
Medicines:
Literally hundreds of drugs can affect hair growth, including some of which are necessary for surgical procedures. These can be direct or indirect effects (for example, by allergic reaction to a medication). Once the drug causing the fall is stopped, hair growth should slowly return to normal.
Other factors:
Too much pressure can be a problem for Positional Alopecia after surgery. Positional Alopecia does not usually occur, almost never, but it can happen that when the head is held in one position for a prolonged period of time, this limits the supply of blood to the scalp.
The good news is that postsurgical hair loss does not happen in most patients and, when it does, most of it returns to normal in a matter of months.
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Recovering your own hair with a completely natural finish is our goal. Our medical and technical team extracts the follicles from the back and from the sides of your head (depending on the case), and then implant them in the zone (s) that require it.