Hair Transplantation

Hair transplantation is one of the options that some people choose to overcome hair loss. Overall, it involves taking hair follicles (grafts) from the patient’s donor area and transplanting into the bald or thinning areas.

At Sinclair Dermatology we use the FUE hair transplant technique.

FUE (Follicle Unit Extraction) – The hair transplant practitioner will remove individual grafts from the scalp using a drill and a punch trephine.

Hair transplant is not a cure for baldness. The transplant will cover the affected area; however, most patients will need to take medication to slow down baldness from other areas of the scalp and stop the hair loss.

Things to consider

Before you take the step to have a hair transplant, there are a few things you should consider:

• It is important to have realistic expectations. You need to be assessed by the doctor and find out if you are eligible to have a hair transplant. The thicker and healthier your donor area is, the better the results will be.
• Most hair transplants are successful; however, it can take up to 9 months before you can start to see the results.
• Hair transplant is considered cosmetic procedure and it does not qualify for rebates from Medicare or private insurance companies. If the hair loss was caused by burns or trauma, a hair replacement procedure is considered reconstructive treatment and may be covered by health insurance. Ask your hair transplant practitioner about those options.
• Smokers are at increased risk of complications. If you are serious about undergoing hair transplant you should consider quit smoking.
• Hair transplant does not cure hair loss. Alternative treatments before and after procedure will, most likely, be required.

Finding a hair transplant practitioner

You may want to ask your doctor for advice on a suitable and reputable doctor or hospital where hair transplants are performed. At your first consultation, you should ask the hair transplant practitioner about their training and experience. It is preferable to have these procedures done by a reputable professional who is specially trained to perform hair transplantation and has a lot of experience in carrying out this type of procedure.

Dr Pooja Sharma

Dr. Pooja Sharma is a consultant Dermatologist and Hair Transplant Practitioner practicing in Melbourne. Dr. Sharma has more than 17 years in treating hair and skin disorders. Being trained in all aspects of Hair Transplantation by world-renowned surgeons, Dr. Sharma works at Sinclair Dermatology where she provides cutting-edge treatment for hair disorders and conduct surgical interventions such as Hair Transplant and PRP injections.

Currently she also runs a specialist clinic at Skin Health Institute and works at Austin Hospital in Melbourne where she trains registrars in hair-related conditions and skin cancer surgery, apart from seeing patients in her private practice.

Dr. Sharma consults at our East Melbourne centre and offers the following types of hair transplant restoration

• FUE – follicular unit extraction
• PRP pos hair transplant
• Body hair transplant

Dr Bevin Bhoyrul

Dr Bevin Bhoyrul is a consultant dermatologist with an interest in hair and scalp disorders. As a dermatologist, he is proficient in skin procedures including face/scalp procedure. His in-depth knowledge of hair and scalp disorders also allows him to diagnose common and less common causes of hair loss. He is able to identify suitable candidates for hair transplantation. Furthermore, his experience with a variety of strategies to treat hair loss including medication and non-invasive techniques such as injections allows him to complement the results of hair transplantation.

Dr Bhoyrul has undertaken training in hair transplantation under the supervision of renowned hair transplanters,  Dr Christian Bisanga (BHR Clinic, Belgium) and Dr Mario Marzola (MediHair Clinic, Australia), both for over a year, gaining experience in hair transplantation using the FUT and FUE methods, as well as body hair transplantation.

Dr Ragini Ghiya

Dr Ragini Ghiya is a Fellow of Australasian College of Dermatologist (FACD). Dr Ragini is a member of ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons) and has a vast experience performing more than 4000 hair transplant procedures over the past 13 yrs of her practice.

Along with attending different scientific conferences, she has also given talks on different national and international conferences on hair transplant on varied topics including ‘how to minimize follicular transaction in Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)’, ‘Slit making for hair implantation’ and ‘Body hair transplant’ in World FUE institute conference in 2023, ‘Anaesthesia in chest hair harvest in FUE’, ‘FUE in cicatricial alopecia’ and few more.

Dr Ghiya believes that a hair transplant is a combination of art along with science and uses current cutting-edge technology for the benefit of the patients. While perfecting the art and science behind the techniques, she has developed her unique way of doing the procedures to achieve higher hair densities, natural hair lines and using different body hairs where applicable. She combines transplants with medication treatments and PRP to achieve maximum possible hair growth results. She performs the following types of hair transplants:

• Scalp hair transplants – FUE
  • Shaven FUE
  • Non shave FUE
  • Long hair FUE
• Eyebrow transplantation
• Beard reconstructions
• Moustache reconstructions

You can follow Dr Ragini on Instagram: drraginighiya

 

Hair transplant procedure

Generally, the procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and the patient is slightly sedated on the day of the procedure. The session can vary accordingly with the number of grafts. An average procedure takes between 8/12 hours.

Immediately after a hair transplant

How you feel afterwards depends on the extent of the procedure. After the operation you may experience and expect:

• Bruising and swelling
• Possible numbness
• Pain, throbbing and discomfort
• A tight feeling in the scalp
• The use of a bandage or dressing to be worn on the first day after the procedure
• Scabs across the donor area (FUE)

Possible complications after hair transplant procedure

All procedures carry some degree of risk, no matter how small it is.

Some of the possible complications may include:

• Risk of allergy caused by anaesthesia
• Surgical risk such as bleeding or infection
• Scars that may be severe, raised, reddened and itchy
• Nerve damage
• Death of the skin graft
• Shock loss
• Tissue death along the wound or skin loss

Your medical history or lifestyle may interfere in your recovery as well, that is why is very important to consult with your hair transplant practitioner and go through all the steps carefully.

Hair transplant recovery is, normally, very easy and simple. All the instructions will be given to the patient after procedure.

Exercises or any other strenuous activity need to be avoided for at least 10 days.

Report any bleeding, severe pain or unusual symptoms to your hair transplant practitioner.

Long term outlook

Most hair transplants are successful, although, it can take up to 9 months before the hair takes root and begins to grow. It is not uncommon for the transplanted hair to fall out after several months and then regrow.

Once the hair starts to regrow, it should look natural because the transplanted hair is planted in the same direction of your natural hair pattern.

To speak to our team about hair restoration options, please contact:

Shirley Huntley
Hair Transplant Co-ordinator

Phone us on 0499 001 486

Email hairtransplant@sinclairdermatology.com.au