Female pattern baldness is a condition that affects over 30 million American women every year. In fact, it affects two out of three post-menopausal women. Unfortunately, thinning hair and hair loss are pain points for self-confidence in women. At the Plastic and Cosmetic Center of South Texas in San Antonio, TX, we’d like to talk to you about NeoGraft hair growth.
If you’re worried about female pattern baldness, or any other form of alopecia, NeoGraft hair growth can boost your self-esteem like you can’t even imagine.
Frequently Asked Questions About NeoGraft
How Long Does It Take to See NeoGraft Hair Growth?
On average, it takes between four and six months to see NeoGraft hair growth. However, everyone grows hair at a different rate based on several factors, These include genetics, nutrition, hormone levels, and stress. Therefore, you may see hair growing from the transplanted follicles after 3.5 months or 6.5 months.
How Long Will It Take to See the Final Results?
The most important thing to understand is that NeoGraft hair growth, just like any other kind of hair growth, takes time. While you may be chomping at the bit once you see the initial results at four or five months, don’t feel discouraged if it takes between 12 and 18 months to see the final results. This is to be expected and just part of the hair growth process.
Do I Have Enough Hair for Grafting?
The only way to determine if you have enough hair for grafting is to schedule a consultation. We will evaluate the density of your hair in other areas while considering your aesthetic goals. At the end of the day, your aesthetic will still be improved even if you don’t have “enough” working hair follicles for grafting and transplantation.
One of the most exciting things about NeoGraft is over 95% of the transplanted follicles survive. This is in stark contrast to the old-fashioned hair replacement procedure which offers only a survival rate of around 47.3%. This means, for traditional hair transplantation, you would need more than twice the density of healthy hair follicles than are required with NeoGraft.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
The number of sessions you will need depends on how much hair loss you have already experienced. If you are covering only a small area of baldness, you may only need one or two sessions. Contrastingly, if you are trying to cover most of your head, you will need many treatment sessions.
What Can I Expect During the Procedure?
During the procedure, you will experience no pain or discomfort. We use a local anesthetic to ensure that you don’t feel a thing during the grafting or transplantation process. If you’d like, we can also provide you with sedation to ease any uneasiness you are feeling. Most of our clients fall asleep. However, you are free to read or watch TV.
During the harvesting process, a specialized handpiece will apply gentle pressure to the donor area to extract thousands of healthy follicles. Then, we will create tiny holes in the recipient area and gently place the healthy, functioning hair follicles in these holes. That’s it. After about a week, these hair follicles will have successfully taken hold and will start to grow hair.
How Long Do the Results Last?
The results of NeoGraft hair restoration are permanent. Once the transplanted follicles have taken hold, they will grow just like the other hair follicles on the top of your head. As long as you keep your stress levels under control and do not suffer from temporary alopecia, you will not experience diminished results.
Will People Know That I’ve Had Work Done?
Absolutely not. There will be no visible scabbing, scarring, or incisions. The transplanted hair follicles are grafted from your own body. After around a year, the hair that has grown will look like your hair because it is your hair. Nobody will know that you have had “work done” unless you tell them. More importantly, the results look natural because they are.
Can I Drive Home After the Procedure?
After the procedure, you are free to drive yourself home if you have only received a local anesthetic. However, sedation will make you drowsy. Therefore, you must arrange for a ride home after your procedure if you receive oral sedation before your procedure.
What Can I Expect After the Procedure?
After your procedure, you are free to go home. Because general anesthesia is not used, there is no need for an observation period after your procedure. You are free to go home. A mere 24 hours after your procedure, you are free to return to your usual daily activities, such as washing your hair. Just be gentle for the first seven days post-op.
When Can I Return to Work?
This depends on the type of work you do. If you have an office job, you are free to return to work the day after your procedure. If, on the other hand, you have a manual labor job, you may want to take two to three days off of work. Just listen to your body. You’ll know when you are ready to return to work.
Some clients think this is the perfect opportunity to schedule a full week off of work. It is a lot easier to rest and relax when you don’t have to worry about all the work you have to catch up on the next day. If you’d like, ask your supervisor if you can take five vacation days. Whether you go on vacation or not is up to you, but you’ll probably enjoy your ‘recovery” more.
When Can I Resume Strenuous Exercise?
We understand how important strenuous exercise is to your quality of life and aesthetic. However, we strongly encourage our clients to avoid strenuous exercise for seven days post-op. This gives the transplanted hairs time to take hold without being put under undue stress. In fact, we ask that you minimize any activities that can elevate blood pressure.
What Activities Can Elevate Blood Pressure?
Any cardiovascular or strength training exercise that results in difficulty holding a conversation can elevate your blood pressure. Moderate exercise, such as walking, jogging, running, or spinning at a moderate pace is fine. In fact, walking is encouraged because it supports your cardiovascular system and helps nutrients get to your scalp.
Other activities that can elevate your blood pressure include consuming an excess of spicy foods, over 200 mg of caffeine, over two grams of sodium per day, and exposing yourself to extreme heat. For example, you should avoid saunas, tanning beds, steam rooms, and long, steaming hot showers and baths.
Can I Wear a Hat After My Procedure?
Yes. Wearing a hat after your procedure will not put undue pressure on your scalp. However, wearing a cover on your head is not required to protect your transplanted hair follicles from the damaging rays of the sun. If you don’t want to wear a hat, limit your exposure outdoors between 10 and 4 when the sun’s rays are at its strongest.
If you work outdoors during those hours, we strongly encourage you to apply sunscreen to your scalp every four hours that you are working. If you have darker skin, you can get away with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen. However, if you have a fairer skin tone, you will need at least a sun protection factor of 55.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hair Loss
What Causes Hair Loss in the First Place?
Any number of things can cause hair loss. It is important to get an accurate diagnosis for the cause of your hair loss because if the root cause is not addressed, the condition will recur. Perhaps the most overlooked cause of hair loss in women is their preferred hairstyle. Braids, cornrows, and tight ponytails can all cause traction alopecia and this damage can be permanent.
Exposure to toxic substances, such as certain pharmaceuticals, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy can cause a temporary type of alopecia known as manager effluvium. This type of hair loss affects the hair while it is in the growth stage. Other causes of hair loss in women include alopecia areata and genetics.
How Do My Genes Affect My Hair?
Genes are responsible for the most common type of hair loss, female pattern baldness. Women can experience this kind of hair loss at any point in their lives. However, it usually rears its ugly head when estrogen levels drop around the time of menopause. Understanding if this is the cause of your hair loss is important because it can recur if your hormones are not also addressed.
Which Women Have the Highest Risk of Developing Hair Loss?
Just because you wear your hair down even on the hottest San Antonio days does not mean you are safe from hair loss. Women who have recently given birth are at extremely high risk of developing temporary alopecia due to stress.
Women who are 41 and older are at higher risk of developing permanent follicle damage due to hormonal deficiencies. Finally, women who are taking certain medications, such as chemotherapy, are at high risk of developing hair loss.
How Breast Augmentation Can Boost Your Self-Esteem
At our clinic in San Antonio, we also offer breast augmentation: another great way to boost your self-esteem. You can choose between several sizes, shapes, and textures for your augmentation. The best part is you don’t have to look or feel “plastic.” Sometimes, all you want is to correct asymmetry due to weight loss, breastfeeding, or an illness. Dr. Jeneby can even add volume to just one breast.
If you think enhancing your breasts, as well as the volume of your hair, will help you achieve your aesthetic goals, please call to request an appointment. Dr. Jeneby is more than happy to meet you in person for a consultation or provide you with a virtual consultation. Just let us know your preference when you call.
Discover How to Boost Your Self-Esteem Today
If you are experiencing hair loss at a rate that you have never experienced in the past, you may benefit from NeoGraft hair growth. It takes about four to six months to see the initial results and roughly 12 to 18 months to see the final results. However, the healthier your hair and body are, the faster you will see the results.
To determine if you are a good candidate for NeoGraft hair growth, you need a quick, accurate diagnosis of the cause of your hair loss. To learn more about this life-changing procedure, or to meet with Thomas T. Jeneby, MD for a professional consultation on breast augmentation in San Antonio or any other treatment you’re interested in, please contact us at the Plastic and Cosmetic Center of South Texas in San Antonio, TX today to schedule your initial consultation.
