Hair Transplant

Turn your hair loss into gain at Summit Plastic Surgery

Fort Wayne’s Hair Transplant Procedure Experts.

Excessive hair loss (known as alopecia) affects millions of men and women in the United States. In fact, two out of three American men have some hair loss by age 35. By age 50, more than 80% of men have thinning hair. It’s also reported that up to 40% of women have visible hair loss by the time they’re age 40.

While most hair loss (95%) can be attributed to genetics, there can be other contributing factors, including stress. However, most experts agree that stress does not cause hair loss by itself without the necessary genes and hormones. Some people may think they are losing their hair when they aren’t. Most adults lose approximately 75–125 hairs from their scalps every day due to the natural process, but the hair is replaced with new hair.

Contrary to popular belief, hair loss isn’t inherited from your mother’s side of the family tree. Male and female pattern hair loss can be genetically inherited from either side of the family. Hair on the scalp that is genetically susceptible to male-pattern baldness (generally the front and top of the scalp) starts to shrink in diameter and length until it eventually disappears. The hair on the back and sides of most men’s scalps is usually “permanent” (genetically speaking), which means the hair should remain in place for life.

Treatment options for hair loss.

If you are losing your hair, there are a number of products on the market making some bold claims. It’s important to know the facts so you can make an informed (and satisfactory) decision. The only permanent and natural hair loss replacement option is hair transplant surgery.

Rogaine® (Minoxidil). Applied topically, Minoxidil is the only product approved by the FDA to grow hair. If you discontinue use, you lose any new hair growth.

Propecia® (Finasteride). This oral medication is another popular FDA-approved product. However, Finasteride doesn’t grow hair, it only prevents further hair loss.

Cosmetic products. From creams to sprays to vitamin supplements, there are hundreds of products on the market that claim to regrow hair. But these claims are outright lies. Many of these cosmetic products just cover bald spots (or do nothing at all) and do not treat the hair-loss process.

Hair transplant surgery from Summit Plastic Surgery uses your own hair follicles to regrow your hair.

Today’s advanced surgical hair transplantation techniques use your own healthy, growing hair follicles to reshape or fill-out your hairline. Hair transplants look so natural that your barber or hairstylist may not even be able to tell (other than the fact that you now have hair where you didn’t before).

The advanced surgical hair transplantation procedure at Summit Plastic Surgery in Fort Wayne involves removing small tissue samples from the back and/or sides of the scalp (donor area). Then the tissue is dissected into follicular grafts (containing up to 6 hairs each).

These small grafts are inserted into the bald or thinning area of the scalp (recipient area). The use of very small follicular grafts enables your expert, board-certified Summit Plastic Surgery surgeon to create very natural hairlines, which do not have the “hair plug” look commonly seen in hair transplants of years past.  

For patients of Summit Plastic Surgery, hair replacement is an outpatient procedure that lasts anywhere from three to eight hours. It’s usually performed using local anesthesia, often with some additional oral or IV sedation. Many patients take a nap or watch movies during the procedure.

Most patients report that there is little discomfort during after the surgical procedure. Depending on the degree of balding, your Summit Plastic Surgery physician may perform 2–3 procedures. The number of grafts varies depends based on a number of factors, which your physician will discuss with you. The grafted hairs will often start to grow by 10–16 weeks after the procedure and will most likely continue to grow for the rest of your life.

Is hair replacement right for you?

If you would like to learn more about hair transplantation surgery, please contact the experts at Summit Plastic Surgery in Fort Wayne. We will be happy to answer any questions as well as schedule a private consultation with an SPS physician.

Contact us with any questions you have at 260-490-7111 or use the form below.

Hair Loss: Fact & Fiction.

Rogaine is the only FDA-approved drug to re-grow hair: FACT
Cutting/shaving your hair makes it grow back thicker: FICTION
Stress can contribute to hair loss: FACT
Hair loss comes from your mother’s side: FICTION
The only permanent and natural hair loss replacement option is hair transplant surgery: FACT