Hair Transplant Surgery FAQs

Female pattern hair loss runs in the family. It has a different pattern and evolution of hair loss, and does not appear to be related to DHT. To date, we are not sure what causes inherited female pattern hair loss. Of those suffering from female pattern hair loss, 35 – 40% is linked to inheritance and the remainder is caused by a medical condition or skin disease.

What is hair restoration? Is it the same as hair transplantation?

Hair restoration is a contemporary term referring to the combined therapies to regrow or stabilize hair loss. Hair transplantation is the cosmetic surgical solution to the problem, that can be integrated with other technologies to produce a more natural result. The usage of sophisticated anesthesia, surgical tools and surgery techniques, anti-swelling medication, lasers and other medical prescriptions allow PHRC physicians to restore hair growth and, in most cases, reverse, slow down, or prevent future hair loss.

There are a lot of medications for hair loss, do they work?

Few medications have FDA approval for treating hair loss. While some of these products may grow hair, the density and thickness is rarely what patients are expecting. In fact, these medications stabilize hair loss as opposed to re-growing hair.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a topical medicine, applied twice a day and known for stopping hair loss on younger adults. After considerable testing and documentation, science has determined: Rogaine is at 12-15% regrowth and 35% stop loss. Hair transplant surgery is the most reliable remedy for hair loss. On average, 94 – 95% of all hair transplant graft grow, and continue to grow.

What makes a good candidate for hair transplant surgery?

A very difficult question, because there are so many variables in the decision making process and every patient is different. Good hair transplant candidates are identified during the PHRC consultation and examination. Schedule a FREE one-on-one consultation so PHRC can evaluate your needs and expectations and determine the solution.

Is hair restoration painful?

Patients experience little to no pain during the hair restoration procedure. After treatment, minimal pain is experienced and categorized as minor discomfort. At PHRC we ask every patient to score their discomfort during the procedure on a 1 – 10 scale, most patients rate their discomfort as a 1 or 2.

What is the hair transplant recovery process like?

Although Dr. Puig prefers that patients take 1 – 2 days to recover, many patients work the next day and resume all normal daily activities within three days. All activities, including exercise and regular hair care, can be resumed in five days.

If the post-operative instructions are followed carefully, the small graft crusts will disappear in less than a week.

How soon will the hair grow back after a hair transplant procedure?

Within 90 – 120 days, you will begin to see tiny hairs growing and within four to eight months, most of your grafted hair will have grown back. Roughly 40% of patients who use PHRC as their hair restoration center experience significant hair growth in 45 – 90 days.

How long does a hair transplant last?

Hair restoration lasts forever. Once you have received treatment from PHRC, your hair will continue to grow for the rest of your life.

What if the hair restoration procedure doesn’t take or work?

Once the doctor determines that you have sufficient donor area and evaluates your realistic expectations, the hair transplant procedure is guaranteed to take and grow. In the 46 years Dr. Puig has been practicing he has never seen a patient with a total treatment failure.

Under the rare circumstances that a relatively small percentage of the grafts do not take, we will replace them at no charge, given there is appropriate donor area available.

Is the hair transplant noticeable? Are the scars noticeable?

If you can tell that an individual has had a hair transplant procedure, it was not performed at PHRC. Using our state-of-the-art techniques and technology provides patients with completely natural, age-appropriate hair that can be styled, colored and changed.

Frontal area scarring is essentially non existent and typically covered by growing hair. Dr. Puig uses the most contemporary and innovative techniques to close the donor area site. Most patients (99%) receive the Trichophytic Closure, which consists of a donor scar less than 2.5mm with hair growing through it.

What if I am unhappy with my hair transplant? Could it be repaired?

Dr. Puig has actively performed hair transplant surgeries for over 46 years and developed techniques to apply new technology to old surgical results. His experience has patients from all over the world seeking his expertise. In fact, 8% of Dr. Puig’s procedures are on patients who have previously received hair transplants elsewhere and wish to improve their outcome.

Consistent with PHRC’s “patients before profits” philosophy, Dr. Puig offers solutions for complex cases by putting them into a cost-benefit perspective so patients can understand all aspects of the procedure.

How does the hair restoration transplant work for female pattern baldness?

Unfortunately, most women do not have inherited female pattern hair loss. However, for those who do have female pattern hair loss, hair transplantation is one of the most reliable options they have for permanent results.

Unlike men, roughly 60% of female hair loss is associated with one of several medical conditions or skin diseases. Complete and careful evaluation and correct diagnosis are critical to the development of an appropriate treatment plan. Dr Puig has been treating all causes of female hair loss for over 30 years.

The hair transplant procedure for women is similar to the procedure performed on men, with small variations in technique. This can and will be discussed with the doctor during the consultation.