7 Things You Should Know About Hair Transplant Surgery

Nowadays, an increasing number of people with balding problems are choosing to undergo hair transplant procedures. This rising trend is due to the fact that the methods for hair transplant are becoming more and more improved.

In the past, it was easy to tell when a person had a hair transplant because of bad hair plugs. Today, however, it's becoming much harder to tell.

Still, there are some things about hair transplant surgery that remains unknown to the public. Below are 7 facts about hair transplant surgery that a lot of people are still unaware of.

1. Baldness is a problem that is most common among men -- we all know that. However, did you know that approximately 50% of American men over the age of 50 are dealing with hair loss? And these men have their own way of dealing with the problem. Some of them shave their head completely while others decide to undergo hair transplant surgery.

2. Hair transplant surgery is a permanent procedure. This means if you undergo one and you're not happy with the results, you can't simply decide to have the hair taken off. The hair you get when you undergo hair transplant surgery is not a wig. If you want it changed, you'll have to undergo a number of surgeries and you'll have to take the risk that your head may not look the same way after. Beware of doctors offering to do a few hair grafts on you so you could see how you like the procedure. Realize that once you start a hair transplant procedure, no matter how small it is, you'll need to continue with it.

3. Hair transplant procedures are relatively painless, which is why many who undergo a hair transplant assume they can resume their normal activities the next day or even a few hours after the procedure. Wrong! If you undergo a hair transplant procedure, you'll need to take a few days off. Your scalp has numerous tiny wounds and you'll need to protect them as they heal.

4. If you decide to undergo hair transplant, be prepared for it in terms of your time. It can be time-consuming. Many people think that after a hair transplant procedure is done, that's it. Not so. Treatment often lasts up to two years. It is possible to do thousands of hair grafts in one sitting, but this obviously is time consuming too.

5. Another procedure can be combined with hair transplant surgery. One example of this is if you can't have a normal hair transplant procedure because you don't have enough healthy hair follicles to use for hair grafting. There are procedures, however, that can be used along with hair transplant so a similar result can be achieved. Caveat emptor: these procedures are often more painful.

6. Hair transplant surgeries are not always 100% successful. There are only a handful of surgeons who'll come out and say right out that hair grafts don't always survive after a hair transplant procedure. The truth is that there are hair grafts that will not survive. The good news, though, is that most hair transplant surgeries are successful.

7. Hair transplant procedures aren't that expensive, depending on your situation and how you look at it. For instance, for $12,000, you can have a hair transplant procedure. If you're 30 when you undergo the procedure and you die when you're 70, you would benefit from the treatment for 40 years and that would have theoretically only cost you $300/year or $25/month. Compare this to other hair loss treatments that go for more than $25/month, you'd be saving yourself more money by undergoing the hair transplant surgery from the beginning.