In general, hair transplants are known to have high success rates and you rarely – if ever – hear anyone complain about failed hair loss surgeries.
However, there are some cases in which hair transplants can and will fail if certain pre- and post-operative measures are not observed.
Before you panic and dissuade yourself from getting a hair restoration procedure, you’ll need to know why some interventions fail and which are the factors contributing to a failed hair transplant.
Factors that Lead to Failed Hair Transplants
There aren’t many things that lead to hair transplant failure, but the following 5 factors can undermine the success of hair restoration surgeries:
#1 Not Being a Good Candidate for Hair Transplant
Even though anyone can get a hair transplant, not all people are good candidates. Factors that disqualify someone for a surgery include:
- Not enough hair in the donor area;
- Hair loss hasn’t stabilised yet;
- Experiencing temporary hair loss due to other reasons than male pattern baldness.
In all these cases hair transplant may prove to be either unnecessary (temporary hair loss), premature (hair loss that hasn’t stabilised), or too late (no viable hairs left in donor area).
#2 Lack of Experience of the Hair Surgeon
The experience of a hair surgeon can make or break a hair transplant. Performing a hair implant requires tremendous skill and experience from the hair surgeon.
When choosing a hair clinic, make sure you opt for a clinic that works with experienced hair surgeons to make sure your hair transplant surgery will be a success.
#3 Misinformation and Dishonest Practices
Just like not all surgeons are the same, not all hair clinics are honourable either. Some hair clinics may push patients into hair surgery even if they don’t qualify for hair transplantation.
This often leads to failed hair transplants and dissatisfied patients. Thus, do some research and choose a reputable hair clinic that offers guarantees for their hair transplants.
#4 Improper Post-Operative Care
Proper post-operative care maximises the chances of your hair surgery becoming a success. Ideally, your hair surgeon will offer comprehensive information about what you should and shouldn’t do in the period after the surgery.
Things that could undermine the success of your hair surgery include:
- Poor hygiene conditions that can lead to infections;
- Scratching the scabbing that may appear following surgery;
- Doing exercise that strain the body or cause sweating;
- Excessive sun exposure;
- Abusing alcohol tobacco, or drugs.
If you observe the after-care instructions given by your hair surgeon, you shouldn’t experience any problems with your hair transplant.
#5 Expecting Results Immediately After Surgery
This is not a failure per se, but rather a misunderstanding or lack of information. Patients may sometimes erroneously believe that they’ll be able to sport a full head of hair again straight away after surgery. This is simply not the case. In fact, results will become noticeable only in 10 to 12 months after the surgery.
However, patients may jump to conclusions when they don’t see immediate results, and some are quick to declare the transplant a failure.
Final Thoughts
If you do proper research about hair transplants and choose a reputable hair clinic, you won’t have to worry about any of these hair transplant failure examples.
It’s important to discuss all these issues with your hair surgeon and ask any further questions that you may have.