It involves moving hair follicles from one part of the body, typically the back or sides of the scalp (donor area), to the areas where hair loss has occurred (recipient area). This procedure is primarily used to restore hair in individuals experiencing male pattern baldness, but it can also be used to treat hair loss caused by injuries, burns, or other medical conditions.

Here’s an overview of how the hair transplantation process generally works:

1. Consultation: Before the procedure, the patient meets with a surgeon for a thorough evaluation of their hair loss condition. The doctor will assess the extent of hair loss, the condition of the donor area, and determine whether the patient is a suitable candidate for the surgery.

2. Donor Hair Harvesting: During the procedure, the surgeon typically uses one of two common techniques to harvest donor hair follicles:

   a. Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT): In FUT, a strip of skin containing hair follicles is surgically removed from the donor area. The wound is then closed with stitches or staples, leaving a linear scar. The strip is then dissected into individual follicular units under a microscope.

   b. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE): In FUE, individual hair follicles are extracted one by one from the donor area using a micro-punch tool. The advantage of FUE is that it does not leave a linear scar, but tiny dot-like scars which are less noticeable.

3. Recipient Site Creation: Tiny incisions are made in the recipient area where hair transplantation is needed. The surgeon carefully places the extracted hair follicles into these incisions, ensuring natural hair growth patterns are followed.

4. Healing and Recovery: After the procedure, the patient’s scalp will have small scabs and redness in both the donor and recipient areas. These usually heal within a week or two. Some shedding of transplanted hair may occur initially, but new hair growth will typically start within a few months.

5. Results: Hair transplantation results vary from person to person. In most cases, the transplanted hair falls out within a few weeks after the procedure, but the roots remain active and start producing new hair within a few months. Over time, the new hair grows naturally and thickens, providing a more permanent solution to hair loss.