It is not possible to get a hair transplant from someone else. Hair transplant surgery involves taking hair follicles from one area of the scalp and transplanting them to a bald or balding area. The hair used in the transplant must come from the individual receiving the transplant, usually from the back of the head, as this is where the hair is the most robust and resilient.
Can you get a hair transplant if you are not completely bald?
Yes, this is the best time to investigate a hair transplant. Hair transplants use the hairs from a different part of your head. In most cases, the back of the head is the last place you will lose hair.
The hair transplant surgeon will remove individual hairs from your scalp. Once he has harvested enough hair follicles, the transplant procedure will start.
Tiny incisions are made in the recipient site, and the follicles are transplanted.
If you wait until you are entirely bald to consider a hair transplant, you will possibly be too late to undertake the procedure.
Can pubic hair be transplanted to the head?
Yes. There are mixed results with transplanting pubic hair to the scalp. As you would expect, the hair is different to what grows typically on your head.
The surgeon will need to mix the pubic hairs with hairs from the scalp to give you a natural look.
Once the pubic hair is transplanted, it will grow and be nourished as pubic hair. You can expect curly hair from the transplant.
By mixing the pubic hair at a ratio best decided by the hair transplant surgeon, you could, in theory, have some great results.
It is possible to transplant hairs from your beard onto your scalp. Again the hair is a different thickness, so your appearance would change.
Can you have a hair transplant without anyone knowing?
Hair transplants had come along leaps and bounds from when they first became popular in the 1950s. Back in the day, hair transplants were known as hair plugs.
Hair transplants were, to some extent, a complicated procedure, and the recovery time was extensive. It could be up to 6 months!
The procedure used to be carried out by piercing the scalp thousands of times and implanting the harvested hair follicle into the pierced hole in the scalp.
It would be expected for the recipient to need many weeks off work as an unsightly scab and crust would form over the wound site.
Thankfully hair transplant technology has moved on. Hair transplants are still considered an invasive procedure, and you should prepare yourself for some discomfort.
With hair transplant technology like FUE (follicular unit extraction), micro incisions are made in the scalp. The micro-incision heals much faster than previous hair transplant methods.
How fast will an FUE transplant heal?
In the first week, you can expect the wound sites to be tender and some scabs to form. This is normal, and your scalp will be pretty red as expected after thousands of micro-incisions.
The redness will dissipate after 7-10 days, but the transplant site may be pink for many more weeks.
From 10 to 14 days, it is perfectly normal to experience hair shedding caused by shock to the scalp. The good news is shedding does not necessarily mean the hair follicle has not taken and will not grow in the future.
After 3 to 4 months, you will notice new hair growth.
So, can you be discreet with a hair transplant? The answer is no. Like any other surgery, there is a healing process. Even with advances in surgery techniques, you just can’t hide a hair transplant.
Your transplanted hairs will be short and thin compared to a typical head of hair. The hairs need to grow and be styled when at a reasonable length.
The good news is hair transplants have become more accessible with competitive pricing, and with this, some of the stigmas have been lost. It is now socially acceptable to have this procedure.
Who should not do a hair transplant?
If you keep your hair, short hair transplant surgery could leave you with bald spots, particularly from the donor site at the back of your head. It looks weird to see bald patches where the hair follicles have been harvested from.
If you are in your early twenties and experiencing rapid hair loss, you will need to wait. If you decide to transplant hairs at this stage, there will be no guarantee your transplanted hairs will not fall out.
Wait until the speed of your hair loss diminishes before considering a hair transplant.
If your hair loss is not male pattern baldness, there could be other reasons for your hair loss. You will need to consult a specialist doctor to look into why you are losing hair.
Suppose the hair is thin and weak in the donor site. The donor site is usually the back of your head, where hair is thick.
If the hair in this area is thin and weak, harvesting hair will only leave you with less hair and further baldness this area.
Suppose you have a phobia of needles. It will be necessary to receive many local anaesthetic injections in the course of a hair transplant surgery.
If you are looking for instant results, you will be disappointed. Hair transplants take time to come to fullness. It’s not a quick fix but could be a permanent fix.
Conclusion
Transplanting hairs from a third party is a long shot, even with today’s technology. If possible, you would spend a lifetime on drugs to prevent the hair follicles from being rejected by your immune system.
If your hair loss is extensive, you may not receive a hair transplant from your head.
Other options could include transplanting pubic hairs onto your head, although your hair will be curly always. It is possible to transplant facial hair and even hairs from your back or stomach.
