Complications Associated with Hair Transplantation

People with excessive hair loss, hair thinning, and bald patches are always searching for permanent hair loss treatment. A hair transplant in Dubai is one such treatment. It can prevent hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth. Although hair transplants are FDA-approved and considered safe, some complications are associated with the procedure.

In this article, we have shared every complication that can occur in a hair transplant. So, keep reading to find out about the risks and downsides of a hair transplant.

Complications Associated with Hair Transplants

Complications can occur at different stages in a hair transplant. Moreover, various techniques have different types of risks for donor and recipient sites.

The complications associated with hair transplantations can be categorized under the following:

1. General Complications
2. Donor Area Complications after FUT
3. Donor Area Complications after FUE
4. Recipient Area Complications

Below, each category of complications is discussed in detail.

General Complications

The general complications associated with hair transplant surgery are given below:

• Anesthesia

Some patients can have adverse reactions to local anesthetics. Usually, such reactions are connected to the fear factor instead of immunological factors. So, it is advised that before giving anesthetics to any patient, a sensitivity test must be conducted.

• Intraoperative Complications

During the procedure, Tachycardia – a condition where the heart beats more than 100 times in one minute – can occur. Although this condition is not permanent, it can pose a risk to heart patients. So, throughout the procedure, the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure must be monitored to avoid any serious problem.

• Postoperative Complications

Several postoperative complications can occur after a hair transplant in Dubai. Some of the postoperative complications include:

• Syncope
• Pain
• Edema
• Itching
• Hiccups or Cough
• Infection

None of these complications are permanent and can be treated with prescribed medications.

Donor Area Complications after FUT

The donor area can be affected in a FUT procedure. Some complications after FUT are discussed below.

• Necrosis

Necrosis occurs due to a technical error during donor site closure. It happens due to excessive tension along incisions. As a result, localized microcirculatory collapse happens, which results in necrosis. Due to this condition, the soft tissue can be destroyed while permanently damaging the follicles.

To avoid this complication, the surgeon must be extra careful while closing the donor site. Moreover, preoperative scalp massage may also help.

• Wound Dehiscence

It is an uncommon complication because our scalps have higher vascularity. This means, delayed or nonhealing of the scalp is not common because the human scalp favors the quick healing of incisions. Due to external factors such as diabetes, premature suture removal, excessive physical activity, high-tension closure, etc., wound dehiscence can occur.

• Donor Hair Effluvium

Donor hair effluvium or shock loss after a hair loss treatment like a hair transplant is a common but temporary complication. It can be caused by several reasons like edema, inflammation, suture line vascular compromise. However, this condition’s dramatic hair loss is not permanent, and patients can be fully recovered within 3-4 months.

• Scarring

Scarring is the most common side-effect of FUT hair transplant. Different types of scars can occur after strip harvesting. These scars include wide scars, crosshatch scars, visible scars, and keloid or hypertrophic scars.

• Persistent Pain

Although pain is an obvious risk associated with FUT, it becomes alarming when it persists for longer than expected. It should be immediately reported to the dermatologist.

Donor Area Complications after FUE

Like FUT hair transplant in Dubai, FUE also has complications associated with it. Some commonly occurring complications include:

• Donor-site Depletion

When scoring is performed for harvesting hair follicles, it can cause hair depletion at the donor site. It doesn’t matter if scoring was manual, motorized, or robotic. All types of scoring can cause donor site depletion.

• Pinpoint Scaring

Although FUE doesn’t leave a long and linear scar, it doesn’t mean there is no scarring. The punch used for follicle extraction also leaves scars behind. However, these scars are not visible to the naked eyes,

• Postoperative Effluvium

In postoperative effluvium, the patient experiences a shock loss of transplanted hair. It lasts for about 3-4 months and then subsides on its own. If it lasts more than that, a doctor must be consulted.

• Keloid

Since scarring is not as common and evident in FUE, keloids are also not common. However, in some cases, keloid formation has been observed after an FUE hair transplant in Dubai.

Recipient Area Complications

Recipient site complications are common in FUT and FUE procedures. Some of the complications are mentioned below:

• Folliculitis

Folliculitis occurs if proper hygiene is not maintained after the hair loss treatment. It can also be caused due to a preexisting dermatological disorder. This condition can be treated by maintaining proper hygiene, daily cleansing using an antibacterial shampoo, and topical antibiotics.

• Bleeding

Since a hair transplant is a surgical procedure, bleeding is quite common after the procedure. If trauma is caused to the scalp during transplant, it leads to postoperative bleeding. For controlling the bleeding, steady pressure is applied for 10-15 minutes to the affected area with gauze.

• Poor Hair Growth

If the surgeon doesn’t transplant hair grafts carefully to the recipient site, the results can be poor and unnatural. Therefore, it is crucial to use only healthy hair follicles for transplant. Otherwise, they may not take or fall out immediately after the procedure. Some other factors can also affect hair growth. These factors may include diabetes, excessive smoking, and sun damage.

• Death

No death cases have been reported due to hair transplant in Dubai ever since it started except one. Only a single death case was reported in print media once. Apart from that one case, there has been no other evidence for death due to hair transplants.

Conclusion

Like any other hair loss treatment, some complications are also associated with hair transplant in Dubai. Although most of these risks are temporary and not at all life-threatening, they can be very problematic. If you consider expert professionals like our board-certified surgeons, most of the complications can be avoided for a hair transplant. With expertise and practice, our surgeons perform the procedure with extreme care and precision. They provide proper counseling before the procedure, and the entire treatment is discussed with the patient beforehand. So, schedule a FREE CONSULTATION SESSION with one of our expert surgeons and carefully plan your hair transplant.