The hair transplant is classified as minor surgery. This is because surgery is a minimally invasive procedure, which does not require an operating room and is done with local sedation, without the need to ‘sleep’ the patient completely. However, they all require a specialized doctor and in the case of hair transplantation, with equal or greater importance. 

There are four injuries that grafts can suffer during all phases of the hair transplant, defined in collection, storage, and implantation. The lesions referred to are ischemia/reperfusion, due to cold, desiccation or dehydration and microtrauma.

The first lesions, by ischemia or reperfusion, occur at the time of extraction and implantation. Ischemia occurs in the collection since it leads the follicle to an absence of oxygenation and ATP that generates a loss of properties that can cause the follicle to die. Reperfusion, on the other hand, occurs after implantation. When blood flow is restored in the follicle, oxygen supply is recovered and the elimination of accumulated degradation products and toxic metabolites, whose discharge can cause local tissue degradation that can affect follicular viability.

Cold injury during hair grafting, on the other hand, comes in the storage phase. We must clarify that the metabolism of cells depends on temperature. It is shown that at 0ºC the activity becomes almost zero, in this way crystals can be formed that would destroy the cell. There is a consensus in medicine that in hypothermia (2º – 4ºC), the follicle can remain up to two hours without injuries that affect its viability, always depending on the conservation solution in which they are found. 

The equipment to avoid injuries in the hair graft

This triggers the third of the lesions: desiccation or dehydration. And it is that during the minutes that it is outside our body, the follicle must be immersed in a conservation solution since when exposed to the air they are irreversibly damaged in a matter of minutes.

The last, but equally or most important, of the injuries that may arise, are microtraumatisms during manipulation. Treating them abruptly in collection, implantation, counting, etc. can damage or affect morphology and compromise the outcome of the transplant.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the worst of the injuries in the hair graft?

There is no more or less serious injury since neglecting any of the phases of the transplant can reach an unsatisfactory result. Therefore, avoiding all these injuries with the best doctor, technical equipment and materials will help to have the best possible end.

Does Dr. Espinosa Custodio guarantee that these failures are not made?

Yes, hair transplantation is guaranteed at Instituto Médico del Prado by Dr. Espinosa Custodio. It has the best materials as well as specialized technicians so that the transplant is fully satisfactory. 

Are there more possible lesions in hair transplantation?

Those described in this article are the most important that can occur during grafting and to which greater attention should be paid. However, from diagnosis to discharge, everything influences the good outcome of the transplant.

Dr. Espinosa Custodio works at Instituto Médico del Prado, his hair clinic in Madrid, and performs hair transplants in Mexico, twice a year. If you would like to make an appointment, you can contact us on +34 912 468 664, on WhatsApp +34 627 396 322 or on the contact page of our website. From Mexico you can contact us at +52 55 4590 9909.