On the day of your hair restoration you should plan for six to eight hours to complete the surgery, typically from 7:30 AM to 5 PM. You will be awake throughout the procedure and Dr. Kolstad will prescribe Valium and oral pain medicines for comfort.
The day begins by marking the areas where the grafts are placed and trimming the donor scalp. Dr. Kolstad will numb the back of your head using injectable medicines. Using the Neograft FUE technology the hair follicles will be removed one-at-a-time. The graft extraction process can take 3-4 hours, typically from 8 AM to 12 PM. The most common feedback we receive is that laying on your stomach for several hours can become tiring. During the donor graft extraction process you are able to get up, stretch, go to the bathroom.
After all of the grafts are removed most patients take a break for lunch. Dr. Kolstad’s hair team will count and prepare the grafts for insertion. Only viable grafts are counted making sure that you receive exactly (or more) the number of grafts purchased. A hair graft is also referred to as a follicular unit. Each follicular unit contains a hair follicle, 1-4 hair shafts and surrounding connective tissue. The average number of hair shafts per follicle is 2.4. A typical session of 2,000 grafts can lead to 4,800 hairs (2,000 grafts x 2.4 hairs/ graft).
Eighteen or 19 gauge needles are used to create insertion sites in the scalp. The hair grafts are then placed one at a time. While the grafts are being placed you are in a more comfortable seated position.
The day finishes after all of the grafts are placed. Dr. Kolstad and his team review the instructions for recovery and wrap the head in a type pressure dressing. All of your questions are answered and most patients leave our office feeling well without complaining of significant discomfort.
For more information about the day of your hair transplant surgery please visit our informational page here. Don’t forget to view Dr. Kolstad’s gallery of Before & After images.
If you would like to know more about hair transplant in San Diego and would like to consult with Dr. Kolstad at his La Jolla Hair Restoration Surgery office. Give us a call at 858.859.2563 to schedule your appointment today.
We are conveniently located in La Jolla between the I5 and I805 freeways. We are dedicated to plastic surgery of the face and neck and enjoy serving men and women in La Jolla, Del Mar, San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Encinitas and Southern California.
