A second hair transplant is an additional procedure performed at least six months after the first one. The purpose of this second transplant is to achieve the best possible result. Usually, one session is enough for some patients to obtain good results. However, sometimes an additional hair transplant is needed to cover all the bold areas, add density in your hairline, or in some cases, fix problems caused by wrong hair transplantation and attain a more natural and fuller look.
Although a second hair surgery is a simple procedure, Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic will help you understand when it is the appropriate time and why it might be better to divide your hair transplant into two different operations.
Reasons for getting a second hair transplant
Some patients are worried that a second operation might damage or affect the grafts implanted during the first session. Of course, the new grafts will not fall out since the result of the hair transplant are permanent. Nevertheless, the first hair transplant is carried out to obtain the best result by using a safe number of grafts from your donor area, and sometimes this number is not enough to give you the desired result.
As discussed above, a single hair transplant may not be enough to get a rich density or satisfactory results and for this, patients may seek the help of second hair surgery.
Let’s have a look at the main reason to undergo a second hair surgery.
Keep losing natural hair follicles
The hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia may require a second transplant.
Unfortunately, male and female pattern baldness can be the principal cause for patients to have a second hair surgery.
However, before planning your procedure, it would be better to undergo a medical visit to assess if the alopecia has stopped or is in remission. The doctor should choose the best time to operate to avoid the necessity of future hair transplants.
After the medical examination, you will be ready to plan a second hair transplant with your doctor to cover the hair-plug looks on your scalp.
Extent bald area
For patients with an extent bold area, one operation is not enough.
The area of the scalp with a large bald area requires a very high number of grafts. Extracting several grafts within one session can cause a delay in the hair transplant operation and put at risk the survival of the follicle that can live for a limited time outside the body. The follicles would die, and the entire transplant compromised.
That is why, at Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic, we recommend our patients with vast bald areas, to divide the hair surgery into two sessions to achieve better results and extract the grafts safely without damaging the donor area.
Avoid overharvesting
Taking too many grafts in one session can compromise your donor area.
For overharvesting, we intend a massive extraction of follicular units just in one operation, causing permanent damage to the donor area and a patchy look. Usually, doctors do not prefer to extract more than 4000-4500 in FUE hair transplant procedures. to not compromise the donor area and leave a safe number of grafts for second hair surgery. After the first hair transplantation, the doctor can examine the healing of the donor area to assess how many grafts will be needed for a second surgery.
With the proper technic and a specialized doctor, overharvesting can be easily avoided, and good results can be obtained.
Increase density
To get a more natural-look result increasing hair density in hair transplants.
After the first hair transplant, many patients may desire more density in their transplanted area or cover the crown that could not be closed in the first hair session. Also, as mentioned earlier, patients may have kept losing their natural hair due to genetic causes and for this reason, they may need a second hair transplant to gain higher density and thickness.
Poor results
Poor post-operation guidelines and improper graft handling can lead to unsatisfied results.
A second hair procedure is the best option to fix bad results caused by inexpert doctors. This is related to patients who had a botched hair transplant and wish to have a corrective procedure.
Before undergoing another hair surgery, it is necessary to choose the most experienced clinic that can understand your needs, and assist you during all the post-operation steps. The way you take care of your newly implanted hair is extremely important.
At Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic, we give our patients post-operation guidelines to follow after hair surgery, explaining in detail what to do and what not to do after a hair transplant.
How many grafts can be implanted in a second hair transplant?
There is not an exact number of grafts to implant in a second hair transplant, this is individual for each patient. In each case, the donor area has a limited number of grafts that can be used.
For example, let’s assume that 4000 grafts were harvested in the first session, and your donor area is really good, in this case, you may be able to get a second transplant with 3000 grafts. However, this will depend on the results of the first hair transplant, the vastity of your scalp, and your donor area condition.
Therefore, it is necessary to consult with your surgeon to learn how many grafts you need for second hair surgery without compromising your donor area.
What to know before going through a second hair transplantation
After seeing the result of your first transplant you may feel the necessity of a second hair transplant session. Before thinking about undergoing another hair transplant, ask suggestions to the doctor to decide when to have a second session and to see if you are eligible for a second hair treatment (this will depend on your scalp laxity and the quality of your donor area).
How long do I need to wait for a second hair transplant?
Patients may wonder why it is not possible to have a second hair transplant immediately after the first one.
At Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic we generally advise our patients to wait a minimum of 6 months before planning a second procedure. The reason for waiting such a long time is because the doctor, based on the result and proper healing of your donor area, will evaluate the need for a second hair transplant and the right amount of grafts.
Is it true that after a second hair transplant hair grows slower?
Some people are worried that hair growth might be slower after a second hair transplant. Most of the time, the recovery process of the two operations is the same. However, if you had your second operation to add density in the crown area, in this case, your hair growth will be slower. The growth speed varies depending on the implantation area ( hair on the front grows faster than in the crown area due to different blood circulation).
Although hair restoration is not a complicated process, we suggest you choose with attention and make an informed decision before picking the right clinic. If you are still unhappy with the result of your first transplant and you are considering a second hair transplant in Turkey, do not hesitate to get in touch with our team.
