Artificial hair transplant procedures provide an alternative to natural hair transplant techniques offer a new way to address hair loss concerns for both men and women. While natural hair transplantation methods are the most used technique in hair transplant procedures. Artificial hair transplantation offers an alternative for those who may suffer from baldness, or with a level of hair loss that makes harvesting from donor areas impossible or ineffective.
Artificial or biological hair transplantation, as it is called, is a completely synthetic alternative to human hair that is compatible with the human body and is approved for use in hair transplantation. The synthetic hair is made from non-toxic materials and is designed to mimic the natural hair structure and behavior, which has a soft, shedding-resistant nature. Although delicate and flexible, all of the fibers are strong, providing a long-term solution to hair loss where conventional hair transplantation methods may not be possible. Each fiber is created with a different type of hair in mind, so patients can take advantage of a wide range of colors that can be mixed to create a personalized, personalized look, and a range of styles including naturally wavy, straight or curly hair. But these methods carry many risks and complications that may affect the entire scalp and may lead to very big problems.
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For whom is artificial hair transplant suitable?
Through the artificial hair transplantation process, people who suffer from hair loss problems and hereditary baldness can benefit from these features. But the most common question in this case remains, why is it not suitable for all patients? In short, all hair transplant specialists in Pakistan consider that artificial or biological hair transplantation is a method that carries many health problems and affects the health of the scalp and may completely damage the skin. But many people who do not have a good supply of hair in the donor area seek to obtain such operations as well as those who want immediate results without waiting for long periods to obtain the results of natural hair transplantation.
Artificial hair transplantation is suitable for almost everyone, even people suffering from complete baldness and common alopecia and lupus problems. Despite fears of the body’s rejection of the transplanted vital hair, there are also great concerns that the scalp will be deformed due to the fact that the transplanted hair will damage the implanted areas. We must not forget that artificial hair transplantation has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and is considered a banned method in most countries where there are accurate health monitoring systems.
How artificial hair transplantation works
Similar to FUE hair transplantation, artificial hair operations offer an alternative solution to reduce hair loss or total hair thickness. However, because fiber is not a naturally occurring substance, you will need to undergo a body rejection test before the main procedure. This usually consists of growing about 100-300 hairs transplanted into your scalp in an inconspicuous area. If no reaction occurs in the following weeks, you will be able to undergo a full treatment or a series of sessions until you get the desired results.
During the main operation, the vital hair will be implanted at a 45-degree angle, in order to match the natural growth of human hair on the scalp. A 2 mm will be left between each implant to ensure room for the scalp to heal and the implant is fixed in place. The fibers are released to the scalp with a slight depth, as implantation takes place by means of an implantation machine. It is usually painless due to the use of a local anesthetic and any discomfort or pain after the procedure can be managed with common pain relievers and will go away after a short time.
The scalp will be cleaned after the cleansing procedure to ensure the risk of infection is reduced and to avoid any problems on the vital cells transplanted. Patients can also apply an ice pack to their scalp to reduce any potential swelling before leaving the clinic. The results will appear immediately after implantation of artificial hair, but any complications or temporary risks will disappear in the transplanted hair.
Types of artificial hair transplantation
Artificial hair transplantation is preferred if the hair loss is less, in small spots, or if it is impossible to transplant natural hair. Artificial hair is based on existing skin or hair. Different types of transplant procedures such as implantation, fusion, bonding, or connectors are used to attach the vital fibers to the existing hair.
Hair weaving technique is the technique of attaching new hair to existing hair for a fuller look. This does not affect the skin and can be used
Bonding technology for both synthetic or natural hair. The stuck hair is attached to the existing skin or hair with wax or glue glue. This can sometimes lead to minor allergies. Biofiber hair transplantation is performed either by a manual or robotic implantation machine. The vital fibers are inserted one by one into a healthy scalp until the desired density is obtained. But in all procedures for artificial hair transplantation, there are major problems, hypersensitivity, constant pain, and possibly hair loss, which leads to damage to the scalp and serious complications.
Banning the use of artificial hair transplantation
Not many are aware that artificial hair operations were banned in the United States by the FDA categorically in 1983 and reviewed again in 2017 without any changes to this ban. This position appears to have persisted to this day, despite appeals and petitions to the FDA by fiber manufacturers.
This decision to ban artificial hair transplantation stemmed from numerous consumer complaints in the 1970s and 1980s. This is because inexperienced clinics at the time were using inappropriate techniques and hazardous materials in a highly unregulated market, which led to numerous side effects such as:
- Inflammation of the scalp
- Various allergic infections
- Allergic reactions and fiber rejection
- Scalp scarring
- Poisoning
- Damage to the original hair
- Strange appearance of hair
- Other adverse skin reactions
And now it finally makes sense to know why we have seen so few testimonials and stories online about artificial hair transplantation in the United States and other countries that perform such operations. Previous-generation fibers tend to be made from materials such as acrylic, polyacrylic, and polyester, which has led to many unwanted reactions and side effects. The newer generation fibers are made of polyamide-based materials, which are supposed to be safer due to the inert nature of the material. The transplant procedure itself is an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia and is very similar to the natural hair transplant procedure.
Side effects of artificial hair transplantation
Synthetic fibers do not grow alongside natural hair, which of course leads to all kinds of aesthetic problems that seem to lose the purpose of the procedure. Not only that, but during the 1980s when artificial hair transplants hit the market, other very serious problems arose. Since the procedure involves inserting synthetic hair attached to hair into the scalp, the door has been opened to real complications. Infections, rejection of scalp synthetic hair and severe scarring arose among other problems, leading to fraud lawsuits, both real and opportunistic, nearly ruling the industry to failure.
Apart from the many problems that the US Food and Drug Administration mentioned in 1983, such as questionable information and false marketing practices, lack of health benefits and complications arising from the incompatibility of the fibers with the patient’s body, there are still clear risks to the health of synthetic materials and hair-receiving fibers.
- Severe scarring caused by the insertion of synthetic hair into the scalp
- The constant loss of transplanted hair due to strong winds, accidents, while brushing the hair, etc.
- Persistent sensitivity that leads to insurmountable problems
- Synthetic fibers look more like wigs and are a cosmetic problem
- Constant pain due to many small injuries that affect large areas of the scalp
- Scalp rejection of transplanted hair, perhaps later after the operation
The results of artificial hair transplantation
Artificial hair transplantation provides high hair density in just a few hours with an immediate, natural beauty result. It requires a strict maintenance program to maintain the expected aesthetic result. This procedure allows individuals to regain their confidence, as the synthetic hair looks completely natural, and it blends well to give them a beautiful thick head of hair. The transformation is immediate, that is, there is no waiting time for your hair to grow like other hair transplantation methods.
You can choose as many or as few fibers as you like, usually 500 – 1000 hairs are transplanted per session, depending on the area of baldness. Transplant sessions can be repeated every 4-6 weeks. The rule is that every transplant can only be performed on a healthy scalp. Generally, the duration of the result obtained with a synthetic hair transplant varies depending on the correct management of the post-transplantation period. There is an expected loss of 15-20% of the transplanted hair annually and possibly more, which must be taken into consideration.
The cost of artificial hair transplantation
You may be surprised that artificial hair transplantation costs more than natural hair transplantation, although it is a process that carries many risks and complications that must be calculated before making this decision. The increase in this cost is due to the presence of additional prices for the fibers that are used to cover bald areas on the scalp, which are produced by many companies and are Japanese NIDO fibers and Italian biofiber. are the most famous of these brands. Hair fibers come in different lengths and shapes, and the longer the fiber, the more expensive it is.
These fibers come in lengths of 15-30 cm and maybe more, and in natural colors to suit all patients’ hair, as well as in different thicknesses. You may not find this process available in many countries of the world, because it is not approved in the first place, and some countries such as the United States and Canada may criminalize it. You find the prices of artificial hair transplantation vary greatly, and range between 3000 – 6000 dollars for the transplantation of 2000 hairs only, which is a much higher number than natural hair transplantation, which has a permanent and natural effect and results
