Hair Restoration in St. Petersburg, FL

While common for many men and women, losing your hair may be a big concern. If nonsurgical treatments are not sufficient to stop or slow your hair loss, it might be time to think about surgery. Plastic surgeon Dr. John J. O'Brien Jr. offers hair restoration to St. Petersburg, FL patients who would like thicker, fuller hair. Dr. O'Brien uses the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) hair transplant system. This surgery is minimally invasive and uses innovative technology to remove thin strips of hair, typically from the back and sides of the head, which are then dissected into follicular unit grafts that are transplanted where there are areas of hair loss. Dr. O'Brien utilizes specialized technology to carefully place each follicle graft so that your results seem and feel healthy. If you have advanced hair thinning or bald areas, schedule an appointment at St. Petersburg Center for Plastic Surgery to find out more about hair restoration.

You might be a candidate for hair restoration if you have substantial hair loss or thinning hair. You might have tried nonsurgical techniques, like topical medications, shampoos, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), or laser therapy. Although these treatments might help slow or protect against hair loss, they might not be able to fix advanced issues. Hair restoration with FUT may not be right for you if you have very short hair, as scarring on the back of the scalp will be visible. In your consultation, Dr. O'Brien will rate your scalp and hair to determine whether you are a good candidate for hair restoration at St. Petersburg Center for Plastic Surgery.

FUT hair restoration procedures will be carried out at our St. Petersburg, FL practice using a local anesthetic on your scalp. Something stronger, like an oral sedative, might be added to keep you calm throughout the procedure. The length of time for your hair restoration will vary based on how many grafts you need, but we'll help you remain comfortable during your procedure and have music and TV available to help pass the time. As soon as you're ready, Dr. O'Brien along with his staff will start the procedure. Your donor follicles will normally be taken in small strips, which will then be closed using small sutures. The number of hair follicles being transplanted will depend on the texture, follicle density, and scalp elasticity of your donor area. Most follicular grafts contain between 1 – 4 hair follicles. Once ready to transplant the hair follicles, Dr. O'Brien will create tiny incisions where the follicles will be inserted. The transplanted areas will be created by Dr. O'Brien based on the depth, angle, density, and orientation of your scalp to give you natural-looking outcomes.

Following your hair restoration, you should be able to get back to normal everyday activities rather quickly but will need to avoid exercise for about a week. Dr. O'Brien will go over post-surgical instructions on how to take care of your hair, when to make follow-up appointments, and more. We will also schedule an appointment to remove your sutures after about 10 – 12 days. You may experience some redness and swelling at both the transplant and donor sites, but this usually goes away after a few days. Scabs around the transplanted follicles may be visible for a week or slightly more. About 3 – 4 weeks after your hair transplant, the transplanted grafts will go into a resting phase, which is normal as the follicles underneath will begin to push out the old hair and make room for the new hair. After about 3 – 4 months, your new hair will begin to grow. After seven months, most of our patients will have about half of their new hair growing in, and after around nine months, about 80% of the hair grafts start growing. It takes about a year for the hair grafts to show full growth. While it can seem like a long process, the outcome is worth it with natural, fuller, thicker hair for a more youthful appearance.

How much does it cost?
The cost of FUT hair restoration will depend on the severity of hair loss and the desired thickness you wish to attain. During your initial consultation, Dr. O'Brien will review your condition, come up with a custom treatment plan, and then review your estimated costs. Our practice can also help you find low-interest financing.

Will there be scarring?
Due to the removal of a strip of your scalp, there will likely be small linear scars. However, these are often hidden by your hair and Dr. O'Brien does everything he can to reduce the visibility of these scars.

When will my newly transplanted hair start to grow?
Typically, it takes about 3 – 5 months following surgery before transplanted hair follicles begin to grow new hair with more results over time. The process may seem long, but the outcomes are worth it!

Though hair loss is normal, it can lead to stress or decreased confidence. If you want to know more about a long-term hair restoration option, schedule an appointment with plastic surgeon Dr. John J. O'Brien Jr. at his office in St. Petersburg, FL to find out more information on FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation). Advanced hair restoration surgery at St. Petersburg Center for Plastic Surgery can help you to get fuller, thicker hair.