I had been losing hair for a while and even though I could constantly see the hair on my towel, in my comb and even accumulating around the bathroom drain, I was ignoring the signs. My father too had suffered from bald patches, but I always thought that I would be safe from the same at least till the later parts of my life. However, when people started asking me about my hair loss, I knew that I had to take a decision to do something about and I knew that it had to be done fast.
It was at this point of time that I decided that I needed to get a hair transplant. Now, before I actually went in for the transplant, I knew that my first step would be to find the best person to do it. Since I didn’t want to trust the internet too much, I chose to speak to two of my friends, who had gotten hair transplant surgery done in the recent past. Not only had they had hassle free procedures, but after about a year, their hair looked so natural. It was then that I was sure that I wanted to go to the same hair transplant surgeon.
Consultation with Surgeon - Dr Kapil Dua
I have to admit that the first time I reached AK Clinics, I was extremely nervous, because one, I was really not sure about what to expect and two, I was not sure whether I would have that level of comfort with the doctor. However, the moment I met with Dr. Kapil Dua, I knew that I was in safe hands. He took his time to explain the entire procedure to me and made sure that I had no doubts as such in my mind.
As a matter of fact, he talked to me about some of the most commonly asked questions and explained the same to me in detail. He then went on to examine my head, so that he could give me a clear idea about how my procedure would be. Yet again, he took his time to look at my head, clearly defining the donor and recipient areas.
An assistant was taking photographs, which I was told would be used on the day of the surgery. Dr Kapil spoke to me about how many grafts I would need and roughly how much time the entire procedure would take. He also gave me a good idea of how much the entire procedure would cost.
Process Before surgery
Once I had decided that I was going ahead with the hair transplant surgery at AK Clinics, I was given a detailed list of the things that I needed to do. The date for my surgery was fixed on 28 th February, 2015 and I was told that from the 10 th of the same month, I was asked to stay away from smoking and other nicotine products. I was also asked to avoid alcohol and every time I stepped out of the house, I was asked to keep my head covered, because I could not afford to
get my scalp sunburnt. During this time period, I was also asked to massage my scalp with just regular coconut oil, as this would help the scalp feel rejuvenated and improve skin tone.
It was also advised that I not get a haircut, because Dr. Dua would need to have my hair at normal length for the procedure. I was also given very specific instructions about the medications that I was taking on a regular basis. Because I was not supposed to eat or drink anything since the midnight of the day of the procedure, I was told that I had to skip certain medicines and the others I could have with a single sip of water.
On Day of Surgery
The day before the surgery, I received a call from the clinic and I was asked to come early and although I was asked to avoid coffee, I had been told that I could have a light breakfast. I had been asked to wash my hair really well and once I was at the clinic, an assistant checked to make sure that my scalp was clean.
Once I was ‘prepped’, I was taken to the room where the procedure was supposed to take place. It was heartening to see that Dr. Kapil and his entire team walked in with warm smiles and that put me at ease immediately.
Once again, Dr. Kapil explained the procedure to me and made sure that I understood what was going to happen. I had been told in advance that I would not be put under sedation, but an anaesthetic would be administered, which would ensure that I would not feel any discomfort. At this point of time, I also noticed that the photographs that had been taken during my consultation were displayed on a board nearby and using those, Dr. Kapil demarcated the donor and recipient areas first. After this, he administered the anaesthetic and given that he is so experienced, I hardly felt it. Within a few minutes, I knew that my scalp was numb, because I could not feel anything. Post this, Dr. Kapil and his team went to work, removing the hair follicles and then implanting them into the donor area.
What was most interesting was that throughout the procedure, everyone was chatting with me, making me feel not only comfortable, but also unaware of what was happening on my head! Within a few hours, the entire procedure was done and I was asked to just sit back and relax for some time. I had already been asked to arrange for a ride home and about half an hour before I was to go home, a member of the staff came and reminded me to call my friend, who was supposed to drive me home. I had also been given an entire list of what to do and what not to do, in the days following the procedure. This included when and how to wash my hair, how to sleep and even when I could get my first haircut. I had been told that I would lose hair in the days to come, but this was something that was to be considered normal.
Dr. Kapil told me that it would also be natural to have a little redness or itching, and he told me that I could use an ice pack to help the possible swelling reduce. I was asked to return to the clinic a few times in the months to come and each time I was happy to find out that the transplant was a success.
Eleven months after surgery
Close to a year after the surgery, I was asked to return to the clinic and once Dr. Kapil had examined me, he told me that things were going really well. I had gotten my first haircut, a little after two months and my hair had been growing out really well. Since I had been prescribed Minoxidil, I had been using it regularly and the effects of the same were very visible.
It was clear the hair had grown in really well and what was most impressive was that the scars from the procedure were now well hidden under the thick hair. These days, I am living my life to the fullest – I work out, I swim, I even got my hair coloured and all of this has still left my hair looking normal and natural!
Progress so far
It has been over a year since I got my hair transplant, and I have to say I am super happy, because apart from the people in my immediate family and close circle of friends, no one knows that I got a hair transplant. The hair has grown back really well and it looks completely natural. Because Dr. Kapil took so much effort to ensure that the grafts were placed in tandem with the natural direction of my hair, the new hair has grown in the same way.
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