Although hair transplants have rapidly become the leading treatment option for men and women who are struggling with hair loss or hair thinning, one question that is frequently asked is whether or not a hair transplant can be performed on gray hair. This is a natural occurrence because everyone’s hair turns gray as they get older.
The difference between a traditional hair transplant and a grey hair transplant is that the latter involves transplanting hair follicles from the donor region to the bald areas, while the former involves the patient’s hair being gray or in the process of becoming gray. Statistics contradict the common belief that grey hair follicles are less successful than coloured hair follicles in terms of hair growth. However, this belief persists despite the evidence to the contrary. In the process of hair transplantation, the only important difference between colored hair and white hair is the color of the hair.
People who desire to receive hair transplants but already have gray hair sometimes ask the question “Can my gray hair be transplanted?”. The answer is “yes”. Patients whose hair is thinning or graying are also good candidates for hair transplant surgery. In comparison to colored hair, gray hair often has a coarser appearance and a greater thickness. This indicates that people with gray hair are able to acquire satisfactory outcomes from the hair transplant process. In addition, hair transplantation is a risk-free and effective method for treating gray hair in elderly people.
In this blog, we’ll go over all there is to know about gray hair transplant surgery in a frequently asked question format to help explain everything. Continue reading to find out more…
Types Of Hair Restoration Procedures In Miami
Let’s start off with the basics: how do different hair transplant methods differ in means of hair colour. The Follicular Unit Extraction also known as the FUE procedure allows for the grafts that are going to be transplanted to be removed one at a time and at random from the back of your head. This way, there won’t have to be any mismatching, and the freshly transplanted hair will be able to fit in with the rest of the head’s hair.
However, the older method of hair transplantation known as FUT hair transplant, also known as the strip method, involves removing a strip of hair from the donor area and implanting it in the recipient site. This procedure produces hair transplant results that are unnatural and do not match up properly.
A typical worry is that the color of the transplanted hair will not match the natural hair. The end outcome will seem natural if the distribution of grafts is carried out with meticulous accuracy. This indicates that your new hair appears better than it did before, regardless of the fact that your hair contains varying colours.
A patient who has had hair transplants may color their new hair if they so want to satisfy their desire for a different shade of hair. Between four and six months have to pass before the individual may colour their hair again. The patient’s scalp needs more time to recover entirely before we can proceed with the procedure.
Will Gray Hair Develop In Transplanted Hair?
Follicular Unit Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction are the two primary surgical hair transplant procedures available today as we’ve previously mentioned. Both procedures involve extracting healthy hair follicles from a specific region of the head, most often the rear of the scalp. After the hair grafts have been removed, they are meticulously replanted into the recipient region by very small cuts. Because transplanted hair has the same qualities and genetic makeup as the hair that is left in the donor region, it will continue to behave in the same way as if it had never been relocated. This is because the donor area and transplanted hair have the same characteristics and genetic makeup. Therefore, if the hair in the donor location has already begun to become gray, the color of the transplanted hair will likewise gradually fade.
What Are The Factors That Lead To Premature Graying And Gray Hair?
When we become older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles, which are called melanin, begin to die off. Melanocytes either generate less melanin as a result of age or cease generating melanin entirely as a result of aging. The following are some of the factors that might lead to gray hair:
- Passage of time and by heredity reasons,
- Caused by extreme grief or traumatic experiences,
- Stress,
- Thyroid problems are also to blame for premature graying of the hair,
- Polio may also result in white patches of hair appearing on areas of the body that naturally have hair.
Other factors that contribute to white hair:
- B12 deficiency,
- Poor diet,
- Hormonal disorders,
- Consumption of tobacco and alcohol,
- Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C deficiency,
- Pollution in the air,
- Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation,
- Unwanted reactions to a medication,
- Products for the hair that include chemicals,
- Albinism, pernicious anemia,
Advice for avoiding premature graying of the hair:
- Eat a diet that is balanced,
- Shield the hair from the sun,
- Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages,
- Stay away from cigarettes and alcohol,
- Do a last rinse of lukewarm water through your hair,
- Avoid using hair products that contain potentially dangerous substances,
- Avoid causing harm to your hair with heat,
- Gray hair may be covered using hair color that is free of chemicals.
Can PRP Reverse Gray Hair?
The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for gray hair has also been shown to reverse hair loss and encourage new hair growth. However, after treatments are completed, it is discovered that it may also prevent gray hair from developing. The PRP therapy may, in certain instances, be able to enhance the pigmentation of the hair. Even while the therapy does not totally convert white hair to black hair, the regenerative benefits it has on the hair make the hair that is already there better and encourage the creation of melanocytes. Therefore, the color of the hair might become a few shades deeper.
Things To Keep In Mind When Transplanting Gray Hair
When planning a hair transplant for white or gray hair, extreme caution should be used. The region between the ears and the nape of the neck are two of the most typical places to see white hair. The following considerations need to be given great attention in order to get desirable outcomes from a hair transplant:
- The shade of the hair follicles that are going to be extracted from the donor region.
- The hue of the hair follicles in the location that will be receiving the transplant.
- Obtaining hair colors that are complementary to one another and perfectly in tune with one another.
As long as this is taken into consideration the natural hair and freshly transplanted hair should look perfectly natural once it grows in.
Can You Colour Your Hair After A Hair Transplant?
Patients who have had a hair transplant operation could decide that they wish to change their hair color from what it was before the procedure. In these kinds of situations, people often worry, “Can I safely color my hair after getting a hair transplant?” The answer to this question is yes, but only under the condition that the newly transplanted hair and your scalp have completely healed from the surgery.
This waiting period is significantly reduced as a result of the FUE procedure, which, in comparison to the FUT strip hair transplant, has a quicker recovery time. Waiting at least six months before coloring the transplanted hair is often recommended by medical professionals. However, in order to get the best possible outcomes from their hair transplant, patients are required to meet with their hair doctor expert first.
Is Hair Transplantation Safe And Effective For Elderly Patients Who Already Have Gray Hair?
An individual’s eligibility for hair transplantation should not be judged only based on their age. Our medical professionals who specialize in hair restoration have reported having success doing hair transplantation on individuals who are up to 80 years old.
When contemplating hair transplantation for older patients, the most significant variables are the same as when considering hair transplantation for younger patients: the reason for the hair loss, the patient’s physical condition as determined by the results of the medical examination; the patient’s medical history; the state of the scalp; the pattern of hair loss; and the patient’s hopes for improvement in their look. Check our success stories of previous patients.
It is important to have an in-depth conversation with our experts who specializes in hair restoration about the outcomes you expect from the hair transplant procedure. A patient whose hair is in the process of graying but is not completely gray should address the look he or she desires to attain now and in the future since the graying process is likely to continue in the future. Patients often want to preserve the look of their graying hair being distributed evenly over their head.
Will Getting A Hair Transplant Make My Gray Hair Go Away?
The color of your hair will not be affected in any way by the surgical procedure of hair transplantation as we’ve mentioned. The surgery may, in very rare instances, cause part of the transplanted hair to gray earlier than normal, but this will not impair the hair’s general health or its longevity. As soon as the donor region begins to become grey, the recipient area will ultimately do the same thing.
Find Out If Your A Gray Hair Transplant Candidate In Miami
At the Nova Medical Hair Transplant Miami, we welcome you with open arms and an open mind, no matter what color your hair may be—blonde, redhead, brown haired person, auburn haired person, or any other color it may be. Get in touch with us right away to schedule a consultation and let us demonstrate the life-changing potential of hair transplant surgery in Miami.