Hair loss is primarily caused by a combination of aging, a change in hormones, and a family history of baldness. As a rule, the earlier hair loss begins, the more severe the baldness will become. Hair loss can also be caused by burns or trauma, in which case hair replacement surgery is considered a reconstructive treatment, and may be covered by health insurance.
If you're considering hair replacement surgery, this brochure will give you a basic understanding of the variety of procedures involved. It can't answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Ask your surgeon if there is anything you don't understand about the procedure you plan to have.

Baldness is often blamed on poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff, and even excessive hat-wearing. All of these theories have been disaproved. It's also untrue that hair loss can be determined by looking at your maternal grandfather, or that 40-year-old men who haven't lost their hair will never loose it.

THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR HAIR REPLACEMENT

It's important to understand that all hair replacement techniques use your existing hairs. The goal of surgery is to find the most efficient uses for existing hair. Hair replacement candidates must have healthy hair growth at the back and sides of the head to serve as donor areas. Donor areas are the places on the head from which grafts and flaps are taken. Other factors, such as hair color, texture and waviness or curliness may also affect the cosmetic result. There are a number of techniques used in hair replacement surgery. Sometimes, two or more techniques are used to achieve the best results.
Transplant techniques, such as punch grafts, mini-grafts, micro-grafts, slit grafts, and strip grafts are generally performed on patients who desire a more modest change in hair fullness. Flaps, tissue-expansion and scalp-reduction are procedures that are usually more appropriate for patients who desire a more dramatic change. Hair transplantation involves removing small pieces of hair-bearing scalp grafts from a donor site and relocating them to a bald or thinning area. Grafts differ by size and shape. Round-shaped punch grafts usually contain about 10-15 hairs. The much smaller mini-graft contains about two to four hairs; and the micro-graft, one to two hairs. Slit grafts, which are inserted into slits created in the scalp, contain about four to10 hairs each; strip grafts are long and thin and contain 30-40 hairs. Generally, several surgical sessions may be needed to achieve satisfactory fullness-and a healing interval of several months is usually recommended between each session. It may take up to two years before you see the final result with a full transplant series. The amount of coverage you'll need is partly dependent upon the color and texture of your hair. Coarse, gray or light-colored hair affords better coverage than fine, dark-colored hair. . For mini-grafts or micro-grafts, the number can be up to 700 -2000 per session.

Surgery
Now a days most common procedure performed for hair transplant is micrograft or follicle transplant.
Procedure is done under local anaesthesia, diluted local anaesthatic is injected in donar as well as reciepent area. A strip of hair bearing scalp is removed from back of the head and wound closed primarily. The stitches are usually concealed with the surrounding hair.
Small holes or slits are made in the bald area and patient is sent to his room till the team of doctors cut the hairs from the strip.hairs are harvested form the strip as single, 2,3 or 4-5 .once the sufficient number of hairs have been harvested patient is again called to operation theater ,some local anaesthesa is injected again and these hair plugs are transplanted in to the holes or slits already made. Once all the hairs have been transplanted , an antibiotic ointment if put over the hairs, no dressing is applied.