Q: I am 23 years old female. I have been suffering from excessive hair loss along with greying. I also have a thinning problem in the front which is apparently visible. I have lost my hair from the front area and also losing hair from the back. Now I have been told by doctors that re-growth cannot happen in my case. In such a situation hair transplant seems to be an ultimate option. Can you provide me with all details of hair transplantation? I am still losing my hair, would it be wise to go in for hair transplant in such a situation where the roots are weak? How successful are these treatments? Could you please refer some doctor in Mumbai? Are there any side effects to this treatment? Does the treatment leave marks or spots at the operated area? How successful is this treatment in females? Some doctors have doubted for hormonal imbalance in my body. They say this could be the major cause for the continuous loss of hair and baldness.

A:Hair Transplant is done by the Mini- and Micro- graft technique. The hair which are transplanted in the bald area are permanent, do not fall, grow like normal hair and subsequently need hair cuts. You can apply oil or shampoo on them and comb them to your desired style. The operation is done on an out-patient basis and the patient goes home immediately after the operation. It takes 4 to 6 hours for one session where approximately 2000 hairs (i.e. 500 plugs) are transplanted. The charges at our centre for transplanting 500 plugs in Kolkata is Rs. 25,000/- (@ Rs. 50/- per plug). The charges in Mumbai and Delhi, where I visit once every 3 months is Rs.60/- per plug. The Nursing Home charges are Rs. 5000/- to 10,000/- for using the O.T. instruments and medicines. We have transplanted over 500 cases till now, of which there are 47 women, and all are very happy. For large areas of baldness, we have transplanted up to 1200 plugs in a sitting in 6 to 7 hours.