Can Hair Transplant Grow Vellus Hair Into Thicker Hair?

No, a hair transplant can not change vellus to terminal on its own. However, the transplantation process places sturdy and irreversible terminal hair grafts in an area where only soft, small vellus hair grows, providing the look of rich, thick hair growth to an area where nothing was before. What and why is a process that we should look closer to understand why this is possible.

What Is Vellus Hair – And Why Does It Matter?

Two different types of hair are found on the scalps of most people-terminal and vellus. The first of the two, terminal hair, is pigmented, thicker, and generally the hair we are talking about when we say the word hair. It comes from large deep hair follicles and has a true hair growth cycle. Vellus hair, which are fine, soft, and more or less colour less “peach fuzz” grows from smaller hair follicles. They are found on most of the body, and also on the scalp, particularly on areas affected by early and subtle thinning or miniaturization. However, the problem with vellus hair is as follows:

i) They’re too thin and short to create volume on the scalp

ii)They usually aren’t responsive to the current growth treatments

iii) Most of the time, vellus hair only represents a significant decrease in volume because, in fact, what was previously producing terminal hair is miniaturizing…thanks to DHT, 5-alpha reductase, and the DHT hormonal effects

iv)The problem is that once the hair follicle has been miniaturized enough to produce vellus hair only, it’s almost impossible for it to regain the fullness it once had.

This is why many people who seem covered in vellus hair in certain lights appear bald: vellus hair is just not enough to fill the area naturally.

Can a Hair Transplant Help in Areas with Vellus Hair?

Yes-but with caveats that your surgeon must consider carefully.
Hair transplants remove DHT-resistant terminal hairs from the donor areas (the sides and back of the scalp) and place them into the recipient areas where the thinning or baldness is present. These are terminal hair grafts genetically predisposed to continue growing; they have the properties of the donor area even when placed somewhere else on the scalp. When placed into areas with the vellus hairs:

i. The new terminal grafts grow in as visible and thick permanent hairs in that area
ii. Overall density of the scalp increases greatly in that area
iii. The cosmetic improvement is due to the growth of the vellus hairs now, not conversion. In fact, the vellus hairs there may never change.

When Vellus Hair Can Be a Warning Sign?

Where you have thick hair you can start to see sparse, soft and unobservable hairs, you’re potentially at the very beginning of miniaturisation, which is indeed, often the first observable step in pattern hair loss and if picked up early, it gives you the greatest scope to tackle it head on. Signs that Vellus Hair is taking over from terminal hair can include:
i)Hair thinning though you have yet to experience significant noticeable loss of volume
ii)Increasing amounts of scalp being visible in normal light/after shampoo
iii)Breaking hair with altered texture
iv)Slow increase in parting size
At this stage an effective early adoption of best hair growth treatment in India-through either PRP, drugs or an examination for transplantation will provide you with by far the greatest opportunities.

What Treatments Can Help Vellus Hair Before Considering a Transplant?

A variety of non-surgical treatments may be of some benefit to individuals with the very early stage of miniaturization, in that it is sometimes possible to slow miniaturization down and actually enhance inactive follicles before they stop producing terminal hair. Of the available options, Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy is among the most successful, utilizing your body’s growth factors to encourage sluggish hair follicles and blood supply to the scalp to produce thicker, healthier hair, particularly effective where miniaturization is not already total. Minoxidil is also a well-established, but often considerably inconsistent, option for stimulating some follicles to transition back from vellus growth to terminal hair production. Consultation in Delhi to discuss your pattern of loss will determine the optimum treatment modality/combination.

When Is a Hair Transplant the Right Answer for Vellus Hair?

Hair transplants are suitable when:
i) Previous nonsurgical methods have not given enough response.
ii) The Balding area has very little or no terminal follicles and only vellus hair remains.
iii) Hair loss pattern is static with good donor availability
iv) Patients want to improve density permanently rather than treat transient hair loss.
In such scenarios Hair Transplants are done by harvesting individual follicular units from the donor area by Follicular Unit Excision technique and implanting them into the recipient area- including those areas having vellus hair alone, at correct angle, depth and distribution in the recipient site.
Ultimately, this results in the growth of thick, natural terminal hair in areas where only fine fuzz used to be visible and shows fully dense results after 9-12 months of transplant. Hair Transplant cost in Hyderabad for such type of transplant is primarily dependent on the grafts count needed, area to be treated, and type of technique performed which is assessed during consultation.

What to Expect from the Results?

Vellus hair areas are transplantable and this will look like post op for most people:
Weeks 1-3: Transplanted hair grafts establish themselves and it should be anticipated with initial shock loss.

Months 1-3: Transplanted hair follicles start to cycle as they lie in a dormant phase and it will look similar to pre operation scalp.

Months 4-6: Terminal hairs will start to sprout and the look of the scalp will be markedly different.

Months 9-12: Peak density/thickness of the transplanted hair is reached.
This will look similar to the look post operation; that of the final look of the transplant, while the vellus hairs surrounding the scalp should remain but be a lot less noticeable due to being covered by terminal hair. However a minority of clients notice improvement even in the Vellus areas at the donor areas because of enhanced circulation in the scalp and again this cannot be predicted either way.

Conclusion

Vellus hair will not be converted into terminal hair by grafting alone-the aesthetic to an area of predominant vellus hair is substantial when well established permanently sourced terminal plugs are put into an intervention at an appropriate phase. All of this depends on your realistic evaluation of your own situation at that point in time and a proficient team to manage expectations in a realistic manner FUSE hair Delhi. ‘individually evaluate the patient with an appropriate and detailed study of the scalp before deciding on any treatment,’ early vellus stage and beyond.