As much as I am confident and happy with my life, the hair loss issue has been something that I have been worried about for many years. Like many friends my age, I tried many methods, from oral supplements to hair tonics. But sadly, it doesn’t work, and I can only see my hairline getting higher and higher.
Just when I was about to accept life as it was, several friends around me shared their outstanding results from a hair transplant surgery. Of course, this is a serious decision that should not be taken lightly. While it can be highly effective, it is an invasive procedure that involves extracting individual hair follicles from the scalp and transplanting them to the area where we want to see hair growth. Although hair transplant surgery can provide long-lasting results and permanently restore hair growth in areas where it has been lost, it has some downtime. Like an ugly duckling turning into a swan, one needs patience to see the result.
Although, the risks would be minimised with a skilled surgeon and a group of experienced hair technicians. Honestly, I had a lot of hesitation and pondering and was initially still undecided. I was worried about some risks associated with the procedure, including infection, scarring, and uneven or unnatural-looking results. But a friend who had done the hair transplant treatment made me decide to do the treatment. He told me that if not for the hair transplant, he wouldn’t have met his wife and gotten married. It is not because I wanted to get married. It made me realise how vital our crown of glory is regarding the whole outlook and how short-term human memory can be. None of our friends remembers how this friend looked before the hair transplant or recovery stage. We do know he has a lower hairline and fuller hair at the frontal part of his head now.
The hair transplant procedure involves the removal of hair follicles from the back of my head and transplanting them to my forehead to pull down the hairline. Hence, part of my head was shaved during the procedure. This process took several hours as we were looking at extracting around 2000 hair follicles. Therefore, I would advise you to eat breakfast before you go for treatment. Oh yes, no supplements two weeks before the procedure, please! The kind folks and Dr Chow Yuen Ho at Clifford Clinic have reminded me not to. Some supplements can increase the risk of bleeding or interfere with anesthesia during the procedure and impact recovery.
I took a leave on Friday to do the procedure, as it would take almost a full day to complete the process. It would allow me to rest over the weekend before I start work. Oh yes, lunch was provided, and I had Thai Basil for lunch after removing my hair follicles. After lunch, we continued with the procedure, which is graft placement, where the individual follicular units are carefully placed into my forehead area.
Here is a photo of me immediately after the procedure. Yup, there was some redness which would go away after a few days. To counter it, I went to my hair stylist to cut my fringe a few days before the procedure so that I wouldn’t look weird at work.
After the procedure, I did experience some swelling and soreness in the areas where it was performed. Still, it slowly went away after about two weeks. I will share more about the aftercare and my result in the next post. But do bear in mind that following the surgeon’s aftercare instructions is essential to ensure proper healing and optimal results. Overall, a hair transplant can be an effective solution for hair loss. However, it’s important to understand that the results can vary and that the success of the procedure depends on several factors, such as the amount of hair loss and the quality of the hair. Finding a good doctor and an experienced team to do the procedure is also important. Clifford Clinic is the clinic that I went to, as they have years of experience doing hair transplants, and I have seen proven results from people who have gone to the clinic. I am not courageous enough to do it without seeing successful examples.
I am lucky as I had decided early before my hair loss became irreversible, and I know something must be done. If you are considering hair transplant surgery, it is important to consult a qualified and experienced surgeon like the doctors at Clifford Clinic, who can help you decide whether the procedure is right for you.
The Clifford Clinic
50 Raffles Place
#01-01 Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 048623
(Exit B from Raffles MRT)
Mon to Fri: 10am to 8pm
Sat: 10 am to 5pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Tel: (65) 6532 2400
Whatsapp: (65) 8318 6332
Email: thecliffordclinic@gmail.com
