Hair loss is a frustrating problem for many people.  Products like Rogaine and Propecia can help some people with hereditary baldness, but they are usually temporary fixes.  According to WebMD, for some people, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says permanent benefit of hair replacement surgery is the preferable option.

Typically, two surgical procedures are used in hair replacement - grafting (also called hair transplant) and scalp reduction.  WebMD says men with male-pattern baldness and women with thinning hair are good candidates for hair replacement, as well as people who’ve lost hair from burns or scalp injuries.  Women with a wide-spread pattern of hair loss, individuals with thick scars from burns or scalp injuries, or people without sufficient “donor” sites aren’t good candidates for grafting, according to WebMD.

WebMD says grafting entails taking hair-bearing “donor scalp” from the back of the head, then transplanting tiny segments of it into the hairless areas. Scalp reduction surgery, which involves actually removing sections of bald scalp, then stretching the remaining scalp sections together and closing with stitches, may be performed along with grafting. Multiple grafting sessions may be needed to get desired results.

Most side effects from grafting disappear within one to three weeks, and include swelling, bruising around the eyes, as well as numbness and crust as the sites where hair was removed and transplanted, WebMD says. If you have scalp reduction surgery done, be prepared for more pain. You may also have a headache afterward, according to WebMD.

These procedures do have complications on occasion. According to the WebMD, in some cases, there is infection and scarring. Patients may also experience an unnatural look, a graft that the body rejects, and loss of transplanted hair. There may be loss of scalp tissue or bleeding during the scalp reduction, WebMD says.

During each session of the procedures, the grafted area is covered with gauze and the donor area is closed with stitches or staples. The stitches will come out about 10 days later, and the healing process for each graft usually occurs within two to four months. The hair initially falls out, WebMD says, which worries patients, but it will grow back. Your scalp may feel a bit tight for a few months if you opt for the scalp reduction procedure, WebMD warns.