People can spend a lot of time going back and forth in their own mind before making a major decision. When it comes to major medical decisions, unfortunately, folks may not be afforded the luxury of an extended decision-making process. The urgent nature of the issue may force us into having the procedure done as quickly as possible.

Not only that, but the limited scheduling availability of the medical staff and medical facilities may mean that, not only do we need to have the procedure done sooner rather than later, we will need to have it done for the sake of a convenience that is hardly our own.

When it comes to less medically urgent procedures, however, we may have more flexibility in our decision-making. One category of such procedures includes those that are done for aesthetic purposes rather than for medical necessity. Of course, it could be argued that many individuals feel so much better about themselves after receiving these treatments that they do provide a tangible health benefit in terms of emotional health. There are many potential procedures that fall into this category. Teeth whitening, skin treatments and even plastic surgeries come to mind as procedures that patients seek for primarily for aesthetic reasons yet still require a certain degree of medical expertise to perform.

Another major procedure that falls into this category is a hair transplant treatment. Even though hair transplant treatments are primarily done for aesthetic reasons, patients still need to consider a similar set of factors as they would when deciding to undergo a major medical procedure. Here is a list of a few such factors.

Recovery

What is the recovery time for a hair transplant treatment? It depends on what you mean by recovery! In terms of restoring normal feeling to your head scalp, recovery time lasts about a week. Bandages and painkillers may be required after the treatment, (which is usually considered a surgery) but these provisions are usually only necessary for one or two days following the procedure. In addition to the painkilling drugs, a doctor may further prescribe an antibiotic or an anti-inflammatory drug as further precautions following the surgery. Again, these may only need to be taken for one or two days. Within a few days to a week after the surgery, most hair transplant patients are able to return to work.

Of course, hair transplant recovery for many people means actual hair regrowth. This usually occurs a little bit later. Most of the hair growth will occur approximately within the first 6 months, but can continue to grow to some degree even beyond the first year after the procedure.

Cost

As with all medical procedures, the exact cost of a hair transplant procedure will fluctuate; potential patients will certainly want to check with a St Louis hair regrowth
specialist for an accurate cost assessment. It is understood, however, that hair transplant procedures generally vary between $4,000 and $16,000. Factors involved in the cost include area of scalp to be covered, amount of hair available for grafting and pricing structure of the doctor performing the procedure.

Risks

Because many hair transplant procedures are considered surgeries, there is a certain risk involved in having the treatment that is the same with other surgeries. Bleeding and infection can occur, although these potential risks are uncommon and can be minimized by seeking a highly qualified treatment provider.