Permanent Eyelashes – Eyelash Transplant Surgery Growing Popular

For thick, lush eyelashes, we’ve traditionally turned to mascara, false lashes, even extensions. But what if those options won’t help? What if your eyelashes are thinning, or completely gone?

Absent or underdeveloped eyelashes can now be restored using advanced hair transplantation techniques. Eyelash transplants were originally developed for patients who suffered burns or congenital malformations of the eye. But word is spreading and an increasing number of patients are requesting the procedure for cosmetic purposes.

Sara Wasserbauer, M.D., is a leading hair restoration surgeon and one of only a handful of doctors in the U.S. who specializes in eyelash transplants.

“It’s a delicate, microsurgical procedure, done under local anesthesia and light sedation,” she explains. “We remove 50-100 hair follicles from the the back of the patient’s scalp and then place them one by one into the patient’s eyelids.” Once safely transplanted and established, the transplanted lashes continue to grow and eventually require some maintenance. Just like head hair, they need to be trimmed regularly and sometimes curled.

Costs are typically $6000-$7000 or approximately $3000 per eye. Recovery time is about a week to ten days with the lashes starting to grow at about 3-6 months.

Dr. Wasserbauer says people of all ages are turning to this new procedure. Young women who have been wearing popular eyelash extensions are finding they can traumatize the hair follicle and cause permanent eyelash thinning. It’s also common to experience eyelash thinning with age so as baby boomers get older, more are seeking out this new cosmetic restoration.

“Patients have told me the surgeries changed their lives. It’s amazing how much better they feel about themselves once they have lashes again. It really reframes their eyes,” she says.

Dr. Wasserbauer was trained by some of the top surgeons in the world and her patients come from throughout the Bay Area, Northern California, and across the United States. For more information, see http://www.californiahairsurgeon.com.