Hair Transplant Treatments: What’s Out There?

Hair loss is a condition that affects many people both men and women; however, male hair loss is the most common type of hair loss. According to the American Medical Association male pattern hair loss is caused by an increased sensitivity to male sex hormones in certain parts of the scalp. Research shows that this condition is passed on from generation to generation. This can be a frustrating condition however there are options and hair transplantation is one of them.

Hair transplantation works like this, hair is removed from places on the head where hair is actively growing. This hair is then transferred to bald or balding areas of the scalp. The transplanted hair re-grows. According to research, the transplanted hair will continue to grow in the new area for the same amount of time it would have grown in the area of the scalp where it was taken from. One of the benefits to hair transplanting is that it is your hair so it is the same color and texture that your hair has always been. This is as opposed to seeding with donor hair.

According to experts, when getting a hair transplant there are only three areas that can be transplanted, the frontal area extending from the hairline to a line drawn more or less vertically from the ears, the mid-scalp area extending from that point to the point on the scalp where the head changes from being more or less horizontal to the ground to a more vertical orientation, and the vertex area or “crown” which is the balding area furthest back on the scalp. The scalp is sectioned off this way due in part to the need to match like areas.

Your hair is made up of small groupings of hairs are called Follicular Groups or Follicular Units. These unites are made up of approximately 15 percent of hair that comes out as single hairs and another approximately 15 percent that comes out in groups of four or five hairs. Follicular Unites is where most modern hair transplanting begins. It is this method, of moving the Follicular Units together that ensures a good hair transplant. Hair transplant experts say that the most important advantage of transplanting exclusively with Follicular Unit Transplanting method is that a single session can result in a perfectly natural appearance. The procedure leaves a narrow scar when the wound healed. It takes seven to ten days for the wound to heal completely and then it isn’t noticeable.

Small incisions are made in the recipient area using either small bore needles or blades. The angle and direction of the incisions during the transplant process are indicative of the hair that was originally present in the area. This allows a more natural look to the area when the hair transplant is competed and the hair begins to grow back.

According to studies it takes approximately two to three months for hair to begin to re-grow in the area that was transplanted to.

Hair transplanting is usually a treatment for Male Pattern Baldness as well as Female Pattern Hair Loss. The procedure is also used, however, to re-grow hair in areas affected by fire or some sort of injury where there is hair loss.

It is important to talk to a reputable doctor when considering this procedure. There are many doctors who are certified to do hair transplants who are doing them anyway. Ask your doctor how many times he has done a hair transplant and asked his ratio of success. You can also ask the doctor if he belongs to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, and the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery which certifies those who have passed oral and written exams