Understanding Hair Transplant Surgery

Part Two: Understanding Hair Transplants

A hair on the head is worth two on the brush

Irish Proverb

Background info and explanation of how the procedure works

There are so many hair loss restoration cures, treatments and systems on the market today that it can be difficult for a discerning consumer to find out which ones work, which products are merely ‘snake oils’ dressed in a modern day package and of the ones that do work; what is most appropriate for them and their situation.

Hair transplantation surgery, like any other kind of surgical procedure, is a big step for most individuals. Most people are at least curious about the hundreds of other products on the market and want to know whether or not these cheaper products and systems can live up to their claims or not; before they invest thousands of dollars in a surgical procedure.

Before we move on to discussing hair transplantation surgery, we’ll take a few minutes to look at the other products on the market

Propecia, also known as finasteride, bases its claim to a hair loss cure on the fact that it blocks the ability of the enzyme known as 5-alpha-reductase to convert testosterone to DHT. It was first marketed as Proscar for the purpose of treating prostrate problems and symptoms; as DHT is known to create problems in this area as well. In this regard, Propecia does have some merits to its claim as a hair loss cure; in as much as it may tend to slow down the hair loss process some.

To date, however; there has been no drug or prescription that has been proven to 100% stop the loss of hair. The hair loss will continue, even though it may have been briefly halted.

The drug minoxidil is frequently marketed as Rogaine. Surprisingly the drug first began its prescription use as a treatment for high blood pressure; however it proved to be less than popular because of the number of side effects noted in users.

One of the side effects that frequently appeared was a growth of hair, usually in the facial region, referred to as hypertrichosis. As the drug was no longer popular as a treatment for high blood pressure, the advantages of the less than desirable side effect began to be marketed under a different name and thus Rogaine was born.

Rogaine is similar to Propecia in that it appears to delay the hair loss process. Again, however; no drugs has been proven to be able to completely stop the loss of hair. Besides the fact that drugs such as Rogain and Propecia are not 100% effective, studies indicate that they may very well need to be continuously used in order to be effective at all. Discontinuing the use of the drug will halt whatever small restorative benefits they may have contributed to the user.

Neither of these drugs appears to be effective in growing any hair in areas that had already become completely bald. In addition, both drugs appear to work best in the crown hair and do not appear to be effective at all in the frontal and temporal areas.

While both drugs have been approved as being effective by the FDA; this simply means that they have been proven in clinical trial to have the ability to produce some new growth of hair or stall the loss of hair. It is now commonly known that discontinuing the use either drug will stop the growth of hair and the user will typically notice that they return to same state they were in before use of the drug.

In recent years, a number of natural products containing various herbs and vitamins have been marketed for the purpose of reducing hair loss and even restoring lost hair in some cases. One of the most popular herbs used for this purpose is Saw Palmetto. This natural product is derived from a palm like plant native to the North American continent.

The extract used in natural and herbal remedies is taken directly from the berries produced by the plant. Saw Palmetto extract is reputed to provide many benefits, one of which is the ability of the fatty acids contained within the plan to inhibit the effects of testosterone. Since the effects testosterone, particularly when converted to DHT, are believed to responsible for both prostate problems and hair loss; this has proven to be a popular herbal remedy both conditions. While Saw Palmetto extract continues to aggressively marketed as a natural and safe cure for hair loss and hair restoration, there are no scientific study results to prove the validity of this claim.

Hair systems is the phrase commonly used to refer to a wig, hairpiece, toupee or the less appealing term of a ‘rug.’. There are a number of ways of obtaining hair systems. The most prominent, probably because they are cheaper, are basically purchased off the rack, so to speak. This means that the hair system in mass produced, rather than being custom made for the individual wearer. This can present a number of problems.

First, hair systems that are not custom made tend to be of poorer quality; resulting in a lower price. Individuals who can afford the high dollar price tag of a custom made hair system will soon discover that creating such a piece requires quite a bit of time and several ‘fittings.’ The cost of hair systems can vary.

A cheaply made hair piece that is less likely to match the wearer’s natural hair style and color can be hand for just a few hundred bucks. Because custom made hair pieces require a significant amount of time to create, and are generally constructed of human hair as opposed to synthetic hair, they are much more expensive. Even at a conservative estimate, a custom made hair system can run at least five thousand dollars; if not more. Not only are custom made hair systems expensive, but despite the fancy price tag; they tend to need maintenance. This means that unless the wearer chooses to purchase a ‘back-up’ hairpiece they will be walking around with their natural balding look until the hair system can be serviced.

Besides the fact that they are expensive, must be maintained and may not have the look and feel of ‘real’ hair; one of the major disadvantages of a hair system is that it must be attached to the head in some manner. Most hair systems are attached using some form of clip. Not much needs to be said about the viability of clipping a hair system into place.

Most people have seen the spoofs on enough movies to understand that there is a very real possibility for the hair system to become dislodged, revealing the thinning hair beneath. This, of course, can be a source of extreme embarrassment and horror for the wearer of the hair system, who had donned it in the hopes of keeping their hair loss a secret.

Adhesives have been developed to help combat this common problem with hair systems. With this type of attachment, the hair system is actually connected to the scalp using polymer. There are disadvantages with this type of attachment as well, however. Not only may the adhesion be uncomfortable, but it can make the hair and the hair system difficult to clean.

In the last few years it has become increasingly popular for many people to seek a hair weave as a solution for thinning or balding hair. The problem with this process is that it requires constant maintenance, which continues to increase the price of upkeep every time the user has to return to have a new weave done.

Next: Hair Transplant Surgery History