Laser Hair Transplants - How can they help you?

Hair loss is a common, if not dreaded, fact of life for many people, men and women alike. It is because of this fact that hair loss treatments have gained popularity in recent years with laser hair transplants becoming on of the most popular choices of treatment. There are many contributing causes of hair loss. Male pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss and is caused by an overproduction of the hormone DHT, affecting approximately 40% of the male population. Other conditions can also lead to hair loss. Thyroid disease, liver and kidney disease, stress, and iron deficiencies are just a few. With hair loss so rampant, hair loss treatments are at the forefront of the cosmetic surgery industry. Hair transplants have been a popular procedure for the last 20 to 25 years, but with the advances in modern technology, laser hair transplants are beginning to gain popularity among doctors and patients alike.

Traditional hair transplants have always been performed using a scalpel and literally grafting hair from one section of the head to another. These grafts can vary in size and number, depending on the amount of scalp that is being treated. Done this way, multiple grafts are usually required. Although initially dormant, after time the hair takes root and enters into a phase of repair and will then continue to grow on a permanent basis. Using a scalpel to perform this type of transplant does allow for some bleeding and a longer healing process. Although this procedure is effective, the benefits of using laser hair transplants instead are gaining in popularity.

The benefits of laser hair transplants are many. By using a laser to make the incisions, the bleeding is usually kept to a minimum and less compression is required. This in turn dramatically cuts down on the pain of the procedure. Laser transplants also reduce the amount of grafts required to cover the balding scalp area leaving you with more natural looking results. This procedure can be done on men and women alike.

There are some doctors, however, that do not see any benefits to laser hair transplants and even feel they are actually detrimental to the hair transplant in general. In other fields of medicine, laser treatment can be effective, but these doctors argue that hair transplantation is not one of them. Laser treatments work best on a selective basis. In other words, the laser destroys a specific target without injuring the tissue of the surrounding area. This is simply impossible to do with a hair transplant. The surrounding tissue is burned during the procedure and scarring is inevitable.

What it really boils down to is your preference. Before having a laser hair transplant, or any medical procedure for that matter, discuss with your doctor the pros and cons of the procedure. You can then make an educated decision as to what type of hair transplant would work best for you, a laser hair transplant or a more traditional approach.