Many people suffering from male or female pattern baldness are out there researching their hair restoration options. Over 40 million American men suffer from male pattern baldness, and right now there’s no cure for the genetic condition.
So far, the hair transplant is the only permanent method to treat baldness in both men and women.
It’s obvious that hair restoration is sought out so people can gain back their desired appearance and some confidence that goes along with it. That said, many patients are held back from hair restoration surgeries because they’re worried the procedure will end up looking unnatural.
Nobody wants to face a surgical procedure and end up looking worse than they did before undergoing it. But new developments in microsurgery applied to the hair transplant, surgical hair restoration can look more natural than ever.
Two big reasons hair transplants of the past didn’t look natural had to do with scaring and difficulties obtaining enough donor follicles for transplant. Years ago, 4mm plugs were used as transplant grafts, leaving a doll head look to patients that looked thin and detectable.
Even as this procedure developed to FUT, or follicle unit transplantation that implants individual follicles to the scalp, scarring was still very present on the back and sides of patients’ heads.
That’s because they obtained donor follicles by skin strip harvesting—cutting strips of skin from the head and dissecting them into individual follicles.
Today, it’s unnecessary to cut skin at all. FUE, or follicle unit extraction, incorporates the latest in microsurgical techniques by removing each follicle individually for transfer. No skin needs to be cut, no scalpel is used and no permanent scarring is left as a result.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
FUT Hair Transplant: Don’t Scar Your Dome!
It’s an interesting known fact that the first recorded hair transplant is credited to a Doctor named Norman Orentreich who proposed in the 1950s that transplanting a skin graft with hair follicles would keep its hair growth qualities when transferred, rather than taking on the qualities of the bald area it was transferred to.
What is not credited to Dr. Norm is a natural-looking result…he was correct with his medical hypothesis, but that probably wasn’t something the balding patient ended up being super hot on.
The fact is that hair transplant surgeries have evolved light years since this initial procedure in the 50s, but be very careful when researching hair restoration operations with your doctor—especially if the doctor specializes in FUT.
FUT, or follicle unit transplantation is still a very common procedure in the United States, but the fact is surgical medicine has evolved enough to render some FUT techniques for harvesting donor follicles unnecessary.
In regular FUT transplants, skin strips are harvested from the back and sides of the patient’s head and dissected into individual follicles for transplantation. This has become a fairly effective and natural looking procedure, but leaves unsightly scarring lines across the patient’s head that are visible while sporting a short haircut.
The evolution of microsurgery has spread to the world of hair restoration; it’s now possible to undergo what’s called an FUE procedure, or follicle unit extraction, that changes the way donor follicles are extracted from the head.
Instead of cutting skin, each follicle unit of 1-4 hairs is removed individually, resulting in no scarring and more natural looking results.
What is not credited to Dr. Norm is a natural-looking result…he was correct with his medical hypothesis, but that probably wasn’t something the balding patient ended up being super hot on.
The fact is that hair transplant surgeries have evolved light years since this initial procedure in the 50s, but be very careful when researching hair restoration operations with your doctor—especially if the doctor specializes in FUT.
FUT, or follicle unit transplantation is still a very common procedure in the United States, but the fact is surgical medicine has evolved enough to render some FUT techniques for harvesting donor follicles unnecessary.
In regular FUT transplants, skin strips are harvested from the back and sides of the patient’s head and dissected into individual follicles for transplantation. This has become a fairly effective and natural looking procedure, but leaves unsightly scarring lines across the patient’s head that are visible while sporting a short haircut.
The evolution of microsurgery has spread to the world of hair restoration; it’s now possible to undergo what’s called an FUE procedure, or follicle unit extraction, that changes the way donor follicles are extracted from the head.
Instead of cutting skin, each follicle unit of 1-4 hairs is removed individually, resulting in no scarring and more natural looking results.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Post Operation Expectations
The next day following surgery, the transplanted area should be washed and the grafts should be cleaned from the blood. There may be some soreness and numbness on the donor area.
Two to three days following the transplant, most of the scabbing is gone and there may be some redness on the transplanted area. As for the donor area, the soreness will begin to go away but the numbness will continue.
About one week after, the redness and swelling will almost be gone on the transplanted area. The donor area should have no soreness and the numbness may still be present, depending on the patient.
About two weeks after the hair transplant, the transplanted area will look and feel like a baby beard. The sutures on the donor area will begin to absorb and the discomfort will no longer be present.
The transplanted hair begins to shed as the follicles go into its dormant phase two to eight weeks after surgery. Knots at the ends of the sutures will begin to fall off on the donor area.
About two to six months following the procedure, some of your natural hair will shed in the transplanted area and the newly transplanted hair will grow as very fine hair. Any type of numbness on the donor area will be gone completely.
Finally, about a year to over a year following the hair transplant, 90% of the expected hair restoration will be seen.
Two to three days following the transplant, most of the scabbing is gone and there may be some redness on the transplanted area. As for the donor area, the soreness will begin to go away but the numbness will continue.
About one week after, the redness and swelling will almost be gone on the transplanted area. The donor area should have no soreness and the numbness may still be present, depending on the patient.
About two weeks after the hair transplant, the transplanted area will look and feel like a baby beard. The sutures on the donor area will begin to absorb and the discomfort will no longer be present.
The transplanted hair begins to shed as the follicles go into its dormant phase two to eight weeks after surgery. Knots at the ends of the sutures will begin to fall off on the donor area.
About two to six months following the procedure, some of your natural hair will shed in the transplanted area and the newly transplanted hair will grow as very fine hair. Any type of numbness on the donor area will be gone completely.
Finally, about a year to over a year following the hair transplant, 90% of the expected hair restoration will be seen.
Why hair loss happens to you and me
Hair loss is an issue that many men face, some even when they are really young in their twenties. The thought of going bald is devastating, and once you find out hair loss is gradual, it never is going to stop, panic sets in right away.
What do many men do? Well, before you come to the realization that hair loss is inevitable, many men try to hide it. They wear caps, hats, and some even make less public appearances. Others decide to shave their hair off, revealing sometimes a not so pleasing head to many people! Therefore, understanding why hair loss occurs is important, but more importantly, finding out what your options are to treat hair loss are what is most crucial if you decide to do something about it.
Hair loss medications exist, the more popular brand names being Rogaine and Propecia. These treat hair loss, but medically it is only proven to stop, or even re-grow, hair in the crown area, or back of the head. To many, hair loss is most troublesome in the hairline, and a “receding hairline” is the first real glimpse of the hair loss nightmare that many men come to realize.
If you want to restore your hairline, a hair transplant is a good option. But, in taking such a step, you must do your homework and research a doctor well. Many hair transplant clinics exist, but not many give you the best results. A hair transplant is a big investment, so make sure you are able to check out the clinic’s track record, meet a previous patient, and find out if the clinic has certified technicians that will help in surgery. A hair transplant can be a blessing, but to really combat hair loss, make sure you pick the right clinic – or it can turn into a nightmare.
What do many men do? Well, before you come to the realization that hair loss is inevitable, many men try to hide it. They wear caps, hats, and some even make less public appearances. Others decide to shave their hair off, revealing sometimes a not so pleasing head to many people! Therefore, understanding why hair loss occurs is important, but more importantly, finding out what your options are to treat hair loss are what is most crucial if you decide to do something about it.
Hair loss medications exist, the more popular brand names being Rogaine and Propecia. These treat hair loss, but medically it is only proven to stop, or even re-grow, hair in the crown area, or back of the head. To many, hair loss is most troublesome in the hairline, and a “receding hairline” is the first real glimpse of the hair loss nightmare that many men come to realize.
If you want to restore your hairline, a hair transplant is a good option. But, in taking such a step, you must do your homework and research a doctor well. Many hair transplant clinics exist, but not many give you the best results. A hair transplant is a big investment, so make sure you are able to check out the clinic’s track record, meet a previous patient, and find out if the clinic has certified technicians that will help in surgery. A hair transplant can be a blessing, but to really combat hair loss, make sure you pick the right clinic – or it can turn into a nightmare.
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