1. What
causes baldness?
2. Are hair transplants
permanent?
3. What is "follicular
unit hair transplantation"?
4. Why are so few physicians
performing all micro"follicular unit hair transplantation?
5. How much work will I
need?
6. What does Hair Transplantation
Cost?
7. Since Propecia is now
available, will hair transplantation be a thing of
the past?
8. What about "Scalp
Reductions"?
9. Does removing hair from
the donor area on the back of my head leave a gap?
10. Are there risks involved?
11. Is hair restoration
surgery painful?
12. Will my transplanted
hair require special care?
13. Can I wear a hairpiece
until my surgery is completed?
1.
What causes baldness?
The cause of male pattern baldness is no longer a
mystery. Research has shown that when the male hormone
- testosterone is exposed to 5-alpha-reductase, an
enzyme in the hair follicle, it produces another hormone
called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes permanent
hair loss. This hormone (DHT) causes the hair follicle
to shrink and grow a finer hair that is lighter in
color, shorter and less deeply rooted than its predecessor.
Most often, the hair in the balding region will continue
to grow at an increasingly slower rate until hair
growth ceases completely.
The pattern of progression, and the extent and speed
of male pattern baldness, is largely dictated by genetics,
hormones and age. For men, this permanent type of
baldness generally follows specific patterns. Even
in the most extensive cases, a horseshoe shaped fringe
of hair remains. This donor fringe is insensitive
to the balding process and will last a lifetime. This
is because this hair is genetically programmed in
the root, or hair follicle, to be resistant to the
effects of DHT.
The hair in this donor area provides the basis for
surgical hair restoration. These hairs, when transplanted
into thinning or balding areas, will take root and
grow, and continue to grow for the rest of a person's
life.
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2. Are hair
transplants permanent?
Since the hair used in hair restoration surgery comes
from the donor area, which is not sensitive to the
balding process, it will be permanent. This hair will
retain its genetic characteristics even after relocation.
It will grow and continue to grow for the rest of
your life.
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3. What is "follicular
unit hair transplantation"?
This procedure has been called the logical end point
of 30 years of evolution in hair transplantation beginning
with traditional larger plugs and culminating in the
move to one, two, and 3 hair follicular unit hair
grafts, which mirror the way hair grows in nature.
(Hair Transplant Forum Feb. 1997).
The key to follicular unit transplantation is to identify
the patient's "natural hair groupings" and
use them intact to create from "micro follicular
unit hair grafts" that are composed of naturally
occurring 1, 2, and 3 hair grafts.
These follicular unit micrografts are much smaller
than traditional untrimmed micrografts that contain
equivalent amounts of hairs. Their size enables larger
numbers of them to be placed in tinier, less traumatic
incisions closer together.
Using this advanced technique a surgeon can move more
hair in a totally natural way - creating a natural
look at every stage of hair restoration.
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4. Why are so
few physicians performing all micro"follicular
unit hair transplantation?
It's known that using small follicular unit grafts
of 1 to 3 hairs and large sessions of 1200-2000 grafts
is the ideal procedure for a patient who wants to
achieve the most natural result with the least number
of sessions.
As beneficial as it is for the patient, it is equally
unappealing for the physician performing the procedure.
This procedure requires the physician to be more detailed
and exact, both in the cutting and placing of the
graft. Using smaller grafts results in the need for
more of them, thus it is more labor intensive. It
necessitates a larger staff and longer time commitment
to achieve the desired result.
While it is more labor intensive and therefore more
costly to the clinic, the belief is that the doctors
should bear this added financial burden. This is because
they're not moving that much more hair, they're just
moving it in a better manner.
Some physicians say there is not sufficient circulation
in the recipients site to place 1000-1500 grafts and
ensure successful growth.
This may be the case with sessions of 1000 to 1500
grafts if grafts larger than four hairs are used.
And it's usually physicians using grafts of this size
that make this statement.
However, mega sessions of 1000-2000 grafts with grafts
of 1-4 hairs are completely successful. Performing
sessions any smaller would be counter productive as
it would not maximize the procedures potential.
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5. How much
work will I need?
How much work you will need depends on various factors
- such as, how much hair loss you have now, the amount
of hair loss you will have in time, and your goals
and expectations - or how thick you need it to be.
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6. What does
Hair Transplantation Cost?
Generally hair transplantation has become a dramatically
better value over the past several years. The cost
of hair grafts have gone from a typical $25 per graft
charge for the old large pluggy grafts, to prices
ranging from $4 to $10 for today's mini, micro, and
all micro follicular unit grafts. The price per graft
tends to be lower as the size (number of grafts) of
the transplant session increases. Therefore larger
sessions not only produce more dramatic and rapid
progress but better cost efficiencies.
M.D. Hair Institute pricing is very moderate by industry
standards. And that's not even taking into account
the vastly superior results that are achieved by them.
The cost per graft can be as low as $4.00 per graft.
Financing is also available.
Of course the cost of hair transplantation will ultimately
depend on how much work you need to be satisfied.
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7. Since Propecia
is now available, will hair transplantation be a thing
of the past?
While Propecia and Rogaine have been proven to regrow
hair, they will not grow all your hair back. Both
products have not been proven to grow any significant
hair in the frontal temple area, which is the main
area of concern for most people.
Their greatest benefit seems to be in slowing down
hair loss. Propecia and Rogaine can be part of an
effective hair restoration plan. We prescribe Propecia
in order to help maintain some of the hair which may
be lost over time.
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8. What about
"Scalp Reductions"?
Scalp reductions were first introduced in the mid-1970s
as a way of treating an individual with a midline
bald spot. Although several design approaches can
be used, an elliptical approach is generally the most
common. With this procedure, an ellipse of bald skin
is removed centrally in the crown area and the hair-bearing
scalp on the sides of the head is stretched toward
the middle to obtain closure.
Because scalp reductions do not allow for an upward
and forward advancement of the entire scalp, they
are not effective in treating patients who possess
or have the potential for more extensive baldness.
Due to this inherent surgical limitation, as well
as the aesthetic drawbacks, which include an excessive
stretching back of the bald area and increased receding
at the temples, the scalp reduction procedure is considered
outdated for the treatment of moderate to extensive
baldness. Newer procedures offer more predictable
and better aesthetic results, and often require fewer
surgical sessions.
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9. Does removing
hair from the donor area on the back of my head leave
a gap?
The scalp is very elastic. When the donor strip of
hair is removed, the scalp on both sides is just pulled
together and sutured. The only evidence of surgery
is a thin line hidden under the hair that grows vertically
on the back of the head.
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10. Are there
risks involved?
Elective surgery to improve physical appearance is
universally accepted and is being performed successfully
everywhere there are qualified specialists. Hair restoration
procedures differ from general surgery, however, in
that they involve only the outer layers of the body.
You should not worry excessively about risks or complications,
because they are rare.
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11. Is hair
restoration surgery painful?
The discomfort associated with hair restoration surgery
is usually comparable to that of dental surgery. Pain
medication is always offered, though its use is limited
generally to the first 24 hours after surgery.
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12. Will my
transplanted hair require special care?
Your newly restored hair will grow and require the
same maintenance as your original head of hair. It's
your hair and can be colored, permanently waved or
styled in a variety of ways suitable to your lifestyle.
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13. Can I wear
a hairpiece until my surgery is completed?
Hair pieces can be worn between surgical visits if
you want, as long as proper hygiene and ventilation
of the scalp are maintained.
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