About Hair Transplant

Hair loss cures are many, and are saturating the market these days. Everybody has their own idea concerning a hair loss cure – but which is really the best one? There are the medication cures such as Rogaine and Propecia, herbal cures such as saw palmetto and green tea, and also to be considered is hair transplanting. Could a hair transplant be your best hair loss cure?

Benefits

The most obvious benefit is that you will have your full head of hair back. Another benefit is that it is permanent. Once your hair transplant is complete, it is there forever. Also, the transplanted hair will grow in just the same way as your normal hair did, so you will still need to get haircuts and buy styling products. Last, but not least, hair transplants are the only everlasting cure for a hair loss problem.

Drawbacks

However, there are a number of drawbacks to take into consideration when using this method as a hair loss cure. The most important of these is the fact that these procedures are surgery, and this always involves some risk. There is the also the possibility of bleeding, scarring and infection, which must be taken into consideration when making a decision to go ahead.

A third drawback is the cost. Surgery can be very expensive, so if you are on a tight budget this may not be the best hair loss cure for you. Hair grafts can range between $3 and $10 per graft, and since generally people need between 500 and 2000 grafts this is always going to be quite costly.

The Physician as Your Hair Transplant Specialist

So, you’ve weighed the benefits and the drawbacks, and have still decided to go ahead – now what? Now it’s time to carefully select your specialist. When choosing your specialist it is of paramount importance that this individual is an actual practicing physician.

There are any number of reasons why this is so, one of which is that a physician has an educational background in medicine, surgical training, and then he/she has additional specialized training in hair transplanting.

Using a physician as your specialist may very well cost you extra, but in the long run it will certainly help to reduce the number of mistakes that might be made by an individual who does not have the same training and as many years of experience.

Hair transplant surgery is just one of the many options available to you as a hair loss cure. However, the facts that it is permanent, and that the new hair grows just like your own, makes it one of the leading and most popular options today.

Filed under: Health And Fitness on April 28th, 2010 | No Comments »

The wig industry is a actually a multi-billion dollar industry. This is because wigs are intricate, fragile things. It is made out of real human hair, put together by real hardworking slender fingers and therefore priced quite accordingly. Wigs are also not meant to last. One would be lucky to own a wig that would last to ten years, but otherwise, five years of outmost care and you have to buy another one. With hair transplant though, there would be no need for that. Just one big but final splurge and your hair problems are a thing of the past all of the sudden. Hair transplants are so effective that in a matter of months upon introduction, it spread like wild fire all through out the country like a plague. People have seen the benefits and practicality of availing a hair transplant now so should you.

Filed under: Trends on April 19th, 2010 | No Comments »

There are several hair loss treatment plans. This include applying some topical creams that have the ability to rejuvenate hair follicle activities, or taking a hormonal therapy. The use of hair transplant surgery is one that provides the most effective result but can also bear much risk. You may end up with regrets if not properly executed.

The first step is to be sure that you actually need a surgery to repair hair loss. Is it every one ho needs hair replacement through surgery? This is the most important question every one with hair thinning problem needs to answer honestly.

We all love short cuts, and this is why some may opt for a surgery instead a long procedure of dieting of massaging the skin to stimulate hair growth. Yes, you may have more fast solution to hair loss, but the cost and the risks associated with the procedure may just be too enormous.

Let’s start with the first questions first. Is hair transplant surgery recommended for every one? The answer is a resolute no! This is because in most cases its men who may need this service. Even in diseases such as alopecia areata, it is the men who may develop a bald head while women may only have thinning of the hair. Secondly is that the transplant is described just as is the case of plants, you have got to move hair from one part to another. In the case of men, the hair is transferred from what is known as the fringe of the scalp.

Because of this movement of hair from one part of the head to the patches left blank due to hair thinning, it was assumed for many years that bald headed people cannot be candidates, The invention of Dr. Okuda from Japan during the World War II and later the expansion of the technology by Dr. Dr. Norman Orentreich brought in great advancement in medical technology to allow for transplant even among largely spread bald heads.

How exactly is it done? Previously, you needed to have large amounts of hair which were cut from the roots in raws and plugged to the scalp without hair. The modern technology is micro based and allows for transplant of single hair strands of hair including the roots. Mini grafts which will transfer every four or so hair strands are also performed.

There are associations or societies surgeons who are specialist in hair transplant surgery and several patients who have had successful restoration of hair. The chances of success are high enough, do not be afraid to take one.

Filed under: Health And Fitness on April 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »

Hair transplant surgery is very common these days. As hair loss is such a big problem for so many people, and as hair transplant surgery becomes more and more effective, it is more in demand.

However hair transplant surgery is usually the last in the list of things that you need to consider if you are suffering from hair loss.

For those who are suffering from some degree of hair loss there are some steps you need to take before you consider hair transplant surgery. Hair loss is not necessarily permanent, and the very first thing that you need to do is to consult your doctor and find out a specific cause.

Hair loss can be temporary. For example there are various medical conditions and medical treatments which can cause hair loss and once these conditions have been treated or the treatments stopped the hair recovers. No need for hair transplant surgery there.

And where you have a diagnosed hair loss condition that may well be permanent, such as male pattern baldness, or permanent hereditary hair loss, there can still be some other options to consider.

The first option is to do nothing. Don’t laugh. Hair replacement treatments, and particularly hair transplant surgery, can be exceedingly expensive. They can have some side effects and can be unpleasant. Sometimes they don’t work, or are unsuitable for your particular condition. Doing nothing about it is a very viable option and one that any proficient professional should counsel you about.

Baldness is becoming fashionable. Perhaps it started with Yul Brinner, who knows, but there are some who deliberately shave their heads as a fashion statement. You don’t need to go that far, although you could also consider that, but you certainly could consider living with it.

Work out how much effort and money you are prepared to expend on doing something about it. Hair transplant surgery is very expensive and hair loss is not really considered a disease so government or private medical funds may not cover the cost. Check that out.

Next find out about the pharmaceutical hair replacement products. There are several which do work, although not for everybody. Check them out. Find out more. They also have their drawbacks, but you should educate yourself about all options.

But for many this process still leads them to hair transplant surgery. There is no doubt that if you have hair transplant surgery done by a reputable hair transplant centre it can be very effective.

There are positives and negatives to hair transplant surgery. As previously stated, it can be expensive. It is a long process, over many months, requiring repeated visits, and it is surgery, with the normal, though low, risks attached to any surgery. And it doesn’t suit everybody, depending on the nature of your problem.

On the other hand hair transplant surgery, once it is over, is very effective in most cases. You end up growing your own hair and the result is permanent. The final effect, which takes around 12 months, can be extremely effective.

There are various types of hair transplant surgery available at various hair transplant centres. If you have spent some time thinking about your options and have finally come to the conclusion that hair transplant surgery is for you then take the next step.

Visit a reputable hair transplant centre or find one on the internet and find out more about hair transplant surgery. The results can be life transforming.

Filed under: Health And Fitness on March 19th, 2010 | No Comments »

The National Hair Institute, which has been on the lead in the fight againsta baldness in many Americans has created and patented a procedure which can be done in small sessions or in one big go. Their patented procedure called “Fox Megasession”, requires a whole day of procedures utilizing some of the best equipment around to extract hair growth units from an area behind the ears for extracting. These so-called hair growth units are actually a grouping of three or four hairs which have a single underlying sheath that is considered to be the only part of the scalp that does not loose hair growth capabilities well into late life. The said procedure is conducted by a physician and may require sedation due to the length of the procedure. It may also require follow-up procedures to make up for the expected failures where the hair groups fail to survive the first weeks or months. For more information, you can contact the NHI at their web site for consultations.

Filed under: General, Hair Care, Hair Treatments on March 17th, 2010 | No Comments »

Every surgery has post-operative side effects. However, most side effects that come with a micro-graft transplant usually go away in about one to three weeks.

Most common side effects are noticed with the following signs:

1) Hair fall

Hair fall will accelerate after the transplant operation because of scalp shock. The scalp will enter into a resting stage called the Telogen stage. This will result in falling hair. Do not worry since this is normal. Although there is an occurrence of falling hair, not all of your hair will fall. Only those that are weak in the roots will be eliminated. Medication for falling hair can be prescribed by your surgeon.

2) Bleeding/Swelling

After the hair transplant surgery, bleeding is likely to occur. There will only be minimal bleeding. In uncommon situations, the bleeding may not stop right away. If that happens, the physician might need to take extra measures to control the bleeding.

According to observations in post-operative hair transplants, almost everyone who has undergone this surgery exhibited swelling. There may be a little pain that will accompany this swelling. Almost 50% of all who have undergone micro-grafting transplants have reported feeling slight pain due to swelling.

Swelling can be noticed particularly in the area around the forehead and around the eyes. This usually lasts for a few days. The worst that can happen is that you still have it by the fourth day. Some people display a black eye as a result.

Localized skin trauma is the reason of swelling in those areas. Small lacerations were made on the scalp, the area just above the forehead. That is why the upper part of the face will be inflamed. The blood vessels have been injured. Notably, inflammation is a necessary process for healing. Thus, swelling is a part of the healing crisis that occurs in the body. Without it, injuries and lesions will not heal. However, this is a temporary condition for you.

3) Scabs

Why is there a scab? This is a defense of the skin against bacteria and infection. Scabs form to help in the healing process of wounds. You know that the skin’s surface is tender so there must be a shield for the vulnerable layer of flesh. So a scab will start to form over the wound. The scab is a cover composed of flaking cells and dried blood. Under the scab lies much activity because the cells are regenerating and stabilizing in the new location.

These scabs will naturally fall off and loosen in the space of ten days or even less. Wound healing also depends on your body’s healing ability. This will feel itchy during those days but do not scratch them before they fall off on their own. Apply a soothing ointment in case you feel some itching on your scalp.

4) Numbness

This is almost a given for all those who have been through a hair transplant. The patient will certainly feel numbness for some weeks after the surgery. Numbness can be experienced due to the reduced circulation of the blood in the capillaries. Remember that the scalp has undergone lesions. These small blood vessels are still reconstructing themselves and strengthening tissue around the follicles. However, it is only temporary since this is also a part of the healing process.

There are other side effects that happen to a minority of patients who have micro-graft treatment. Scarring and hiccups are some of these recorded side effects.

Overall, the side effects mentioned above are slight inconveniences for most people. The most important thing is that these symptoms are only temporary. Nearly all of them will disappear in a few weeks. Naturally, the body is prepared and capable to fix itself when it needs repair. The cuts on the scalp will heal in no time. There are medications that your doctor can prescribe.

Filed under: Health And Fitness on February 27th, 2010 | No Comments »

The hair transplant procedure used in hair replacement is mainly done in males rather than females. Hair transplants are the most popular way for restoring men’s hair.

Before knowing about the men hair transplant procedure one should know about the basics of hair transplant procedure that has been invented by the dermatologists. The procedure, by which the healthy hair are dissected from the donor site, and replaced in the recipient site on any part of the scalp, is called the hair transplant or the hair restoration surgery.

The donor area is also called as the “horseshoe fringe” in scientific terms. The donor region is mainly the side or the back of the head. This is because, it has been found scientifically that these regions are not affected by pattern baldness in the male. The hair that has been extracted from the donor area is implanted in the tiny pores made either by punching or using laser on the balding areas.

The process of hair extractions under microscope is called grafting and the hair thus dissected is known as the grafts. Each graft will contain one or more hairs that are dissected from the donor region. The grafts are implanted on the top of the head which will be balder and it makes the scalp look fuller and thicker. The grafts are placed in the crown only at the end of the procedure.

The extent of the hair loss, will decide the time for the men hair transplant. Generally, a hair transplant will take a few hours to complete the surgery. It also depends on the factors like the rate of hair loss, the amount of donor hair, and other medical considerations. Men will need only a few session while compared to that a female. Generally a session lasts for around five to ten hours.

The various hair transplant techniques are the strip incision, follicular unit extraction and micro or mini grafting techniques. The strip incision is the most traditional way of hair transplant surgery. This method involves the cutting of a tissue from the donor region that are rich in hair follicles. This tissue is planted in the bald region of the patient which then re grows.

The process of strip incision is bit complicated but after the invention of grafting technique has made the incision easier. Follicular unit extraction is the most followed technique of hair transplant surgery. This is done by the administration of local anesthesia to the patient. In this procedure the follicles from the donor region are taken and placed along the hair line in the recipient region.

The benefit of this method is that many follicular units can be extracted and implanted at any time. Mini or micro grafting is also similar to that of follicular unit extraction. The graft size in this method is always decided by the doctor. Men hair transplant should be performed carefully to avoid side effects like scarring, infection, swelling, pigment changes in the skin and scalp numbing.

Filed under: Health And Fitness on February 26th, 2010 | No Comments »

Different clinics have varying instructions on how to care for your hair transplant after you have had your procedure but the basics are pretty simple.

First, when you have your procedure most clinics will give you medications to take for the first few days. These usually include, but are not limited to, anti-biotics, pain killers and sleeping pills. Anti-biotics are usually only given as a precaution against infection as infections are relatively rare with today’s methods. The anti-biotic is usually a variant of penicillin. The first four or five days are when a patient is most susceptible to recipient site infection so this time period.

Pain killers are usually in the form of Tylenol 3 or some other prescription strength medication. Patients that visit better known clinics with solid reputations usually do not need to take pain killers but they are there just in case. The amount of pain killers will vary from enough for two or three days to enough for one week.

Sleeping pills are also not always needed but they can help the patient to relax and sleep soundly. This can be especially helpful when patients are particularly worried that they will damage their new hair grafts from too much tossing and turning in bed. Sleeping pills generally will put the patient into a deep enough sleep that they will wake up in the same position they fell asleep in thus reducing the chance that they will damage their new hair transplant grafts while sleeping.

Some clinics will recommend saline water spray to keep the grafted area moist as some hair transplant doctors believe that a moist recipient area will heal better while other clinics recommend dry healing. Other treatments can include vitamin E oil to help lift recipient scabbing and reduce recipient area redness.

One of the biggest discrepancies between clinics is how soon one should wash their new hair transplant grafts. Some clinics recommend that the patient carefully wash their hair two or three days after their hair transplant while some other clinics recommend not touching the transplanted area at all for up to three weeks or more. These clinics believe that the scabbing will come off on it’s own in this time frame and that this natural approach is best.

With regards to physical activities, again, most clinics have similar requirements. Two or three weeks is needed to wait for any cardio activities such as running or biking. This is to prevent too much sweating in the recipient area which could cause any minor infection to spread to other areas of the scalp. Heavy lifting is almost always recommended at one month. This will include bench pressing, leg squats and other heavy activities that could potentially cause undue stress for the hair transplanted grafts or the donor are. Some clinics are so cautious about this that they recommend no strenuous physical activity for up to six months post-op.

Ultimately, in the end, if you do decide to undergo a hair transplant always follow your particular clinic’s advice. If you don’t and something goes wrong then you want to be able to say you followed their instructions to the letter so that they cannot use that as an excuse to not back up their work.

A great source for hair transplant information- http://www.hairtransplantinsider.com

Filed under: Health And Fitness on February 21st, 2010 | No Comments »

Let me take a minute to share some of my history with you. As of this writing I am 39 years old and I live in Los Angeles. My hair loss started at the age of 22 and slowly progressed. All of the younger guys reading this, trust me, I know how you feel and believe me when I tell you that there is hope for a good set of hair on most of you. Anyways, I always was self conscious about my receding hair line and in the early 90’s started to interview doctors within the general Los Angeles Area. You name them, I can tell you I had interviewed them, I have been to Bosley, Dr. Wolf, Dr. Meshkin, Dr. Rassman, Medical Restoration Center, and many others which I do not recall. Looking back, I was so lucky not to have a surgery done at that time because If I had I most probably would have doll hair plugs sticking out my head.

So at the age of 35 I got married and settled down with my beautiful wife. I started to truly notice I was loosing my hair at the age of 36. It was pointed out to me by someone at my work since he was my upstairs neighbor looking down at my crown area.

I decided then and there to stop my hair loss and change my appearance forever, to the better. So, again I started my research online for months. I read articles, visited websites and talked to patients. In my research one name came up over and over again, “Hasson and Wong” based out of Vancouver Canada. . In almost every forum they had positive reviews over and over again from patients who had transplant procedures done by either Dr. Wong or Dr. Hasson. After 4 months of research I decided that Hasson and Wong was the one for me. Why did I decide on Surgeons out of the United States? Simple, they were one of the best, if not the best in the entire world and a Hair transplant is a life changing surgery. You cannot hide a hair transplant, once it is done thats it, your stuck with it for life. So, traveling 3.5 hours from where I lived to their office to have transplant work done by the best was a no brainer for me. I would travel to China if the best doctors were located there.

But which physician, Dr. Wong or Dr. Hasson? Everywhere I read they both had equally good reviews, one did not stand over the other in their skills or practices as a surgeon. One day, I read Jatronics blog, who is a past patient of Dr. Wong’s and who also works for Hasson and Wong presently. On his site he described in detail his own hair loss experiences and why he chose Dr. Wong and his entire transplant procedure with Dr. Wong. After reading that post, I decided Dr. Wong was the one for me. I made my first contact to Hasson and Wong by email, actually my entire hair transplant consultation was done online. I sent in a couple of photographs of my current hair loss status and Dr. Wong made an educated guess as to how many grafts I would need and how much the total cost of the surgery would be. I told him I wanted the maximum possible, which we agreed on to be approx 3800 grafts the cost at that time was approx $11,000., which to me was o.k., since most surgeons here in Los Angeles where double that amount, Also, the airfare and hotel where also included. Hasson and Wong pay for 2 full days of room and airfare. We were given a great room and at the great Granville Hotel on Granville Island in Vancouver. My wife and I decided to make it a short holiday for ourselves.

When we arrived at Vancouver in mid 2004 we went directly to our hotel at the Granville. We unpacked and had brunch, and since I insisted to meet Dr. Wong in person for a face to face consultation before the surgery, we then left for Hasson and Wong a day before the surgery. My wife and I met with Joe Tillman and Dr. Wong that afternoon which turned out to be more that what I expected. We talked about how the surgery will take place, the donor scar, my donor density and so on. It was a great meeting which helped me to prepare for the upcoming surgery the next day at 6:00am. My wife and I went back to our hotel and had a great dinner and relaxed.

On the day of the surgery, I really was nervous and reality settled in. Believe me when I tell you right before going in to have my donor area taken, I was having a panic attack, my heart was beating and I was telling my self , if this goes wrong I will be scared for life. Nobody knew this was happening, except my wife and she calmed me down by telling me that she had absolutely no doubts that the procedure would be done correctly. So I laid down in the chair and Dr Wong walked in gave me some anesthesia and started to cut my donor area out. Now let me tell all, I have a low tolerance of pain and I can honestly say that going to the dentist is more painful, I personally did not feel any pain whatsoever when Wong was cutting my donor area. After the donor area was taken, I was stapled up and taken to another room for harvesting. They had some 6-8 nurses, not including Dr. Wong harvesting the implants which took 10-12 hours. We started at 6:30am and were done by 4:00pm. I watched 2 dvd movies, “The Lord of The Rings” ,talked to Dr. Wong, talked to the nurses, my wife and had sushi for lunch. I did all that as the implants were being harvested. There was absolutely no pain. After the surgery was complete I was given some pain killers, given a hat, paid, thanked everyone for their precision and professionalism and went back to the hotel. We left for Los Angeles the following morning. The next day my face swelled up due to Anesthesia medication which was inserted in my head to numb the transplant area.

This swelling lasted 1 day after which the transplanted area was red for about 2-4 weeks. This redness of the transplanted area depends on individuals skin completion. If one is white and pale skinned like myself, the redness lasts longer, if one is tanned and dark skinned the redness may not even be noticeable. All donor transplanted hair fell off within 10 days. The next phase which lasts approx 3-6 months is the resting phase. I started seeing hairs pop out in around the 4-5 month mark which was amazing for a guy who before this was going bold every year. By the 8-10 month I noticed a whole new me with a whole new set of hair, absolutely amazing. For the first time in 10 years I can use a brush not a comb to brush my hair. Visit my website for before and after pics.

Filed under: Health And Fitness on February 17th, 2010 | No Comments »

The average cost in the United States is from $8.00 down to a more manageable $3.00 per implant. That price may vary with the volume and amount of treatments that may be required to complete the treatment procedure. There are also some precautionary procedures that are taken to avoid the many complications during the surgery process itself. Like steering away from alcoholic beverages and other compounds in food and drinks that may cause bleeding and infections. Pre-operative processes can have a topical or local anesthetic administered after which the scalp is shampooed and washed with an anti-bacterial solution.

After the operation, it must be ensured that the graft area is kept clean but in case of bleeding and itching, a visit to the doctor should immediately be conducted to prevent complications such as infection that can result in failure of the transplant.

Filed under: Body Hair, General, Hair Care, Hair Treatments on February 13th, 2010 | No Comments »