Paul McGregorHair today. Gone tomorrow. For some of us, the prospect of going bald is a nightmare, and so can be figuring out what to do about it.
Do we embrace it? Shave it? Or look what’s behind Door Number 3: hair transplant?
How do you know what treatment is right for you, and if it’s going to work? And then there’s the constant worry about money, side effects and future maintenance.
Here we take a look at the advantages and disadvantage of hair transplants, where to get them and if its right for you.
What Causes Hair Loss?
As all hairs are shed at the end of their growth cycle, some degree of hair loss is accepted as normal in every individuals. During the resting stage of the hair growth cycle, the hair relaxes its hold on the hair root and the bulb of the hair shaft moves closer to the surface of the skin.
Over time, including shampooing and daily brushing, hair follicles are caused to loosen further at the root. Eventually, the hair is shed; of which approximately 100 hairs per day by this way is commonplace.
Many people are unaware of the complex nature of hair, from the different types of hair to its structure and growth cycle.
Now that you know the science, it’s time to discuss male-pattern baldness. This is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Those who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait, and men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the head.
James Hair Loss Story
Reader James got in touch regarding his recent hair loss, and we decided to team up with The Harley Street Clinic to arrange a hair transplant for him.
At 27, James only started to lose his hair over the past year and started to wear hats more often. After trying shampoos and other potential solutions to stop the hair loss, nothing seemed to work effectively. Therefore with a wedding around the corner, he felt like a hair transplant would be the best decision.
After an initial consultation at the clinic, James was a perfect candidate for a FUE hair transplant and went ahead with the surgery.
Here’s the results…
With his hair loss being more prominent at the front the initial consultation showed James where his hair line would start.
When happy, James was booked in for 2 days of treatment with follow up appointments.
With this form of transplant, no artificial hairs are used. Hair is taken from the back of the head and then implanted into the area which is lacking the growth.
The first day of treatment involves hair being taken from one side and being implanted into one half of the front. It’s a delicate procedure that takes time but more importantly takes a very skilled practitioner to do it.
At The Harley Street Clinic they have strict rules with transplants, allowing a practitioner only to deal with one hair transplant a day to avoid them from getting tired or losing focus.
James recalls the actually transplant as being extremely pain free overall. “There was some discomfort at times, but the TV and relaxing atmosphere made it easier.”
The next day the other side was completed, finishing off the overall treatment.
Advised to stay off work for the first few days James rested up, and told us that “although at times it felt uncomfortable to sore to touch, overall it looked worse than it felt!”.
With the FUE procedure it’s likely that the hair starts to grow and then falls out, before regrowing again.
For the hair to start showing it can take over a month, but ever patient is different. Here’s an image of James hair after a few weeks…
After a few months the scabbing was completely unnoticeable and the hair started to grow nicely.
At the wedding the results were clear to see, and James didn’t have to wear his trusted hat that he wore before the transplant!
A FUE Hair Transplant
James had his hair transplant from The Harley Street Hair Clinic, who specialise in a range of hair loss treatments can be offered that can help you with different types of hair loss.
The Harley Street Hair Clinic has a team of experts in hair replacement who exclusively perform a number of beneficial treatments. What’s interesting is the FUE transplants offered for patients. This leading-edge method of hair transplantation is highly technical and the most effective way of getting maximum value out of every donor hair.
But what exactly is it?
Follicular Unit Extraction, is the modern technique of hair restoration; it is a more advanced method of hair transplants than previous techniques you might have heard of such as Strip-Harvesting Transplantation or Follicular Unit Transplantation.
But how exactly does it work?
During an FUE transplant, hair follicles are extracted from a donor area, typically the back of the neck. Follicles are then transferred to the recipient area on your scalp and implanted using a powerful stereo microscope in groups of one to four hairs, just as they grow in nature. This is a minimally invasive, surgical procedure so you will remain fully conscious the whole time; only a local anesthetic is required.
Recovery time is short and the risk of complications is low. After the procedure we will provide you with clear instructions on aftercare, as well as medication and topical treatments to give you the best result possible.
This way of transplant differs from other treatments as the results reveals no visible linear scars, and unlike other forms of transplant, recovery time is much quicker.
The results possible are of the highest quality and naturalness and undetectable which is the most significant advantage
Can You Get A Hair Transplant?
The critical thing to keep in mind is that hair transplants can only relocate hair from one part of your body to another. They cannot create donor hair.
What makes FUE so remarkable is the way hairs are implanted. Experienced specialists carefully map your hair growth before implantation so they know where and on what angle to place each follicle. It’s an exacting process that takes a lot of experience and expertise.
With regard to genes, hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia occurs only if a person has a specific genetic code in his or her chromosomes. This code responsible for baldness is carried by a single gene or a group of genes and may be inherited from either mother or father. Therefore, if you carry this gene, and certain hair loss is inevitable, then a FUE treatment might be the best route for you.
What’s more, in this ever-changing and fast-paced world, stress can affect your health, hair-growth and, in turn, male-pattern baldness. In many cases of hair loss, the root of the problem is stress. Stress has always been with us and is not a new phenomenon.
Owing to increased awareness through medical advances and the way that the condition is reported in the media, we now have a better understanding of the debilitating effect it can have on people. But now with the help of professionals like we have seen at the Harley Street Hair Clinic, stress does not have to take control of you and your hair do.
Finally, as people get older, some hairs randomly begin to shrink both in length and diameter. This process is called miniaturisation, and as a result, miniaturised hairs will be shed and actual follicular units decrease in number. These hairs will no longer return and unless you wish to embrace the shave and go all shiny on top.
Getting A Hair Transplant
With most cases getting a consultation is always highly recommended. Every patient is different, so finding out the best treatment for you is highly recommended.
As mentioned already, in some cases a hair transplant may not be available. But it’s well worth getting a free consultation to see what can be achieved and how much it’s going to cost.
Finally, when it comes to cost understand that paying for quality at the beginning can save you a lot of problems and money in the long run. We’re talking about a hair transplant here, if something goes wrong there’s a lot of complications. That’s why we recommend The Harley Street Hair Clinic as the case studies and results speak for themselves.