Hair Restoration – Hair Replacement Surgery
There are few issues that are as widespread and bothersome as hair loss. Although it is quite common, men are consistently frustrated by thinning hair and baldness. Poor nutrition, stress, hormones, and heredity are the chief culprits for this condition. In some cases, their hair quality and coverage can be improved with non-surgical options such a growth factors like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapies, oral finasteride, and topical minoxidil or light therapy; but more often than not most men are left only with surgical options such as hair transplants.
Introduction
In the past, taking segments of hair from one part of the scalp and transplanting it in thinning or balding areas created unnatural patterns. Fortunately, hair transplant techniques have improved considerably since then. Today, a skilled cosmetic surgeon can provide permanent results that will be undetectable by even the most skilled barber or hairstylist. And if a scar remains, laser therapies and/or micropigmentation are options for improvement of the remaining visible scar.
Who Is a Candidate for Hair Transplant?
- A man who has healthy hair on his head in an area that can be harvested for transplant
- A man who is in good overall health
- A man who is not taking herbal supplements or prescription medication that may impact healing
Who Is Not a Candidate for Hair Transplant?
- A man who demands immediate results – final results of hair transplantation may not be apparent until 18 months later
- A man who is unable to afford hair transplant surgery and subsequent surgeries
- A man who has health problems that impact his ability to heal
HAIR TRANSPLANT
- The short answer here is that the science isn’t 100 percent conclusive that PRP can help regrow your hair or preserve the hair that you have.Here’s an overview of some promising results from research on PRP and hair loss:
- A 2014 studyTrusted Source of 11 people with androgenic alopecia found that injecting 2 to 3 cubic centimeters of PRP into the scalp every 2 weeks for 3 months could increase the average number of follicles from 71 to 93 units. This study is too small to be conclusive, but it shows that PRP may be able to help increase the number of hair follicles that can actively support healthy hair.
- A 2015 studyTrusted Source of 10 people receiving PRP injections every 2 to 3 weeks for 3 months showed improvements in the number of hairs, the thickness of those hairs, and the strength of the hair roots. This study helps provide extra support to the findings of other PRP and hair loss studies. But 10 people is still too small a sample size to be conclusive.
- A 2019 study compared two groups of people using different hair treatments for 6 months. One group of 20 used minoxidil (Rogaine), and the other group of 20 using PRP injections. Thirty people finished the study and results showed that PRP performed much better for hair loss than Rogaine. But the study also found that your level of platelets can affect how well your own plasma works for hair loss. A lower level of blood platelets may mean that PRP isn’t as effective for you.
Aside from treating male pattern baldness, there isn’t a ton of research on PRP for hair growth, and it isn’t entirely conclusive.
So why all the hype? It’s thought that PRP contains proteins that serve several main functions that are thought to help hair regrow:
- helping your blood to clot Trusted Source
- encouraging cell growth Trusted Source
And there’s some promising research suggesting that PRP may work for other types of hair loss.
- The donor area and transplantation areas are treated with anesthesia.
- The donor hairs are harvested and prepared for transplantation.
- The hairs are transplanted.
- The incision sites are closed.
- In most cases, the scalp will be wrapped or bandaged for a day or two during the initial healing stage.
- As the transplanted hairs heal, they may scab.
- After the transplant process is complete, the hairs will begin to grow, and will appear natural within 18 months.
Notes
The specific risks and the suitability of this procedure for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation. All surgical procedures have some degree of risk. Minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications are rare.