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Showing posts with label transplant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transplant. Show all posts

Selecting A Hair Loss Treatment

We treat it with care, brush it every day and hope it’s never out of place. But when hair begins to lose its thickness and leaves our brush draped with locks, it may be time to consider a hair loss treatment. There are several factors that may lead to hair loss, including certain medications, medical treatments, improper care, poor nutrition or illness. No matter the reason, the loss of one’s hair can be an embarrassing occurrence for many. With a proper diagnosis, a dermatologist can recommend a customized approach and an effective hair loss treatment.

In the beginning, a patient may be prescribed some type of medication in order to help prevent further hair loss. This would depend entirely on the determined cause, but is often an early approach to fighting against continued loss. Perhaps the most widely recognized hair loss treatment is Rogaine, which is available by prescription only. For individuals who do not seem to respond to regular treatments, or simply want a fast and effective hair loss treatment, a transplant may be their preferred approach.

A hair loss treatment is one that helps to prevent recurrence, but a hair transplant is thought to be a permanent resolution. This procedure includes the removal of skin and hair from another area of the head and transplanted to the location of hair loss. This procedure is commonly used on men who are experiencing male pattern baldness because there is usually hair that can be removed from the back and transplanted onto the balding area. It is important that there be enough healthy hair to transplant, as well as enough to remain at the donor site in order to maintain a full look. Certain individuals, such as those with weakened immune systems and/or Diabetes, may not be ideal candidates for a hair transplant.

Men or women who are suffering from complete hair loss due to certain illnesses and/or medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, may find that their only hair loss treatment is that of artificial hair. Commonly referred to as a ‘wig,’ this type of hair is created to look natural and is carefully selected so that each patient feels that there appearance is not dramatically altered by the change.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or a dermatologist’s recommendation. Prior to beginning any hair loss treatment program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Advancement In Hair Transplantation

A standard hair transplantation procedure involves the removal of donor strip of hair from the back of the head from where the follicular unit grafts are dissected under a microscope. These grafts are then preserved in saline and are then transplanted on a bald patch on the crown area of the scalp.

Given the time consuming and tedious nature of this procedure, a hair transplant surgeon is often able to transplant only about 500 to 600 follicular unit grafts per day. However, thanks to the recent hair transplant advances, this technique is often replaced by the follicular unit extraction (FUE). The cost per graft of FUE is typically twice the cost of the standard follicular unit hair transplant procedure discussed above but it is comparatively faster and minimally invasive.

Some hair transplant advances

In a typical FUE procedure a small round punch is made in the donor area to directly extract 1, 2, 3 and 4 hair follicular unit grafts. The follicular units extracted using this process is typically referred to as “blunt dissection” where a punch is made to envelope the entire follicular unit separating it from the surrounding soft tissues.

Once the underlying follicular unit is separated from the surrounding tissues, it is easily extracted using a small forceps. The small holes left behind after the follicular unit extraction gradually heal over the next few days and are not detectable to the naked eye once the patient’s hair grows out. The healing time is much less than the donor strip extraction procedure.

While the FUE procedure has been adopted by most hair transplant clinics, the standard strip excision method is still the most popular hair transplant procedure because it is more economical than the FUE.

Moreover, due to some recent hair transplant advances such as the use of trichophytic closure technique, the linear donor scar created by the strip excision procedure is now often rendered almost undetectable to the naked eye. This advancement in the hair transplantation technique has made FUE procedure relatively less appealing.

Hair transplantation research

Besides the hair transplant advances in the transplantation procedures, a lot of research is also underway to clone the hair. If the hair transplantation research is successful it will be possible to make several copies of donor hair in the laboratory. The application of this technique would be used in the form of hair transplantation. In the traditional procedures, the biggest limitation is often the donor which is not able to meet required density. However, hair cloning promises to overcome this problem by having the amount of hair required to be grown in a laboratory from a single donor hair and then implanting it into the scalp.

Hair transplantation research for cloning is very difficult and there are many hurdles that have to be overcome regarding the safety and cosmetic characteristics of the cloned hair. Some hair transplantation research has also provided breakthrough for some hair loss medication like Dutasteride.

Scope Of Laser Surgery As A Hair Transplant Procedure

For some people, the word laser surgery is synonymous wit the word “state-of-the-art”. With laser surgery permeating almost any branch of surgery it is not very uncommon to think so. Though laser surgery has shown much promise in other branches of surgery the scene with hair transplant surgery is entirely different.

Not only is laser hair transplant inappropriate for Follicular Unit Transplantation, it is actually detrimental even with different modification of procedure and use of different laser hair settings. Let’s see the rationale behind the difference between hair transplant surgeries and other surgeries where the use of laser has been of much advantage.

The value of laser surgery lies in its properties of “selective photo-thermolysis” (this is the ability to destroy a specific target without injuring the surrounding tissue). Hair transplant surgery is different in this regard from other surgeries because of the lack of a target tissue. And when one is using laser hair transplant surgery for channel creation for inserting the grafts, it is actually making use of destructive properties of the laser. The laser hair restoration surgery literally burns a recipient hole in the skin. The tall claims made by laser companies for a new class of laser causing no thermal damage, is anything but true. Regardless of the source and the type, a laser is something which causes thermal damage to the tissue by its high energy. The laser hair restoration technique always leaves surface change and scarring. Not only this, high energy laser beams used for laser hair transplant may damage hairs existing near the implant site because of burning of the surrounding tissue. But at the same time it is important to keep in mind the use of laser for hair removal is a different case altogether. Since here the destructive property of laser is put to use, it can be a good option being painless and fast.

There is another drawback of laser hair transplant surgery which is more critical. The high energy of laser beam leads to the closing of the blood vessels. This characteristic feature of the laser beam is useful in other type of surgery where it helps to close wounds and provides quick healing. But in case of hair transplant surgery, blood supply is very crucial for nourishing the grafts after they are transplanted. And this is the main concern about a laser hair transplant surgery. Laser assisted transplants either are not able to grow or heal more slowly to have unpredictable growth due to impaired blood flow.

The thermal damage caused by the laser hair restoration to the surrounding tissue destroys the collagen and weakens the elastic support around the newly transplanted grafts. It also increases the coagulum (clot) around the graft which, in turn, decreases oxygen perfusion and retards healing. The uniformly created channels created by laser hair transplant surgery lose all its promise when the laser “loosens” the “snug fit” between the transplanted graft and recipient site. And this is the reason why laser hair restoration results in unpredicted and slow growth of the hair follicle.

The advantage of laser towards decreasing bleeding at the recipient site is also not of much use in case of hair transplantation surgery. A hair transplantation surgeon can decrease bleeding by the use of precision instruments and better hair transplant procedures more effectively than using a laser beam.

Regardless the hair transplant procedure a hair transplant doctor uses, maximizing the growth of a transplant is the one and only aim of any hair transplant surgery. And whatever is the type of implanted graft, whether it is a single follicular units or a group of follicular units, restoring the blood supply to the graft is of utmost importance. And since the laser hair transplant surgery fails to accomplish the vital function of restoring the blood flow, it is to be simply ignored as a hair transplant procedure.

There are many hair transplant centers which boast of laser hair transplant as a painless procedure or as a fast process for hair transplant surgery, are to be totally dismissed. This is an important piece of information which can save you from a fraudulent hair transplant center if you are planning to have a hair transplant surgery done. But before you visit a hair transplant clinic find some time to visit the site hairttransplantadvice.com and make an informed decision

Follicular Grouping The Innovative Hair Transplant Technique

Experiments performed by the hair transplant surgeon Dr Seager in 1996 gave significant credence to the surgical technique of unit follicular hair transplant. Since these experiments had demonstrated that the survival rate of intact follicular unit was better than the single hair micro-grafts, the use of micro-grafts for hair transplant surgery was more or less dropped.

Although the results of surgical hair restoration with the use of follicular unit transplants were sound and aesthetically pleasing, this form of hair transplant surgery suffered from drawback of requiring a long time period (6-8 hr) to complete a transplant session. It involved teams of highly skilled assistants for the hair transplant procedure of separating the follicular units. As the procedure required long time and much skill the procedure was proving to be very costly to the patient. The surgical damage caused to the follicle when two follicular units extremely close together were dissected apart, also started to affect the results of Hair Restoration Surgery.

A reduced success in follicular unit transplantation was more frequent in hair restoration surgeries that were being performed by hair transplant surgeons undertaking follicular unit transplant surgery only infrequently. The fact was of much concern to the professional hair transplant surgeon. The primary reason for a reduced success rate was that the assistants of the hair transplantation surgeon lacked the expertise and experience in correctly isolating single follicular units and dissecting them at a fast pace.

Ensuring that the follicular unit remains intact and is dissected and implanted into the scalp in the shortest possible is essential for increasing the chances of the hair follicles surviving the process and growing. But whenever an assistant was not able to take care of this important aspect, it affected the results.

For the above mentioned reasons, a technique that leaves the follicular unit intact but at the same time advocates the use of three and four-haired follicular groupings for surgical hair restoration was evolved by the innovative hair transplant surgeons. This procedure was found to have many advantages over follicular unit transplantation.

A single hair follicular unit does not necessarily comprise a single hair and may contain 2-4 hairs in a single hole. When the follicular units are found very close to each other in the donor skin sample it is not advisable to separate them as it can cause iatrogenic damage to them. Advantage of this fact is taken to form three-and four-haired groupings when 2 two-haired follicular units or a three haired unit and one-haired unit are naturally placed very close to each other. A group (of 1-4 follicular units naturally placed close to each other) transplanted as a single graft results in superior hair growth and at the same time lessens the surgical damage and trauma to the recipient site.

The hair transplant procedure of using natural groups for the hair transplant surgery has many advantages:

1. It results in much quicker hair transplant procedure as it saves time for separating each follicular unit and less time is required for their placement.

2. Hair transplant procedure prevents iatrogenic injury to follicular units during the dissection phase.

3. It lessens iatrogenic injury during placement phase because follicular groupings are not as fragile as follicular units because of more tissue attached to them.

4. As this hair transplant procedure proceeds at a faster rate, it allows the grafts to be left out of the body for a shorter period of time and increases their survival rates.

5. The last but not the least important advantage of this hair transplant procedure is that it reduces the cost of hair transplant surgery and is there for affordable to the patient.

Besides the above mentioned advantages, the technique of grouping of hair follicles can serve as a crucial tool in an expert hair transplant surgeon’s hands to create wonders through the hair restoration surgery! Success and a natural looking hair transplant requires strategic planning! The grouping technique does not undermine the importance of a unit follicular hair transplant but actually compliments it by conserving more single-haired follicular units for the defining the hairline. The 2-haired follicular groups can be used for gradation in the area immediately posterior to the hair line and use of denser, but not bigger, 3 haired groups to provide the hair-density to the bald scalp behind. Besides saving the hair in the donor area for the future hair transplants this innovative technique of hair restoration surgery provides you the results which are just wondrous!

Have you found the above article interesting? You can get more hair transplant information to read on the topic

Hair Transplant Procedures Costs

Hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness is a condition that affects both men and women. Surgical hair transplantation is the only solution for restoring the lost hair in pattern baldness when medical hair restoration does not offer you a good hair re-growth.

If you have well-defined and clearly established areas or patterns of baldness on the crown with healthy dense coverage of hair at the sides and the back of the head, you are probably suitable for a hair transplant surgery. Hair that is transplanted in the frontal region of the skull generally offers the best results. However, a hair transplant procedure can also be carried out on any other area of your head if you have some bald patch there.

It is best to have detailed information about the hair transplant procedure before you make plans to undergo a surgery. It is only after you have read through all the information that you can understand and appreciate the significance of surgical hair restoration. The information will also help you decider whether you are the right candidate for the hair transplant surgery.

Now that you are well informed, you would probably think whether the hair transplantation is at all affordable? Hair transplant cost varies depending upon your past medical history, the degree and extent of your hair loss, possibility of medical hair restoration as an adjunct for surgical hair restoration, number of sessions that would will be required for hair transplant surgery, etc. It is after placing due considerations to these factors that your hair restoration surgeon will be able to chalk out an affordable hair transplant treatment plan for you.

Before you make a decision to undergo hair transplant procedure, it is better that you make a consultation visit to the hair transplantation surgeon. This consultation will give you some idea about the hair transplant cost for your surgery.

In general, the average hair transplant cost in USA ranges from $3,690 to $ 9, 800. In some cases it can also be as high as $ 15, 000. The hair transplant cost varies considerably from person to person, and also depends on how many grafts you need, the number of sessions involved, and the hair transplant center or clinic you visit. Clinics in California charge more on average than clinics in Texas. Going to Canada or to Mexico for the hair transplant will be cheaper.

Remember that the hair transplant prices should not be the main reason for choosing a particular hair transplant surgeon, though it is an important factor for most patients. The cost of hair transplant surgery at most hair restoration centers in the USA is based on the size of a hair transplant “session” not on the number of hair follicle units transplanted. This is simply because some grafts contain more hair follicles than others

Baldness Solutions To End The Hair Raising Story Of Hair Loss

Hair is a striking feature of human body. Hair loss, especially by female/male pattern baldness is matter of great concern. Pattern baldness is particularly is very troubling condition. In this type of baldness the hair is regularly lost at both the temples and at top of the skull. At last the person is left with a horseshoe pattern in the head.

Male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) is the chief devil that causes hair loss. With age one suffers from this disorder by acquiring the genetic predisposition and presence of male hormones. Contrary to the common perception, hereditary baldness is not a must in each generation. However, if one’s father is completely bald and one loses hair at an early stage, then he is said to be in male pattern baldness due to alopecia and 95% of complete baldness occurs by alopecia.

Excess amount of male hormone also causes hair loss. Besides, stress, improper nutrition and pollution together accelerate the baldness. One under stress will loss hair at double the speed of a normal human.

Taking dietary supplement and/or external application of cosmetics is fruitless to stop baldness. Fortunately, there are several baldness solutions, the most popular ones being hair transplantation surgery, scalp reduction surgery and scalp flap surgery.

There is no such thing as true hair transplant. Surgeons replace the bald area from some other hair-healthy area of the head. Hence, the name hair replacement transplant. Hair transplant works when there is enough donor hairs. Victims of female/male pattern balding are the best candidates for hair transplant. If you still have hair growing anywhere around the scalp flaps hair transplantation can be easy and effective.

Scalp reduction surgery is a popular balding solution to cure the baldness caused by flaking scalps. It can be done in conjunction with hair transplants and involves surgically removing of a portion of the balding area, which causes the bald spot to be smaller. This means that there are fewer areas to graft to the head during a hair transplant.

Scalp flap is an invasive procedure that involves surgically removing a portion of healthy scalp and hair from the back or sides of the head and transplanting it on the bald areas. This creates a new hairline for the males who suffer from male pattern baldness. Scalp flaps are usually performed on patients who have complete balding in the front area of the scalp. Those candidates whose hair is just beginning to thin or is thinning in patches in random areas spanning the head may want to choose a different type of treatment.