Hair loss in women can be a more traumatic experience compared to that of men. This commonly happens because baldness is a much more frequent phenomenon among men, but it is an odd event among women generally. As a result, baldness in men becomes more acceptable, where as a woman facing the same problem may receive unwanted attention, and may feel more traumatized. Women’s hair replacement therapies have only recently started to be utilized though because it was taboo to talk about a woman’s hair loss problems.  Luckily, this reluctance to deal with the problem is waning.  There are several techniques available nowadays for hair restoration for women.

Women patients of hair loss should understand that their pattern of hair loss is quite different from that of men. Therefore, it needs a hair restoration treatment from a specialist who is experienced in handling hair restoration for women. Thinning of hair is more commonly seen in women, where as men suffer from a typical pattern of a receding hairline or patches of baldness.

Among the various treatments available for hair restoration, hair transplant is the most effective approach. An experienced hair transplant surgeon will first evaluate the characteristics of the patient’s hair, and then decide the best treatment approach for her. Common hair transplant procedures include Follicular Unit Extraction technique, Multi Unit Grafting technique and Follicular Unit Transplant. In case of Follicular Unit Transplant technique, the transplantation involves individual handing of every follicular hair unit. Multi Unit Grafting technique involves transplantation of groups of follicular units in a single graft. Follicular Unit Extraction technique is more suited for patients who seek shorter hairstyle.

Hair restoration for women is also possible in cases where the patient is reluctant to opt for hair transplant surgery. In such situations, the woman patient may like to go for hair loss medication course or laser hair treatment. In case of laser hair therapy, the hair scalp is exposed to mild levels of laser beams. This helps to rejuvenate the hair follicles due to an increased blood flow, and results in a thicker growth of hair.

In many cases, the woman patient may not prefer hair transplant or laser therapy. In milder cases of hair loss among women, it is also possible to restore the hair by taking a course of Rogaine. Rogaine is an FDA approved medication based on the hair restoration drug Minoxidil that can successfully treat mild cases of hair loss. Minoxidil was originally developed as a high blood pressure medication but it was noted that men in the original efficacy studies also showed improvements in their male pattern baldness symptoms.  Further studies indicated this was the case.

Recently, Minoxidil has also been approved for use by women with hair loss and thinning hair problems. However, the downside of this treatment is that it continues to be effective for the hair only as long as the drug course is continued. Once the patient stops the medication, chances are that the hair loss may resume as before.

Some patients also report successful hair restoration with herbal and other alternative treatments.  As always, if you need women’s hair replacement then you should check out all the information you can and then make an appointment with your doctor to determine the best course of action for you.

About Hair Loss

Hair plays a very important role in any individual’s appearance. One only needs to see a person with different hairstyles to understand the role hair plays in deciding the overall appearance of a person. Since a lot of your confidence comes from the way you look, a receding hairline or a balding head can suck confidence out of you and can thereby wreak havoc in your social and personal life.

There is always a reason behind hair loss and it is very important to detect the cause before going for any kind of hair treatment. While, generally, hair loss is caused due to genetic factors, it can also be caused from stress, pollution and an unhealthy lifestyle.

Since hair is so vital in maintaining one’s levels of confidence, people experiencing hair loss are always on the lookout for different types of treatment to get their precious hair back. Hair replacement service (or hair transplantation) is one treatment that has always been very popular with people with hair loss problems.

About Hair Replacement Service

In hair replacement treatments hair follicles from the area of your head that is genetically resistant to going bald (called the donor area), generally the back of your head, are used for hair transplantation. Therefore, it is imperative that you have some good quality hair on your head if you wish to go for the hair replacement service. This is usually not a problem as male pattern baldness will cause hair loss on the top and front of the scalp predominantly.

The Hair Replacement Treatment

The modern hair replacement surgery is done using local anesthesia and so the patient hardly feels any pain. The whole surgical procedure may involve more than one session, the exact number of sessions depending on the extent of hair loss and the patient’s requirements. There are generally no side effects after the treatment and even if there are any, they are not very serious and subside in a couple of days. There may be some redness such as from a pin prick at the donation sites.

Before going for the treatment, one must carefully research about the clinics offering hair replacement treatment that you are interested in. You should get the treatment done only from a good clinic (and by an experienced surgeon) even if it is costlier than other clinics, because the cheaper clinics will probably use old methods of replacement that might prove disastrous and may leave you regretting your decision for the rest of your life.

The first visit to the clinic is very important because in the first visit, the doctor gets to understand your particular hair loss problem in detail, which in turn helps him or her to decide the course of your treatment. The doctor may advise you to take antibiotics before the treatment and might also suggest some other pre-treatment precautions. In addition, you must clear all your doubts regarding the treatment in the very first visit and should also ask the doctor in detail about the exact procedure of the surgery.

Hair Replacement Cost

The competition between clinics providing hair replacement services has greatly increased in recent years owing to its increasing demand and popularity and therefore the cost of the surgery has drastically gone down.

These days, while a basic hair transplant procedure on your crown may cost you between US $3,000 and US $10,000, a full hair transplant surgery can cost you between US $5,000 to US $30,000 depending on the amount of hair loss. Most clinics will allow you to opt for monthly financing with low payments to help make it more affordable.

Recovery From Hair Replacement Surgery

If done with modern equipment by an experienced professional, no bandage is generally required after the replacement surgery and one can even go back to one’s routine the same day. The transplanted hair grows slowly and one must not expect immediate drastic results after the surgery. In fact, the full results of the hair replacement service might even take a year to show. Therefore, the patient should actually be patient in order to see the proper results.

The treatment can give you an approximation of your prior hair density and generally it does not show even on a close examination of the hair, something that has made this treatment very popular. Another advantage of this service is that the transplanted hair requires no special maintenance or care. Though hair replacement surgery is not very cheap, it is worth the requisite investment considering the fact that it can bring about a huge positive change in your life.

The mechanism by which this hair loss occurs is very well known.  When the hormone testosterone is metabolized in the body it creates several substances called metabolites.  One of these metabolites is Dihydrotestosterone or DHT.  DHT will actually attack the hair follicles and cause them to stop producing keratin.  Keratin is the material that makes up a hair shaft and this shaft is what you see sticking out of your head.  A normally functioning hair follicle will convert nutrients and oxygen into keratin and this process slowly pushes the hair shaft up and out of the scalp.  This is the same way grass grows, from the roots up, as opposed to a tree which grows from the top.  If our hair grew from the top once we got a hair cut and removed the top we would not have any more hair growth.

When a man suffers from male pattern baldness the testosterone metabolite DHT actually interrupts this process.  The DHT bonds on receptors on the hair roots which inhibits the transfer of nutrients and oxygen.  This causes the hair follicle to slowly stop producing hair shaft material and the hair shaft gets thinner and thinner.  Eventually it can no longer support itself and it breaks off and falls out.  The follicle at this point will no longer be able to grow hair.

Some hair replacement products will help to correct this problem but they need to be used early in the hair loss product.  A DHT blocker will actually inhibit the production of this metabolite and since there is less in the body there is less to attack the hair.  Other hair replacement products will protect the hair root by not allowing the DHT to bond with the receptors.  Either way, much better results are obtained when these are used early.

Once the hair has fallen out many men will visit a hair replacement center to discuss their options.  Most of these centers are focused on hair restoration surgery which is the transplantation of hair follicles from one area of the scalp to another.  This is a very effective means of dealing with hair loss caused by androgenic alopecia because it actually takes follicles that can still grow hair and places them in the area where the follicles can no longer accomplish that.  An interested aspect of male pattern baldness that allows this form of hair replacement to work is the fact that men do not lose their hair at the back of their head.  Thus there is a very good donation site here for removal of hair follicles.

Another method for treating hair loss that you may find is a [hair replacement system].  This is actually a toupee or hair piece under a new name.  Modern manufacturing techniques have made these hair systems perform much better than the old hair pieces so they changed the name.  It seems like they could have picked a better one though.

When you are looking for a hair replacement center it is a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau in your area to see if there are any complaints.  Most centers are well run but there are some scam artists out there.  When you go for a consultation be sure you ask to see pictures of former patients.  The center should have many photos of different hair restoration procedures they have done, in fact they should have a before and after picture of each one.  If they can’t show you examples of their work then you probably want to go somewhere else.  Also, the hair surgery will involve a medical procedure on your body so the center of course should be cleanly and the staff well groomed.  You should expect nothing less than you would see at your normal doctor’s office.

Men’s hair replacement is a big business and unfortunately this can cause unscrupulous people to get into the business.  There is no governing or sanctioning board for hair replacement so you need to do your research well before you opt for a procedure at a hair replacement center.

The first method, buying a hair replacement system, throws a few people off until they realize what you are talking about. The old name for a hair replacement system is a toupee or hair piece. The manufacturers of this product knew they had a problem when the toupee kept being referred to in the comedy movies. It seems like for a while every comedy movie had a scene where some poor guy had his toupee come off and land in his soup or get blown off in a wind storm.

It got so bad that people started to chuckle as soon as they heard the name. The term hair replacement system has no bad connotations associated with it so it does not make people laugh and they take the system serious. The cost of hair replacement for one of the new hair pieces will range from about $400 to several thousand, depending on who does the work.

If you are speaking of hair restoration replacement then you are talking about a lot more money but you get a new head of hair that will continue to grow for years to come. This procedure is also known as hair implantation and hair transplantation. Basically, a hair restoration surgeon removes some living hair follicles from the back of your head and places them into the bald spot. This hair restoration procedure is not very time consuming any more and can usually be done in one day at the doctor’s office. The hair replacement surgery cost is based on per graft charge and the number of grafts that are used. The individual hair graft charge is usually between $3 and $7. Most people require about a thousand to two thousand grafts.

As you can see, hair replacement costs vary based on which method you choose. The hair system is cheap and easy but it has draw backs like it is not real. The hair restoration surgery is expensive but you get hair for years to come.

Hair loss has been a problem for at least 5500 years as witnessed by a hair growth remedy found written on the wall of an ancient Egyptian tomb. This concoction had, among other ingredients, healthy doses of animal blood and cow dung. It is doubtful the recipient received any hair growth benefits from this and he probably smelt pretty bad too.

One of the most effective ways to cover up baldness over the years has been to use a hair replacement system. Up until about the 1970’s this was the number one way to treat hair loss in men. In fact, it was actually the top of the line when it came to famous men who wanted to have a full head of hair again. You may not have heard the term hair replacement systems before but what I am talking about is a toupee. I know this word brings up all kinds of connotation about funny movies with guys losing their hair in their soup or getting it caught on an umbrella. These scenes brought lots of laughs, and rightly so, but they also perpetuated a misconception. Most men who wore a toupee had no trouble when it came to keeping them on.

But today’s hair pieces are even better. New attachment systems, based on new adhesives instead of rubber straps, allow the man to go out in the wind and even swim in the pool without the worry of his hair falling off. If you are on a budget then you really need to look into a hair replacement system as the way to deal with your balding problem.

When choosing a hair replacement system you need to be comfortable with the business and the people. When you show up for your consultation the staff should be friendly and professional. Before hand you should have checked with the Better Business Bureau to see if there had been any complaints about their service. When you meet with the hair system representative they should be attentive to your needs. If it feels like their only goal is to sell you a system, any system, then do not sign. You do not need to be pressured.

Also, if they say the only way you can try their product is to sign a contract then this is a bad sign. You should be able to try a hair piece for 30 days and return it if you don’t like it. The reason they want you to sign the contract is more than likely because they do not have superior product. There are many really great hair replacement systems on the market today so you don’t have to take the first one that comes along. Check around and do your own research. You really want to be knowledgeable about the possibilities before you go to the hair replacement center.

Hair pieces got a real bad name, some people say it was deserved, in the late 60’s and early 70’s as more and more people developed a real negative attitude toward them. The majority of this problem really came from comedy shows and movies which continued to show men with hair pieces that either looked terrible or fell off into the guy’s soup. It got so bad that no one wanted to be caught dead with a hair replacement system on his head. Suddenly, a lot of men who had been using the hair piece for years with good results were scared to even try wearing it in public.

Of course, like a said before a lot of the blame for the negative feelings can be laid right at the feet of the toupee’ manufacturers. Instead of constantly trying to improve their produce, they rested on their laurels and made the same mistakes over and over. The hairs on these old models were tied into the base material which meant no matter how hard a man tried to keep the piece flat on the head, the bumps from the knots would show through. The second problem was the attachment system. Often times the hair replacements would fall off when the man bent down or blew off in the wind. This did not occur as much as the movies made it out but it did occur. Both of these problems have now been alleviated with good results.

The base material is now a man made flexible material that allows for the individual hairs to be injected into the base instead of tied. This means the ultrathin base hugs the scalp just like a second skin. This makes the base unnoticeable which allows for closer inspection. The second problem with the attachment has also been solved by using new adhesives. The adhesive is applied and then the hair replacements are put in place. The hair piece then stays attached for days or weeks. It works so well that a man can go out in a wind storm or go swimming without worry about the piece falling off. Every few months the hair replacement system is sent into a hair replacement service company where it is cleaned and serviced. The spare is usually worn at this time.

The hair replacement for women systems, wigs, are not used that much any more because of the same problems with the toupee. The techniques developed for males are now being applied to hair replacments for women also. If you are losing your hair and you can’t spend thousands of dollars for hair restoration surgery then look into the new hair replacements.

Surgical hair replacement is another name for hair implantation, hair transplantation, or hair restoration surgery. They all really mean the same thing. Basically, the doctor will remove living hair implants from one area of the patient’s head and place them into the balding area. A vast majority of the men who have balding issues do so because of androgenic alopecia. This is a genetic condition that causes certain hair follicles to be attacked by a hormone substance called dihydrotestosterone. Luckily for men, the hair loss is usually localized on the top of the head between the forehead line and the crown. This leaves an area of thick hair growth at the back of the head which can be utilized for removal of hair follicles.

The next step is for the surgeon to implant the removed follicles into the balding spot in very small incisions. The direction of the hair growth can be controlled by how the hairs are inserted into the scalp and a skilled surgeon will spend a lot of time making sure they are placed just right so they will match the growth direction of the surrounding hairs. This makes the hairs look natural as they continue to grow.

The hair replacement procedure is done on an outpatient basis at the doctor’s office, clinic, or hair replacement center. Depending on how large the bald spot is the procedure may be done in one day or it may take more than one visit. The procedure is really quite simple with very little pain and discomfort.

Now that you understand the procedure you will understand why the center needs to be well recommended. Cosmetic surgeons live and die by the results of their patients so they are more than happy to show off their work. When you are considering a hair replacement center be sure to ask to see examples of their work. If they don’t have pictures of results then you won’t want to have them experimenting on you.

They will also usually have testimonials from satisfied patients with before and after pictures. This is another good way to check out their work. Before you decide on the clinic check with the Better Business Bureau BBB to see if there have been any complaints against the clinic or the doctor. Often times if a patient is unhappy they will file a complaint with the BBB so if the doctor or clinic is named I would be leary.

You should have a good feel about the doctor and the staff. They should be professional and caring about your issues. Remember, this is a place where surgery is performed so everything should be spotless just like in a hospital. There is not a specialty board for recognition of hair replacement surgeons which means that any trained physician can perform hair transplant surgery without any certification. This is why it is so important to check out references and possible complaints.

Finding the right hair replacement center for you will require that you spend time finding out about different clinics and checking references. This is an important surgery and should not be left to chance.

Correspondingly, the sales of hair pieces and toupees plummeted in the 1960’s and 70’s. They still haven’t come back to anywhere near the levels they were at during their peak selling years. One bright spot has been hairpieces for women which have seen a resurgence lately. Many female performers are using these female hair pieces or hair extensions to give their hair more body and length. It is time that men take a look at this simple way to get hair on their heads again also.

One of the marketing tactics of the toupee manufacturers was to change the name of their product. The original name had been joked about so much that people would start laughing as soon as the word was spoken. So they got together and came up with the name hair replacement system. You certainly can’t say this name evokes humorous thoughts. In fact, it doesn’t evoke any emotions at all, good or bad. This is probably one of the reasons these men’s hairpieces have still not become very popular again. But aside from the name, there have actually been many technological improvements to the product which makes it well worth you time to check out.

The most important advancements are the base material and the adhesive system. Old toupees were constructed of a lace base with the hairs actually knotted on the back side. This was very noticeable at close range as it did not give a realistic looking scalp at all. This problem has been solved by using a manmade material for the base and actually embedding the hair, either natural or artificial, into this material instead of knotting underneath. The hair piece will now lay flat on the scalp and looks very natural.

The adhesive system has also been updated. Originally, a man’s hair piece was help on with a rubber band or strap. This often slipped causing the hair to fall off. New adhesives are now being used which can keep the hair in place for weeks at a time. They are so strong that you can even go out in a wind storm or swim laps in the pool. No more worries about your hair falling off at inopportune times.

The new hairpieces are so effective that many may are using them to treat a receding hairline and then combing their hair straight back with no noticeable line where the forehead meets the hair piece. If you are looking for a way to cover up your bald spot and you don’t have the $20,000 needed for hair implant surgery then check out the new hair piece or hair replacement systems available now.

I’m sure you are very familiar with the old comedy movies that always made fun of a guy with a toupee or hair piece. Invariably the piece would fall off at the worst time, usually when he was eating his soup or trying to impress a pretty woman. The wearers of toupees saw this also and they started to be the butt of many jokes. This eventually caused a dramatic decline in their use. In fact, the number of hair pieces sold today is a small fraction of the number sold in the 1950’s and 60’s. The manufacturers saw this decline and realized they had to do something fast before their business slipped into oblivion. They decided to change the name and improve the product. Classic marketing 101.

Men’s Hair Systems

The hair replacement systems of today are much improved over their counter parts from forty or fifty years ago. One of the big improvements is in how the hair piece is attached to the head. It used to be that a rubber band was used to keep the hair in place. This invariably came loose and allowed the toupee to slip or fall off. Today, high tech adhesive systems are used which allow the wearer to swim, play sports, and even go out in a hurricane. The adhesive is applied to the scalp and the toupee is then placed where it is desired. This allows the piece to actually stay attached for weeks at a time so you don’t have to take it off at night any more. Usually, the hair replacement systems of today are worn for an extended period of time and then returned to the manufacturer for cleaning while a spare is then worn. This works great to keep the hair looking fresh while still covering up the bald spot.

If you want even more attachment you can get a hair weave system. With this type of system the natural hair is actually weaved through the base material of the toupee and combined with the hair attached to base. This gives an even more natural look than the hair system by itself. The problem with this idea is that it actually exacerbates the hair loss of the patient. In a condition known as Traction Alopecia this weaving actually causes the remaining hair to break off at the scalp or fall out and thus make the hair loss even worse. Weaves are not as popular as they once were.

Hair Extension systems

A place where weaving is still effective is in hair extension systems. Using a hair extension involves adding a partial covering of the head instead of a full coverage like you find with hair replacement systems. The extension is weaved into the hair in such a way that it is unnoticeable from the surrounding hair. If you use hair extensions them be careful because it can also cause Traction Alopecia.

Natural Hair System

Of course when choosing the proper system for your situation you will need to determine whether you desire human hair or artificial hair. Although there have been many advances in the manufacture of man-made hair material it still does not match the look and feel of natural hair. If you are going to spend the money for a high quality hair replacement system you might as well get the top of the line and that means human hair.

As you can see the old name toupee really should be thrown by the wayside. The new hair systems are much better looking and stay where they should. If you don’t find out more about this way to deal with hair loss then you are short changing yourself.

True or False

(1) Baldness can be caused by vitamin deficiencies or poor circulation to the scalp.

Answer: False. Common baldness or male pattern baldness (MPB) results from family history, aging and the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is found at the temples, at the crown and on top of the scalp.

(2) Surgery for hair replacement requires that a patient has a good growth of hair on the sides and at the back of the head in order to qualify for transplantation.

Answer: True.

(3) There are a number of methods used in transplanting hair. Sometimes several techniques are used to achieve a desirable outcome.

Answer: True. Different types of grafting techniques as well as plastic surgery can be incorporated into a transplant procedure.

(4) Scalp reduction, a technique used in hair replacement surgery, is also known as advancement flap surgery.

Answer: True. This technique involves advancing the portion of scalp with hair forward to fill in a bald area.

(5) Hair replacement surgery can’t give you the same coverage you had when you had hair.

Answer: True. Hair replacement systems can furnish more fullness and fill in thin areas but you won’t have the same head of hair you once had.

(6) Broad scars known as “stretch-back” scars can result from some scalp reduction techniques.

Answer: True. As with any surgery, there are a certain number of risks when undergoing hair transplantation, such as scarring, bleeding and infection.

(7) Surgical hair replacement cost is determined by the techniques employed, the number of grafts needed and the condition, color and texture of a candidate’s existing hair.

Answer: True. All the aforementioned factors are taken into consideration when determining hair replacement costs.

(8) Among the hair replacement systems that are currently available, flap surgery is one of the newest techniques used in surgery.

Answer: False. This type of plastic surgery has been performed now for over twenty years.

(9) It can take as long as two years before you complete all your sessions of transplants.

Answer: True. Of course, much depends on the nature of your existing hair and the amount of baldness.

(10) Hair transplant surgery typically requires a hospital stay.

Answer: False. Surgery normally takes place in a physician’s office at a hair treatment facility or at an outpatient surgery center.

(11) Total surgical hair replacement cost can be broken down in payments or financed on a monthly basis.

Answer: True.

(12) The cost of non surgical treatments for hair replacement such as medications or hair replacement systems, over time, can exceed the cost of surgery.

Answer: True.

(13) The average cost of hair grafts is $5 to $6 per graft.

Answer: True. Grafts can range from $3 to $8 per graft depending on the procedure but the average price is about $5 to $6 per graft.

(14) The charge assessed for each hair graft increases if the client must undergo several sessions.

Answer: False. The price for each hair graft generally decreases if the patient must undergo several sessions.

(15) The cost for a custom hair piece for men is, on average, $500.

Answer: False. The average price tag for a custom hair replacement is around $1200. In addition, this type of hair replacement must be replaced yearly and reattached and styled about every month which adds to the cost.

How’d you fare? Did the quiz cause you to lose a few more hairs?