Hair Restoration and Replacement

If you’re considering hair replacement surgery or non surgical hair replacement, you’ll need to determine which method of treatment is best for your individual case. Therefore, before you can even consider hair replacement cost, you need to understand a little bit about male pattern baldness (MPB) or hair loss to decide on a treatment plan that will fit your individual needs.

An Overview of MPB

Primarily MPB or male pattern baldness is a result of family history, aging and the hormone dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This hormone is concentrated on the crown of the head, the top of the scalp and at the temples. The hair at the lower sides and on back is unaffected by the hormone; therefore, if one chooses hair transplantation, hair is normally grafted from these areas and transplanted to the areas where hair loss has occurred. Once transplanted, the hair in these areas will remain as it is resistant to the DHT hormone.

Permanent Results

Besides MPB, hair loss can be attributed to disease, such as diabetes, any trauma or stress, certain medicines as well as hormonal changes. There are a number of topical treatments and shampoos that block DHT in the case of male pattern baldness. Two treatments, minoxidil and finasteride, have FDA approval. These products are effective in stopping the progression of MPB; however, for permanent, long-lasting results, hair transplantation is still the best option for individuals who still have a good amount of hair growth at the back of the head.

Opting for Surgery

Although, as stated, there are several topical treatments available, if you have enough growth at the back of your head to substantiate a transplant, this is a preferable option to consider. The best way to find out if hair replacement surgery is right for you is to set up a consultation. Still, it’s helpful to be armed with a bit of knowledge about the process before you take such a step.

The Transplant Procedure

Since patients are given a local anesthetic and typically a medicine to relieve any anxiety, the experience can be facilitated without any type of undue discomfort. No hospital admittance is involved because most of these procedures only require an office visit to the center where hair transplants are performed. Most of the sessions take only a couple hours.

Post Surgical Care

After a hair transplant, you will probably experience some swelling although it’s hardly noticeable. Generally, you can shampoo about 24 hours after undergoing a transplant operation. Sutures for the transplant can be removed by your doctor in about two weeks’ time.

What to Expect

After a transplant, you can return to normal activities although you should not pursue any type of activity, such as any intense exercise, that may harm the grafts. During the next couple weeks, the new hairs will grow rather speedily. Thereafter, the new follicles will become dormant for up to six months. This is known as the “shedding” phase after which time the “new” hair will resume growing. You can see results generally after about a half year from the date of the procedure. After a year, the area of the transplant will have realized almost 100% of its overall growth.

Hair Replacement without Surgery

If you’re not the right candidate for a transplant, then there are a number of non surgical hair replacement options you can consider. Many of these of these methods involve attaching a hair piece made of natural or synthetic hair to the hair already in place or using adhesive to affix the hair piece to the scalp. Whichever hair replacement system you choose, you must feel comfortable with the method and the cost for hair replacement.

Stay within your Budget

Survey your options online. There are several hair loss treatment centers that can offer you the type of hair replacement system that will accommodate your lifestyle at a hair replacement cost that will fit into your budgetary plans.