Losing of hair at a young age can be hugely distressing for an individual. Excessive hair loss is a common problem among both men and women. Reasons for the same include medical conditions such as thyroid, anemia, alopecia areata, protein and vitamin deficiency etc. as well as general problems such as poor diet and high stress levels. If you are bothered by this continuous hair loss and the early pattern baldness which follows, read on to find solutions for the same.
Hair Implants can help cure hair loss when sufficient natural hair is not available for transplant.
Hair loss can be covered for in a variety of ways. For profound hair loss, hair transplant is necessary. Hair transplant is the insertion of hair follicles extracted from other parts of the body, into the scalp. When transplantation is carried out with the use of prosthetic hair made up of bio-fibers, it is known as a hair implant.
Patients suffering from problems of alopecia (baldness).
People who do not have problems relating to a weakened immune system or blood clotting.
This procedure is perfect for people who do not have any donor sites of hair on the body.
People who have suffered hair loss due to chemotherapy, burns or injuries.
Patients with heavy hair fall or hair weakening problems.
Artificial hair implants are preferred if the hair loss is less or in small patches or transplantation is not possible. Artificial hair are anchored to the skin or the existing hair. Various kinds of implant procedures like weaving, fusion, bonding or cabling are used to bind the bio fibers to the existing hair.
Hair weaving technique is the technique of
tying new hair to the existing ones for a fuller look. This
does not affect the skin.
Bonding technique can use both artificial or
natural hair. Single stranded hair are bonded to the skin or
existing hair using wax or hair glue gum. This could result in
minor allergies sometimes.
The biofibre hair implantation is performed either by a
manual or an automatic machine implanter.
Biofibres are inserted one by one into the healthy scalp till
the desired density is obtained.
It is recommended to follow a balanced diet so as to ensure that you get all the nutrients, chiefly proteins in this case. This will increase the recovery rate.
Crash diets to lose weight are highly discouraged as these might lead to deficiency of proteins and the implants might fall out too soon.
Supplements like antioxidants, vitamins B and D, biotin, protein, etc. are also prescribed to strengthen the scalp and for growth of natural hair around the implants.
Avoid spicy foods and alcohol for at least a month after the surgery as it might interfere with the healing process by causing other problems like heartburn, high blood pressure, etc.
People who proceed with receiving implants are usually advised to have realistic expectations of the procedure. They will ideally see results about 6 to 12 months after the procedure, which includes the recovery time.
The degree at which hair restoration is achieved varies from patient to patient. In some instances there will be negligible hair growth even after eight months of the procedure. However, following this patients might see explosive growth.
It is safe to say that patients should not expect hair growth similar to what they had in their adolescence. It should also be noted that hair loss can still occur after implantation has taken place.
A hair implant aka artificial hair restoration procedure is
usually done to overcome mild balding and hair thinning by
inserting artificial hair follicles. It it a quick, reversible
procedure, to increase hair density.
While hair implants are a common option for patients who not
have donor sites on their body, there are several alternatives
to this procedure, from which a patient can choose from.
Medications: Medical alternatives include oral medications such as Finasteride, which are taken in pill form. Minoxidil, which is applied on the scalp aims at revitalising the hair roots, thereby inducing hair growth. However, these options may involve severe side effects such an impotence and lesser semen volume. Moreover, they are costly, and do not provide a permanent solution, as once stopped being used, the hair loss continues in the same pace it did before.
Other methods: Besides medical alternatives, there are also cover up and camouflage techniques that a patient can employ. These include wigs and hair extensions. However, these offer only a temporary solution.
Hair implants using prosthetic prosthetic units do not leave scars. This technique involves creation of tiny holes in the scalp and anchoring the scalp the bio-fibers in them. This does not produce any immediate scars on the scalp. But, due to the reaction mechanism of human skin to any foreign material, the scalp develops tiny scars over time. These scars can however, be raised with dermal fillers and the scalp can be made even with laser treatments.
One positive of this procedure is that no scars are developed at any other parts of the body due to extraction of hair follicles from donor sites. This is because artificial follicles are used. Further, there are no large, hideous scars observed because no incisions are involved.
For every medical intervention people decide to receive, it is vital to consider many aspects, including the doctor who will be carrying out the procedure. The doctor’s credentials should be verified. It is important to check if your doctor is registered with the local medical council, as this will affirm the credibility of their ability to practise medicine. A patient should also ideally check the accreditation of the institute in which the doctor is practising, as this will ensure that they maintain an international standard of medical practise. Scars and bleeding are very rare at the hands of professional doctors.
