Hair loss is something that most of us have a hard time talking about — unfortunately due in part to the embarrassment surrounding it. Men are ashamed of their hair loss because they see it as a sign of premature aging; women are ashamed of their hair loss because it’s viewed as something that women shouldn’t go through at all, though many do. In fact, many lose their hair actively over the course of about 20 years, with most people on average losing about 50 to 100 hairs a day. The issue that some people suffer from is less the loss of hair itself, and more the rate at which they’re losing hair. If you lose most of the hair that you can be expected to lose in a relatively rapid timespan, or sooner than you expected, it can be a devastating blow to your confidence.
Fortunately, hair restoration procedures can restore the appearance of a full head of hair. However, many hesitate to take advantage of the hair surgery options that they have available. This is in part due to the shame surrounding hair loss that we discussed earlier, and in part due to the fact that many don’t trust the procedures themselves. It’s true that, as with any cosmetic procedure, a hair transplant should not be left to just anyone. You’ll want to work with the best hair transplant doctors available, who work with the top of the line technology. Let’s look at of the options that may work for you.
1. The Follicular Unit Extraction Procedure
As one of the two main methods for extraction hair follicles, Follicular Unit Extraction is utilized by many of the best hair transplant doctors. Essentially, this procedure involves harvesting tiny follicular unit grafts, one at a time. They are taken out as tiny pinches, usually measuring from .7 to one centimeter in size. These little punches will include anywhere from one to four hair, and will be grafted into the balding parts of the scalp. This way, your hair will be growing naturally, where it once did — avoiding the appearance of any sort of “false” look. The great thing about this procedure is that it typically has a shorter recovery period, and offers less of a risk of complications like nerve damage. Patients are likely to experience low levels of discomfort during their recovery periods. But again, you’ll want to work with the best hair transplant doctors that you can find, as this procedure can be difficult to repeat if it is not done correctly the first time.
2. Follicular Unit Transplantation
This hair restoration procedure, also known as the strip procedure, is similar to the FUE hair restoration treatment, but is no longer as favored by the best hair transplant doctors. This procedure involves harvesting a larger strip of skin from the back of the scalp, and then using microdissection to remove the hair follicles from the strip. They are then transplanted to the necessary areas. Though this allows for a more natural transplant appearance than older procedures, and it still remains an option for those that would prefer it to FUE, this procedure does enhance the risk of scarring, and patients tend to experience more pain during recovery. For that matter, FUE allows transplanted hairs to be harvested from different parts of the scalp, not merely the back of the head. So while it’s an option, FUT may not be the best choice for you.
3. Transplanting Hair From Your Beard
In the past, you may have heard of doctors transplanting chest hairs to the scalp when the above treatments weren’t options. This may not seem like the most appealing treatment — but what about transplanting hairs from your beard? Beard hair is better-looking, denser, and often has an easier time being transplanted than chest or leg hair. For that matter, areas from which the beard hairs are removed typically heal better, and ultimately produce a better effect than other types of body hair.