Archive for the 'Skin & Beauty' Category

Insertion Of Hair

Hair transplant surgery begins, after anesthesia is applied, with removing donor tissue.  Follicular units are then extracted from the tissue using a stereomicroscope.  This is all done by skilled nurses and technicians.  The insertion of the hair into the receptor sites comes later.

Once the follicular units for the hair transplant are dissected out of the donor tissue, technicians set them aside in a saline solution.  The temperature must be ideal or the small grafts will not survive the procedure.  This is done very carefully in order to ensure a good result.

The surgeon will make tiny incisions into the scalp where the hair transplant grafts are to go.  These are called the receptor sites.  They are made with a very thin surgical needle.  The surgeon must have an eye for detail to properly set the receptor sites.  He must also be very artistic to achieve a natural look, especially at the hairline.

Hair Cloning

The future of hair transplant procedures is in the laboratories at this very time.  Scientists are working together to find a way to make the surgery work for more people.  They also want to see it work better for the types of people who have hair transplants today.  One area of research is hair cloning.

Hair cloning promises to be a revolutionary procedure that would give people with little hair a chance to have hair transplant surgeries.  It would do this by multiplying the hair a patient already has rather than using up the good hair that still exists on the patient’s head.

Hair cloning is done by taking stem cells, or dermal papilla cell, and cloning them in a laboratory setting.  They are then multiplied and combined.  The end result is an increase in the number of hairs available for hair transplant.

Not only is hair cloning possible, it has been proven in many scientific studies.  Recently one group of researchers did a culture whereby they multiplied the number of dermal papilla cells.  With this being possible, hair cloning is a single step away.

Hair Transplant surgery

It is getting more common for people to get hair transplant procedures as the methods keep improving.  It is just less obvious than in earlier times when everyone could spot a person with bad hair plugs.  Yet, there are still a few facts about hair transplant surgery that are not widely known.

1.  A large percentage of men have balding issues.  In fact, 50% of American men that are 50 years old or older are dealing with some amount of hair loss.  Hair problems in today’s society beg to be conquered.  Some do it by shaving their heads completely.  Others take the exact opposite route and have hair transplant surgery.  Those who accept their baldness may have a healthy psyche, but they are slightly out of step with the rest of the world.

Hair Transplant Surgery

Hair transplant can make you look younger and more attractive.  Your doctor will need to prepare you for the surgery so that you will know exactly what to do to make the procedure go better.  If you follow instructions, you will have a much better outcome.

When the doctor sees you a couple of weeks before surgery day, she will go over again exactly what procedure you are getting.  The surgery will be explained to you in detail so that it will be fresh in your mind before you make that final commitment.  She will go over any problems she sees that might come up during the hair transplant procedure.

Then, you will be given instructions to make your hair transplant surgery go better.  Some of the items on the list might seem like the doctor is interfering with your life, but they are truly necessary if you are to get the best outcome.

Hair transplant surgery for women

Balding is not just a men’s problem; women often lose hair as they get older as well.  You might wonder, if that is the case, why more women do not have hair transplant surgery.  You may be surprised to know that many women are not good candidates.

Women usually have a different type of hair loss than men.  Male pattern baldness uncovers parts of the top of the head.  However, the sides and back of the head are usually covered with healthy balding-resistant hair follicles.

Men with this pattern of balding will have donor hair that survives the hair transplant process and flourishes long afterward.  That is because a naturally-occurring enzyme in the body combines with testosterone to create a chemical called DHT.  This chemical is responsible for the hair loss on the tops of men’s heads when they have male pattern baldness.

History of Hair Transplant

Hair transplant procedures have come a long way in recent decades.  The results surgeons can get with the new areas of hair on a patient’s previously balding areas are better than they have ever been before.  It is amazing that this first started with a doctor who wanted to transplant hair to give people new eyebrows.

The History of Hair Transplant:

Dr. Okuda of Japan was busy trying to transplant hair to the eyelashes and eyebrows of people who had lost them traumatically.  This was before World War II.  When the war broke out, his discovery of hair transplant procedures was squelched until two decades later.

In 1959, Dr. Norman Orentreich began a new field of surgery when he published on the use of hair transplant surgery. It was during this decade that doctors had begun to try moving balding-proof hair follicles to the balding areas of patients’ heads.  They used hair from the fringe, or back and sides of the head, to accomplish this.

Hair Transplant Surgeon

There is no law in the US that requires a doctor to have any special credentials to perform hair transplant surgery, other than basic licensing as a physician.  This leaves many potential candidates for the surgery in the dark.  It is difficult to know the difference between a good hair transplant surgeon and an inexperienced one.

How to Find a Good Hair Transplant Surgeon:

If you know someone who has had hair transplant surgery, you have at least one person to whom you can go for advice.  You will know from looking at their hair whether the job was done well.  You can ask the person whether you were treated professionally.  That person will also know how much the total cost was, and if there were any hidden fees.

You might not know anyone who has had a hair transplant procedure.  In this case, you might go to the telephone directory.  This is just a starting point.  Many of the doctors who advertise there are simply trying to start up a practice in the field.  They may have little or no experience.  This is just a way to get names that you can check out.

Hair Transplant Surgery

Just when you think you have found the solution to your problems with balding, you might discover that hair transplant surgery is not for everyone.  It is discouraging, but do not give up hope until you investigate to find out if you are a possible candidate.  You may be surprised.

The most important thing to remember is that you need hair for the hair transplant to your balding areas.  The hair has to come from somewhere on your body.  Wherever you take the hair from is called the donor site.  There can be different donor sites for different people.

The most common donor site for hair transplant surgery is on the head.  If the sides and back of your head have full lustrous hair, you are in luck.  This hair can be used as donor hair to replace hair you have lost on your balding spots.  If your hair in these areas is not healthy, you face a difficult problem – where does the surgeon get the hair?

About Bad Hair Transplants

If you had a hair transplant operation during past decades, you might not be happy with the result.  You may have the type of hair transplant called hair plugs.  These make the hair stick up out of your head like the bristles of a toothbrush.  If you want to take advantage of modern methods, it is not too late to have more natural-looking hair.

The first thing you need to do is to find a hair transplant surgeon who has done many hair transplant repair surgeries.  Fixing bad hair transplants is somewhat of a specialty for certain doctors.

Your own primary care physician may know of a surgeon who is involved in this sort of work.  Otherwise, you can look for ads in the yellow pages to start your search.  Contacting professional organizations is also a good idea.

avoiding hair transplant surgery

Hair transplant surgery is not for everyone.  In fact, some people have been so disappointed and even angered about their results that they have filed class action lawsuits against hair transplant surgeons and clinics.  There are several reasons they give for their dissatisfaction.

1.  Underestimating Procedures. Certain surgeons and clinics underestimate the number of procedures necessary to achieve the desired effect.  This leads people to have a false hope of having a full head of hair in a very short time.  When this does not happen, they are understandably angry.  They did not get what they were promised.

2.  Underestimating Price. Surgeons usually do give some sort of estimate of the cost of the entire procedure of a hair transplant.  A reputable surgeon will emphasize that it is only an estimate and that things may change once the procedures are started.  Also, she will give an honest accounting of what she expects the procedure to cost.