A hair transplant is a type of medical procedure that takes hair from areas of the scalp with healthy growth and moves it to areas where hair growth is thinning or receding. The process means that the whole head has a healthy growth of hair once again. Hair transplant isn’t suitable for all types of hair loss; there can be medical reasons for thinning hair that should be addressed before considering a hair transplant.
What Type of Hair Loss Can Be Treated By a Hair Transplant?
The most common cause of hair loss is genetics. Some of us will inherit genes that mean that our hair follicles will stop growing new hair at a certain age, and our hair will begin to thin or recede. If hair loss is genetic, it usually occurs in each generation at around the same age.
Genetic hair loss can quite often be treated with a hair transplant because there is no underlying medical cause; however, whether treatment will be effective depends on exactly how the hair loss is presenting. If your hair loss is hereditary, then it’s worth speaking with a hair transplant clinic to see if it would be a good option for you.
Other types of hair loss might not be such good candidates for a hair transplant. Some common reasons for hair loss are:
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- Pregnancy. Women often lose their hair shortly after giving birth due to the drop in estrogen levels that they experience at this time. Usually, the hair will return to normal after the hormone levels do, so a hair transplant isn’t necessary.
- Medication side effects. Medications for conditions like cancer, depression, and heart disease can sometimes cause the hair to fall out. If your medication is causing your hair loss, then speak to your physician, as they may be able to recommend an alternative. Hair growth will usually return to normal once the medication has been discontinued.
- Stress. Stress causes the body to produce a hormone called cortisol, which actually attacks the hair follicles. Focusing on reducing stress will ensure that hair growth returns to normal, although this can take a few months.
- Nutritional deficiencies. Our bodies need a constant supply of protein, B vitamins, omega-3, and iron to grow hair, so if you are eating a diet that doesn’t contain enough of these things, then you could see your hair growth start to suffer. A common culprit is restrictive dieting. Once you increase the nutrient levels in your diet, you should see hair growth return.
How Does It Work?
There are two types of modern hair transplant, FUE and FUT. FUE hair transplants are the more modern and non-invasive kind. In an FUE hair transplant, a doctor will harvest individual hair follicles from the portion of the scalp showing healthy hair growth. These individual follicles will then be transplanted into the scalp area, where the growth is reduced.
Once the follicles are in place, they will begin to grow hair just as though they had always been there. The result is a fuller head of hair. The whole procedure is carried out under local anesthetic. Besides a small amount of pain when the anesthesia is initially injected into the scalp, patients should experience minimal pain and discomfort. For more information on the hair transplant procedure, go to hshairclinic.co.uk.
What Are the Results Likely to Be?
For a good idea of what the results of a hair transplant are likely to be, you only have to look as far as celebrity news. Celebrities such as Wayne Rooney, Joe Swash, and Louis Walsh have all had hair transplants, and they have all reported being delighted with the results.
