Propecia: This orally administered drug works by blocking an enzyme that converts testosterone into the related hormone
dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, that shrinks hair follicles. 30% of Propecia patients grew slight amounts of hair in a year, and an additional 18% grew moderate to heavy amounts.
When men stopped taking Propecia, their new hair fell out.
Many doctors recommend using Propecia and Rogain together and in conjunction with surgical
procedures for permanent, effective hair restoration.
Hair Transplants
Hair transplants are really a very simple idea and process.
It is simply the removal of hair at the back and sides of the head where hair is very dense and surgically implanting them into the balding area of the scalp.
You will not get a full head of hair from this procedure.
The technique redistributes existing, healthy hair. It does not create any new hair.
So it is not possible to provide a full head of hair. However, a comparatively small amount of hair transplanted expertly can produce the illusion of substantially more hair than there actually is.
The transplant will be fully grown in approximately 9 months. You should have an acceptable looking appearance in as little as one week. It is minor surface surgery and supposedly it is one of the safest surgical procedures ever performed.
Hair Cloning or Culturing
Hair culturing is still in the experimental stage it involves removing donor hairs from the back of the scalp, isolating the stem cells from which the follicle grows,
growing them in a lab, and re-implanting the new stem cells into the balding area of scalp.
Because many stem cells are being grown in the lab from a few hairs, you will be able to grow many times the number of hairs removed.
This will end the limits of how much hair can be transplanted due to the limited amount of hair that can be taken from the back of the scalp during normal hair transplants.
It also looks like it may be possible to take donor cells from another person.
The biggest drawback I can see could be the price. It is likely it will be quite a bit more expensive then the traditional transplants, especially when it first becomes available, but remember, you get what you pay for.
Scalp Reduction
Scalp reduction is a procedure where an area of bald skin is removed, usually from the top and back of the scalp.
The resulting gap is then stitched closed. It is not usually used as an individual treatment to reduce baldness, normally it is used in conjunction with hair transplanting, since scalp reduction also reduces the size of the area requiring transplantation.
To qualify for scalp reduction you need to have certain physical qualities, such as enough hair and elastic skin.
Not too many hair transplant specialists use these technique anymore unless there
simply is no other option.
Flap Surgery
Flap surgery is probably one of the most extensive and expensive hair restoration surgeries available. Although, when done right, it can offer the best results.
It can give you a perfect hair line with dense hair that looks normal in a couple of weeks.
Complications are rare when performed by an experienced
doctor but do include hematoma, seroma, infection, necrosis and an allergic
reaction to medications and anesthetics. I would make sure the doctor is very experienced.
Flap surgery is performed in three steps. In the first step the sides of the flaps are separated from the surrounding skin.
The front and rear end of the flap are not separated. The incisions are then closed and a dressing applied.
A week later, the second step is performed. The procedure is identical to the first except the rear of the flap is now separated and closed.
The
incisions are not supposed to be visible since nothing has been removed and the hair covers the flaps.
A week later the flap is transferred to the corresponding balding area at the hair line under general anesthesia.
Within a week, the stitches at the front hairline are removed and the stitches within the hair are removed within two weeks.
It is said that you are able to return to work with a full head of hair in a week.
Median Reduction
This is a type of scalp reduction in which the scalp is reduced in an oval shape at the center of the bald area of scalp. I do not have any further information on this procedure.
Please feel free to enlighten me if you know any more about it.
PÂTÉ (Prolonged Acute Tissue Expansion)
This is a scalp expansion procedure that is done during an operation rather than before or after by inflating and deflating a tissue expander many times over several hours to stretch the available scalp.
Currently I don't have any more information on this procedure either.
Furthermore...
If you are considering surgical hair restoration I recommend you spend a lot of time on research and talk to several doctors before you make a decision on how you want to do it, you have many choices.
Choices and options are always good but they can also be confusing and frustrating.
If you take your time and do your research you should be able to get the results
that you desire.
Related
Links
http://www.hairclub.com
References:
Author: Marc Pfannenstein
home
| facial procedures | body
procedures | surgeon info | consultation
info | surgery preparation
photo gallery | FAQ
| message boards | chat
| just for fun | enhancement
news | miscellaneous | links
Are you lost? View
Site Index
Yes They're
Fake! Cosmetic Plastic Surgery & Beauty Network
Copyright © 1999-200
6
Enhancement Media, All rights reserved.
Please read Usage Agreement
This page was last updated:
09/23/2009
