The Food and Drug Administration has approved only two nonsurgical hair-loss treatments. These treatments, minoxidil and finasteride, are usually effective at slowing hair loss but generally do little to restore hair. If you want a more permanent solution, become familiar with surgical hair-restoration procedures.
Cause
Dr. Victor Hasson, a hair transplant physician and member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons, says that androgenic alopecia is generally the cause of hair loss. Androgenic alopecia occurs when the hormone dihydrotestosterone attaches to hair follicles and shrinks them. As this progresses, hair starts to thin.
Permanent Treatment
A surgical hair transplant is the only permanent treatment for hair loss. The transplanted hairs will never fall out or thin, because the transplanted follicles are not sensitive to DHT, according to Dr. Hasson. Because DHT does not thin these follicles, even when they are moved to regions where follicles were previously thinning, the transplanted hairs are permanent.
Procedure
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery describes how a hair transplant works. Hairs that are not sensitive to thinning are taken from the sides and back of the head and transplanted to areas where hair is thinning. Unlike old hair-plug techniques that left an unnatural appearance, modern hair restoration techniques can place large amounts of hair close together and yield a natural result.
Types
The New Hair Institute reports that there are two types of hair restoration procedures: follicular unit transplants and follicular unit extractions.
Follicular unit transplants, also called strip transplants, harvest a single strip of donor area hair for transplantation. The strip source is closed with sutures and leaves a thin scar. Hair begins to grow at three months, but a full year is required for a final result. Follicular unit extraction harvests individual hair follicles instead of a lateral strip. Follicular unit extraction does not leave a scar but heals at a slower rate according to the New Hair Institute.
Considerations
A hair restoration procedure is a lasting, undetectable treatment for hair loss if you find a skilled qualified physician. "The skill and technique of hair restoration surgeons vary widely, as do their hair transplant results," the Hair Transplant Network says. It recommends learning about the procedure and consulting with patients and doctors before selecting your hair transplant surgeon.
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