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HAIR TRANSPLANTS

Hair loss is not caused by the following; poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff, excessive hat wearing, or your maternal grandfather's hair condition. It is mainly caused by a combination of aging, hormonal changes, and comprehensive family history of baldness. In most cases it can be assumed that the earlier hair loss begins, the more severe it will become. Some doctors have estimated that one in five women suffer from some degree of hair loss.

Fortunately, for those patients who are good candidates, there is the option of surgical hair transplantation, a procedure that has been around for over thirty years. The procedure involves removing small pieces of hair-bearing scalp grafts from a donor site, and relocating them to a bald or thinning area. Grafts differ in size and in shape. Punch grafts contain about 10-15 hairs, whereas the much smaller mini-graft only contains 2-4 hairs, and even smaller is the micro-graft, which contains only 1-2 hairs. Also there are slit grafts which are inserted into slits in the scalp which contain 4-10 hairs, and the larger strip graft is long and thin and can contain anywhere from 30-40 hairs. Generally multiple surgical sessions are needed to achieve desired results, with a healing interval of 6 weeks to several months between each session.

Hair replacement candidates must have healthy hair growth at the back and sides of the head so as to supply the needed donor areas. Other factors, such as hair color, texture and waviness or curliness may also affect results. The aforementioned transplant techniques are generally performed on patients who desire a more gradual change. Flaps, tissue-expansion and scalp reduction are procedures that are more appropriate for patients who desire a more dramatic change.

This procedure is performed in the office under local anesthesia and requires minimal downtime.