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A. Hair Loss Treatments

Hair loss is the single most bothersome physical condition experienced by men. It affects some 40 – 50 million men in the US alone. In addition, some 20 – 30 million American women are also affected by hair loss. Samson Hair Restoration specializes in the treatment of hair loss through follicular relocation, more commonly known as hair transplantation. While the process of follicular relocation is straightforward, creating a truly natural-looking result requires the consideration of a number of factors, and a highly-trained, experienced hair transplant surgical team.
Read on to learn more…

B. Non-Candidates for Hair Transplantation

Some people are good candidates for hair transplantation and some are not. Only a qualified hair transplant surgeon can tell you definitively whether or not you are a good candidate for a hair transplant procedure, and fortunately, most people are. Among normal, healthy men with hair loss, the two main situations in which a physician might declare a person to be a non-candidate for hair transplantation are where a man has either too much hair loss or too little hair loss.

Too Little Hair Loss

At the first sign of hair loss, some men become alarmed and consult with a hair transplant physician. Often these young men are declared to be non-candidates because they have not yet exhibited enough hair loss so that transplants would make a meaningful cosmetic difference if performed. No Samson Hair Restoration physician will perform transplantation procedures unless he or she can significantly improve a person’s appearance. This does not mean that men cannot start hair transplant procedures at a fairly young age. In fact, many men in their early-mid twenties are good candidates for a hair transplant procedure. Only a qualified hair transplant physician can tell you for certain. If a person is deemed to be a non-candidate because of too little hair loss, he can always return in the future for another evaluation by the hair transplant physician.

No Samson Hair Restoration physician will perform transplantation procedures unless he or she can significantly improve a person’s appearance.

Too Much Hair Loss

Hair transplant procedures involve the relocation of a person’s own hair from the donor area to the area of need. Only the persons own hair can be used. For some people with aggressive hair loss, their available donor supply will be insufficient to meet their needs. The hair transplant surgeon would literally not have enough donor hair to work with. Such a person may likely be classified as a non-candidate because of too much loss. It is imprudent to begin a hair restoration program that you cannot finish. Again, only a qualified hair transplant physician can make this determination.

It is imprudent to begin a hair restoration program that you cannot finish.

C. Hairline

For most men, the hairline or front is the area of greatest concern. It is the first area someone sees when meeting another and the area where one typically first notices hair loss. It is also the most difficult area in which to perform transplants properly.

It may be said that hairline restoration is what separates the good from the bad among surgeons.

It may be said that hairline restoration is what separates the good from the bad among surgeons. While transplanting a follicular grouping is relatively easy, recreating a natural hairline is not. The master surgeon understands that the shape and location of the hairline is dependent upon the facial features of each individual and certain principles underlying how hairlines grow naturally. He also understands that the hairline is not really a line at all, but an approximately one-half inch transition zone from skin to hair.

D. Front

Just behind the hairline is the front. Often, clients will have a tuft of persistent hair in this area [add photo here] that may or may not need to be transplanted. For the client with early frontal thinning, hairline reconstruction only may be the most prudent first step, though the client should be aware that future loss of the front will likely necessitate transplantation into this area as well.

E. Top

Hair restoration in the top, or mid-frontal area, is a natural extension of the restoration in the front (hairline). This is the area directly on the top on the head. Oftentimes, clients will have some residual hair in the area and the goal of the restoration program is to add density. Usually the native hair in the area will slowly wither and die over time so a transplantation program can be initiated to help stay ahead of nature, keeping one from ever going completely bald on top. Usually, a client will want at least two procedures to achieve acceptable density in the area.

Sometimes a physician will recommend a treatment regimen of Rogaine (a topical solution) and/or Propecia (an oral medication) in addition to hair transplantation in the top. These two treatments can be effective in holding on to more of the native hair, thereby increasing the cosmetic effect from the transplants.

F. Crown (small v. expanded)

There is a great deal of variation among physicians in their approach to hair restoration in the crown. Some will treat it aggressively and some will not treat this area at all. Crown restoration must be considered in the context of the person’s overall hair loss pattern and the person’s goals for treatment. Because the donor area is finite and the demand for hair restoration is most often in the frontal area, the crown area is usually the last consideration for treatment, if at all.

For young patients, many physicians will advise waiting until later before beginning a restoration program in this area.

For young patients with hair loss in the crown, many physicians will advise waiting until later before beginning a restoration program in this area. The physician’s objective is to see how the hair loss progresses, to see what the demand for hair will be. Since the crown is also the least visible area of the scalp and the easiest area to conceal with proper styling, there is usually no harm in waiting.

The current medical treatments for hair loss, Rogaine and Propecia, have shown their greatest clinical efficacy in the crown. The physician may recommend one of both of these treatments in lieu of transplantation, at least in the short-term.

G. Corrective Procedures

1. Prior Transplants

Today, among the best surgeons, the art of hair transplantation is approaching technical perfection. In other words, the transplants are undetectable from natural hair. Many patients who had the less natural-looking grafts from years ago can seek corrective work to achieve a more natural appearance. The physician can soften “pluggy” or “dolls head” type grafts through the use of smaller grafts around the old and through greater variation in the placement. The older grafts tended to be placed in a straight line, which is contrary to the way a natural hairline appears. Another option to correcting prior transplants is “deplugging” which involves extracting a portion of the old plug and redistributing the hair in a more natural way.

2. Facelift Scars

Hair transplants can be used to minimize or eliminate scars produced by other cosmetic procedures, perhaps the most common being facelift scars. Brow lift scars can also be made less visible through the use of transplants. Importantly, many plastic surgeons who perform facial plastic procedures do not perform hair transplants, so check with your physician.

3. Trauma

Hair loss may result from some hair dressing techniques. Chemical treatments, hot irons treatments and the long-term wearing of tight braids can all cause permanent hair loss. In addition, severe burns to the scalp can result in hair loss. Hair transplantation may help with a condition resulting from these types of trauma, but only a physician can tell for sure.

4. Eyebrow Restoration

It is possible to reconstruct eyebrows with hair transplantation procedures, but not every doctor is proficient in this type of procedure. It is important to check with your local physician.

H. Grafts v. Plugs

1. Latest Restoration Technology

Samson Hair Restoration’s physicians utilize state-of-the-art technology such as follicular units placed into slit apertures instead of traditional punch grafts placed into holes. These techniques offer higher quality density, shorter recovery times and virtually undetectable results.

2. Old Plug Procedures

Most people have seen the old plug transplant procedures. They were hard not to notice. With those types of procedures, surgeons would transplant tissue containing generally 10 – 20 hairs. This tissue, taken from the donor area (the area around the back and sides of the head) in a circular “plug,” was then “planted” in the recipient area (the balding area). While these transplants did grow, if performed properly, they were very unsightly. They were not at all natural looking, and terribly obvious. In addition, these procedures left large scars in the donor area and very visible scarring in the recipient area.

3. Follicular Unit Procedures

As hair transplantation evolved, the “plugs” got smaller and less obvious and the harvesting techniques got much better. In time, physicians recognized that hair grew in natural clusters of one, two, three and occasionally even four hairs. By transplanting the natural cluster (a follicular unit), rather that a circular “plug,” the physician could produce an even more natural looking result. And, by placing the follicular unit into a small slit rather than a hole, the results were even better still. Today, with state of the art technology and the right surgeon, it is possible to produce results so natural, they are undetectable even upon close inspection. And, in some cases, old plug procedures can be repaired or significantly improved.

I. Non-Surgical Treatments

Over the years, there have been literally hundreds of thousands of non-surgical treatments for hair loss, from the simple hair piece which itself has been around in some form for thousands of years to, “miracle” cures that seem to pop up from time to time. Of course, the vast majority are of no benefit whatsoever. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), over 300,000 hair treatment drugs have been marketed since 1996 and only two have been approved by the FDA as treatments for hair loss. The two approved treatments are minoxidil, and finasteride.

1. Minoxidil

This is the active ingredient of Rogaine, the most common topical solution for the treatment of hair loss. Rogaine is applied twice per day to the thinning area and claims a 59% success rate in increasing hair count after 4 months of continual use. It is most effective in the crown area and must be use continuously. If one discontinues the treatment, then any hair that resulted from the drug will soon fall out. Rogaine is an over the counter medication that is available in most drug stores. Side effects are mild and include headaches and rashes. There is a formulation for women as well as men.

2. Finasteride

This is the active ingredient of Propecia, the most common oral medication for the treatment of hair loss. Propecia, a pill manufactured by Merck, must be taken daily or as with Rogaine, any resulting hair growth will soon fall out. According to Merck, most men can expect no further hair loss. In clinical studies, 83% of those taking Propecia showed no further hair loss after two years of treatment. 66% showed some hair growth. Side effects occurred in less than 2% of men and included loss of libido, reduced sperm count and impotence. All side effects completely resolved once the medication was discontinued. This drug, which is recommended for men only, must be prescribed by a physician and appears to be most effective at retarding future loss.

3. Cosmetic Treatments

There are a number of cosmetic treatments that give one the appearance of having more hair. Perhaps most popular of these is Toppik. Toppik is an all-natural powder made of keratin fiber that is sprinkled onto the hair and gives the appearance of a fuller head of hair. It is available in a number of different colors and may be used by both men and women.

4. Hair Replacement

Wigs, toupees, hair pieces, weaves, hair extensions, hair systems and a variety of products of similar name are all artificial devices that are attached to the scalp. Some use human hair in the construction, some use animal hair and some use artificial hair. The method of attachment to the scalp varies greatly from glues and tape to actual weaving of the artificial hair together with the person’s native hair.

This hair loss solution has been around for thousands of years and is very effective at recreating the look of a very full head of hair. As with any product or service, there is considerable variation in the quality of hair pieces so it is necessary to shop around. For best results, hair piece wearers need to have service (hair cuts and cleaning of the hair piece) every four to six weeks and need to purchase new systems annually.

5. Scalp Treatments

There are a number of treatments, such as Nioxin, that purport to promote healthy hair growth by cleansing the scalp. While none have been approved by the FDA, as a hair growth aid, some of these treatments are quite effective at cleaning the scalp of excessive oils.

Clients Share Their Experience

I watched a movie, ate lunch and talked with the staff throughout the procedure.
“I watched a movie, ate lunch and talked with the staff throughout the procedure. There was very little discomfort. After the first procedure, I am not the least bit hesitant in having a second procedure if required.”
Richard
Great doctors with great results.
“Great doctors with great results.”
Former Client