|
What are the causes of hair loss?
Are there any solutions?
Who are good candidates for hair restoration surgery?
What surgical treatments are being used today?
What is Hair Transplant Surgery?
Where is treatment usually performed?
What can be expected after surgery?
What results can be expected?
How many treatments are needed?
Are there any complications from surgery?
Throughout time, hair has been an important aspect of a person's appearance and personality. Color, length, style and certainly amount have often been associated with youth, sex appeal, health, and power. It's no wonder then, that balding, thinning hair or a receding hairline is a serious concern for those coping with hair loss.
What are the causes of hair loss? (back to top)
Everyone loses hair regularly--about 100 per day. Under normal circumstances, hair that is shed is replaced by a new hair from the same follicle. However, when many of the hairs stop being replaced naturally, hair loss begins. This problem impacts the lives of approximately 35 million men and 22 million women in the United States. Common causes of permanent or temporary hair loss include: heredity, illness or disease, nutritional deficiency, stress, medications, injury, high fever, or improper or abusive hair treatment and cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Are there any solutions? (back to top)
Dr. Moy can perform state-of-the-art hair restoration surgery to correct hair loss and create a natural-looking hairline. Technological breakthroughs within the last 10 years have led to many new options and techniques that make hair restoration safer and easier for you with more attractive results.
Who are good candidates for hair restoration surgery? (back to top)
The ideal candidate for hair restoration surgery has healthy dense hair on the sides and the back of the head. These are the sites that are used as donor areas--the areas from which flaps and grafts are taken. Patients with well-defined baldness, thinning hair, and those with limited hair loss due to scalp injury or burns are generally good candidates for hair replacement surgery. However, hair replacement surgery may not be appropriate for those with little remaining hair.
What surgical treatments are being used today? (back to top)
It is not uncommon to use a combination of techniques to produce the best results. The type of hair replacement surgery chosen depends on the extent and pattern of hair loss along with your individual situation, lifestyle, and desires.
Hair Transplant Surgery... (back to top)
It is based on the principle of donor dominance, which means that hair from healthy donor sites with take root and grow normally when transplanted into balding, recipient sites. The basic technique is very similar to transplanting trees from one area to another. There are two steps. First, small strips of hair bearing scalp from the back and sides of your head are removed. This "donor region" contains hair which will grow throughout a lifetime. The areas from which the strips are taken are carefully repaired, usually resulting in a very narrow scar easily hidden amongst the hair. Next, the harvested strips of hair bearing scalp are divided into grafts for placement in the balding areas and may be processed into a variety of different sizes depending on your specific needs and condition. In recent years, the use of very small grafts, that we prepare under our four microscopes, particularly at the hair line, has become very popular. These grafted hairs grow out much like normal hair and are virtually undetectable. Larger grafts containing more hairs may be used in some situations to obtain more density behind the hair line. However, the use of the microscopically prepared grafts with one, two, three or four hairs per unit works the best to give Natural Results.
Where is treatment usually performed? (back to top)
Treatment is usually performed using local anesthesia in Dr. Moy's ambulatory surgery center. This translates into added convenience and cost-effectiveness for you..
What can be expected after surgery? (back to top)
Bandages are usually removed after 24 hours. You can resume your normal activities, unless this entails strenuous physical exercise. There may be some swelling and bruising around your eyes after two or three days, which can be minimized by ice compresses and sleeping in a semi-reclined position. Some crusting or small scabs may be present for a week to 10 days, along with some itching at the treatment sites. Any numbness at the donor recipient sites usually disappears within three months.
What results can be expected? (back to top)
The amount of coverage varies depending on the extent of baldness and the specific procedure performed. Within about one month, much of the transplanted hair is shed. About two months later, hair starts to grow and continues to grow at a normal rate. About six months after a hair transplant session, the transplanted hairs begin to to take on a natural appearance. The donor site from which the hair was taken shrinks to a very small, barely noticeable scar that is well hidden by the surrounding hair.
How many treatments are needed? (back to top)
How many treatment sessions are necessary depend on the procedure, your physical characteristics, requirements, and expectations. Multiple sessions at various intervals are usually required, and the entire process can take anywhere from months to years to complete.
Are there any complications from surgery? (back to top)
As with many surgical procedures, there is are minimal. Bleeding and infection are infrequent and minor. We recommend avoiding aspirin-containing products 14 days before surgery and avoid alcohol consumption 24 hours before surgery. If you have any specific concerns, please consult Dr. Moy. He has performed hair transplants for more than 25 years.
back to services page
|
NEWSLETTER
