Should I Get A Hair Transplant Or Is There Another Option?

The most prevalent form of hair loss for men is a medical condition known as male pattern baldness because it affects a third of men under the age of 30. The unfortunate thing about male pattern baldness is that it can cause permanent hair loss if not treated as soon as symptoms become visible (excessive hair loss and receding/thinning hair at the temples and or hair thinning in the middle of the head that spreads outwards. Find out more about Male Pattern Baldness here). Losing your hair permanently is both distressing and depressing because of the immediate impact it has on your appearance.  Hair transplants are increasingly becoming the go to hair loss solution, as an increasing number of celebrities are purported to have undergone this surgical procedure to restore their hair. At face value a hair transplant appears to be a permanent, reliable solution to permanent hair loss, but is this really the case?

What Is A Hair Transplant and How Does It Work?

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that involves removing functioning hair follicles from one part of your scalp or body (the donor area) and transplanting it to the bald(ing) part of your scalp where the hair follicles have closed (the recipient area). There are two methods used to transplant the hair, Follicular Unit Transplant and Follicular Unit Extraction.

What the Difference Between A Follicular Unit Transplant and Follicular Unit Extraction?

A Follicular Unit Transplant is the oldest and most traditional hair transplant technique which involves removing strips of skin, usually 6 – 10 inches long, where hair follicles are actively producing hair. The strips of skin are cut into up to 2000 smaller pieces, known as grafts, which might contain only one hair follicle. Small holes are then made in the bald area of the scalp and the individual hairs that have been removed are placed in the holes. This procedure can cause a lot of scaring.

Follicular Unit Extraction differs from a Follicular Unit Transplant because it causes less scaring. The Follicular Unit Extraction procedure involves removing individual active hair follicles from the neck of the scalp (the donor area least effected my Male Pattern Baldness) and inserting them into holes made in the bald (recipient area).

Do Hair Transplants Hurt?

Getting a hair transplant isn’t a decision that should be made lightly, because of the cost, which is anything between £1,000 to £30,000 and not the mention the discomfort felt during and after the procedure. Anaesthetic provided during the procedure and pain killers prescribed after will numb the pain. However, because patients remain awake during the procedure, they have noted that they feel the sensations of holes being made in the scalp and of pulling and tugging throughout the surgery which can be uncomfortable. Post surgery the scalp will feel tender and sore for a several weeks which means you will be advised not to comb your hair or wear hats. It will also require a number of weeks for the scars to heal and become less visible.

How Effective Are Hair Transplants?

Two to three weeks after the surgery, the transplanted hair will start to fall out, giving the appearance of balding, partial baldness or very thin hair. New hair growth becomes visible after 6 to 9 months. However, it must be noted that there is no guarantee that the hair follicles that have been transplanted will become fully active in their new location, so some patients experience inconsistent hair regrowth in the effected bald area. In the worst case, the transplanted hair will not function in the recipient area and the patient experiencing the same degree of hair loss/balding prior to the transplant. Furthermore, hair transplants do not prevent future hair loss, so it is not uncommon for patients to undergo several procedures over a span of time. For example, Wayne Rooney has had two hair transplants so far.

If you have had a hair transplant and hair loss has not subsided and thinning is re-occurring then using ProTress can be an effective way to prevent further hair loss, whilst making hair thicker and stronger, which is cost effective and not surgically invasive.

I Want to Keep My Hair But Don’t Want A Hair Transplant

Alternative Treatment

If the idea of a hair transplant is unappealing but you are concerned about losing your hair, then ProTress Essential Scalp Therapy Energising Shampoo and Lotion is a good option. Click here for more information. Using ProTress will prevent further hair loss, enabling you to maintain the hair you have with minimal effort. All you have to do is shampoo your hair twice a week, after which you immediately apply the lotion directly to the scalp without rinsing. ProTress Essential Scalp Therapy Energising Shampoo and Lotion with the patented Si MATRIX PF, cleanses and purifies the scalp whilst revitalising the hair follicles and reactivating micro circulation around the scalp which stimulates hair growth. Hair becomes strong and thick with increasing elasticity. Thousands of men who suffer from Male Pattern Baldness use ProTress weekly and they are pleased that they are no longer experiencing depressing, confidence eroding hair loss, their only regret is not having found it sooner.