Many people who read about caring for long hair are warned not to use conditioners with silicone products in them. These are products such as Dimethicone and Cyclomethicone, which are found in many conditioners.
On the other hand, many people with long hair have used such products for years with few problems. So who's right?
These silicone based products can be harder to rinse out for many people which is why some do not trust them. Long hair can be quite sensitive to product buildup, which can result in damage and unmanageable hair.
With these problems you may be wondering why silicone products are used in conditioners anyhow. The reasons are pretty simple, actually. Depending on which one you're talking about, they can smooth hair and keep it from absorbing too much humidity while keeping the hair's own moisture in it. That's pretty useful for most people, but can be a problem for those with long hair as the product builds up.
The tendency to keep humidity out of the hair may actually be a part of the problem. Over time, the hair does lose it's natural moisture, and if that happens faster than the hair absorbs humidity, you get dry, difficult hair. It won't look good, it will break more easily and it will require extra care and perhaps some extra split ends cut off.
That said, whether or not you have a problem with a particular variety of silicone depends on your hair. Some people say they have problems anytime they use a conditioner with it. Others can go months without trouble, then clear it up with a clarifying shampoo and be ready to go back to that conditioner.
If you want to avoid silicones, try an oil conditioner instead. Some love coconut oil. I like jojoba oil. Some people even just use olive or vegetable oils from their kitchen, although these can be very heavy in the hair.
If you aren't noticing a problem with what you're currently using in your hair, you may not have to worry overmuch. However, it may also not hurt to give something new a try. You may be surprised by the changes in your hair when you decide to use a more hair friendly product.
Long hair can be challenging to grow. The longer it gets, the pickier it becomes about the care you give to it. Experiment to figure out what is right for you and enjoy the results you get.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Monday, 23 February 2009
Before You Undergo Hair Restoration Surgery
For years, you have endured raised eyebrows and scrutinizing stares when people see your balding head. You may have resorted to wearing all sorts of ball caps or scarves, just to keep people from noticing your progressive loss of hair. The stuff you bought from the infomercial didn’t grow any hair either, and your confidence is shattered.
Today, things will change. You have finally decided to consider a hair restoration procedure as a solution to your hair loss problem. The decision to undergo hair restoration is a life-changing one. You must think over your options carefully. Also, you need be guided by a hair loss specialist who has the expertise and experience to help you make the right decision. Ultimately, this will determine your level of satisfaction after the procedure.
Here are the questions you should ask before undergoing hair restoration surgery:
Are your expectations realistic?
While the techniques of hair transplantation are nearing perfection, you should realize that hair transplantation is not for everybody. You don't actually grow new hair when you undergo the procedure. Instead, hair from healthy regions of your scalp (the donor site) is transplanted to your scalp's balding areas (the recipient site). You have to wait 2 months for the transplanted hair to grow normally, and 6 months for it to look natural.
Hence, the amount and quality of your remaining hair and your age will determine the results that you may expect from the surgery. An honest hair specialist will take the time to explain this to you, and not just push you into getting the transplant. Otherwise, you might end up paying for a procedure, whose results you are unhappy with.
Is your hair specialist an expert in the field?
"Any physician even with basic training can successfully transplant hair and make it grow," says Legacy Hair Center CEO Ronnie Talent. "But to make it aesthetically pleasing, and undetectable requires artistry only those with advanced training can attain."
In contrast to emergencies such as a ruptured appendix or a broken bone, you have the luxury of time to choose the doctor who will perform your hair transplant. Do not hesitate to ask for your hair specialist's qualifications. You should be aware that non-surgeons and even non-doctors may legally perform the procedure. However, only the finest of hands and in-depth knowledge of facial aesthetics will give you the outstanding results you need.
Are you getting your money's worth?
Hair restoration and hair replacement centers employ various strategies to market their services nationwide. Some use full-scale TV and magazine advertisements, while others rely on word of mouth. As such, the cost of hair transplantation varies considerably with each center. Your decision to pick one hair loss center over the other should not be influenced by price alone. There are cheap hair loss options out there, but will you be satisfied with the results? You may be able to save money now, but then regret the decision later when you decide to have an unsatisfactory hair transplant corrected.
“Much of the work we do is corrective” Talent claims.” Many doctors make the hairline too dramatic, and don’t use common sense. A 45 year old man will not look normal with a 17 year old’s hairline.”
By working well with your trusted hair specialist, you can expect hair transplantation to bring back the vitality that you have once lost. It's time to throw away your scarves and ball caps. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life.
Today, things will change. You have finally decided to consider a hair restoration procedure as a solution to your hair loss problem. The decision to undergo hair restoration is a life-changing one. You must think over your options carefully. Also, you need be guided by a hair loss specialist who has the expertise and experience to help you make the right decision. Ultimately, this will determine your level of satisfaction after the procedure.
Here are the questions you should ask before undergoing hair restoration surgery:
Are your expectations realistic?
While the techniques of hair transplantation are nearing perfection, you should realize that hair transplantation is not for everybody. You don't actually grow new hair when you undergo the procedure. Instead, hair from healthy regions of your scalp (the donor site) is transplanted to your scalp's balding areas (the recipient site). You have to wait 2 months for the transplanted hair to grow normally, and 6 months for it to look natural.
Hence, the amount and quality of your remaining hair and your age will determine the results that you may expect from the surgery. An honest hair specialist will take the time to explain this to you, and not just push you into getting the transplant. Otherwise, you might end up paying for a procedure, whose results you are unhappy with.
Is your hair specialist an expert in the field?
"Any physician even with basic training can successfully transplant hair and make it grow," says Legacy Hair Center CEO Ronnie Talent. "But to make it aesthetically pleasing, and undetectable requires artistry only those with advanced training can attain."
In contrast to emergencies such as a ruptured appendix or a broken bone, you have the luxury of time to choose the doctor who will perform your hair transplant. Do not hesitate to ask for your hair specialist's qualifications. You should be aware that non-surgeons and even non-doctors may legally perform the procedure. However, only the finest of hands and in-depth knowledge of facial aesthetics will give you the outstanding results you need.
Are you getting your money's worth?
Hair restoration and hair replacement centers employ various strategies to market their services nationwide. Some use full-scale TV and magazine advertisements, while others rely on word of mouth. As such, the cost of hair transplantation varies considerably with each center. Your decision to pick one hair loss center over the other should not be influenced by price alone. There are cheap hair loss options out there, but will you be satisfied with the results? You may be able to save money now, but then regret the decision later when you decide to have an unsatisfactory hair transplant corrected.
“Much of the work we do is corrective” Talent claims.” Many doctors make the hairline too dramatic, and don’t use common sense. A 45 year old man will not look normal with a 17 year old’s hairline.”
By working well with your trusted hair specialist, you can expect hair transplantation to bring back the vitality that you have once lost. It's time to throw away your scarves and ball caps. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life.
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Laser Hair Removal Why Should Consider Doing It!
Do you feel that the hair on your neck, on your shoulder, or by your ears is standing out a bit too much? If you feel that the hair on your upper lip just shouldn't be there, then you should turn to laser hair removal to get real results for skin results that are going to be just what you are looking for. Laser hair removal is a method of treatment for men and women alike who just don't want to put up with shaving any more, or seeing that hair grow where it shouldn't be growing at all.
Laser hair removal is not something just for the rich and famous but a procedure that is being done to help millions of people that are having a hard time controlling the hair on their body. Permanent hair reduction is what the term laser hair removal is all about. Removing hair from the body, in areas where you are never going to want it to grow again, that is what hair removal lasers are going to do. There is limited data on how well this actually works with success for all users, and all who under go the process, but the results on those who are talking about the procedure are definitely happy with their results.
How is laser hair removal really done? It is a light; the laser is a light that is aimed at the locations where you don't want hair to grow again. The repeated light on this area is going to reduce the hair growth. Permanent hair reduction may not be total hair loss in that area for all people, but it will reduce the unsightly hair that many people experience on their back, in their ears, around the mouth and on the chest.
Hair removal procedures do not have to be done in the hospital; there are many clinics and doctors that are providing the service in offices around the world. The hair removal system is one that is done with a hand held device that is targeting the hair on the skin. The light, the laser, is going to damage the hair follicles, and it going to stop growth of the hair. There is going to be some hair that will continue to grow, but with additional laser treatments, that hair too shall not grow back again.
What are the advantages to having laser hair removal procedures done?
You will find that reduction in hair on those areas where you don't want hair to grow will be a good feeling. The procedure does not hurt, and does not have long lasting painful effects. The entire laser hair removal process is one that is considered to be safe when done by the properly trained doctors and their staff. No one is going to know you have had this done, the laser treatment unless you tell him or her! You can do this laser hair removal on the back, on your legs, or even on small areas of the body where you don't like to shave or don't want to have to shave all the time.
Laser hair removal is not something just for the rich and famous but a procedure that is being done to help millions of people that are having a hard time controlling the hair on their body. Permanent hair reduction is what the term laser hair removal is all about. Removing hair from the body, in areas where you are never going to want it to grow again, that is what hair removal lasers are going to do. There is limited data on how well this actually works with success for all users, and all who under go the process, but the results on those who are talking about the procedure are definitely happy with their results.
How is laser hair removal really done? It is a light; the laser is a light that is aimed at the locations where you don't want hair to grow again. The repeated light on this area is going to reduce the hair growth. Permanent hair reduction may not be total hair loss in that area for all people, but it will reduce the unsightly hair that many people experience on their back, in their ears, around the mouth and on the chest.
Hair removal procedures do not have to be done in the hospital; there are many clinics and doctors that are providing the service in offices around the world. The hair removal system is one that is done with a hand held device that is targeting the hair on the skin. The light, the laser, is going to damage the hair follicles, and it going to stop growth of the hair. There is going to be some hair that will continue to grow, but with additional laser treatments, that hair too shall not grow back again.
What are the advantages to having laser hair removal procedures done?
You will find that reduction in hair on those areas where you don't want hair to grow will be a good feeling. The procedure does not hurt, and does not have long lasting painful effects. The entire laser hair removal process is one that is considered to be safe when done by the properly trained doctors and their staff. No one is going to know you have had this done, the laser treatment unless you tell him or her! You can do this laser hair removal on the back, on your legs, or even on small areas of the body where you don't like to shave or don't want to have to shave all the time.
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Hair Transplant Surgery-get it in India
In today's times in India, medical technology has found answers to almost all physiological and cosmetic problems and hair loss is one of them. Hair is one aspect about which most people are very sensitive; good hair, good skin and good figure are regarded as the major criteria for an attractive appearance; hence, most people generally look upon any loss or depletion of hair as a personal crisis. It is a fact that hair does start thinning for everybody with advancing age; however, for young and middle-aged people, it is certainly worthwhile to explore options for hair restoration.
In India, Hair transplantation has become one of the most popular methods of addressing hair loss and is also called hair replacement or hair restoration. Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure and, as is the case with all other surgeries, is a very individual decision based on the patient's age and other conditions. In fact, anyone planning hair transplant needs to have a detailed consultation with the transplant surgeon to discuss expectations, possibilities and risks. The majority of hair transplant aspirants in India are men, who experience severe thinning of hair leading to baldness. Women are also candidates for hair transplant, but not often because they normally experience only thinning of hair and not loss of hair in patches as men do. Sometimes a hair transplant may be needed as reconstructive surgery in cases of burns or trauma.
Hair Transplant Surgery:
Baldness or loss of hair is a common problem in mostly males but can also be seen in females. Hair transplantation refers to the surgical movement of permanent hair with its roots to an area of bald or balding skin. Hair transplantation is an effective and permanent solution for hair loss.
Effects of Hair Transplant Surgery:
In almost all cases of so-called "male-pattern baldness", there is a permanent fringe of hair along the side and back of the scalp. This hair demonstrates "donor dominance". This means it will grow permanently even if it is moved to an area which is bald or balding.
Procedure of Hair Transplant Surgery:
A typical hair transplant procedure has at least six steps:
1. Consultation
2. Blood Tests
3. Anaesthesia
4. Extraction of donor hair
5. Implanting of donor hair
6. Post operative care
1) When it comes to hair transplant Surgery, the consultation usually receives the least amount of attention. However, since this is first step in the process and the one in which you alone will play the largest part, the consultation is perhaps the most important step for the individual. The information exchanged during this meeting will outline your goals and expectations for the outcome of the procedure. The information you receive during this consultation is the only factor you have in choosing either the right clinic or the wrong clinic for you.
2) Once you have decided on a clinic and scheduled an appointment, most clinics require blood tests to be performed as required by law. These blood tests will take place approximately 24 to 48 hours before your surgery.
3) After your blood tests are confirmed, the doctor can begin your procedure. Each clinic will give you certain instructions to follow before your surgery which will probably include not taking an aspirin product before the surgery, and not to eat or drink 12 hours prior to surgery. The day of your procedure, patients might be given a small sedative to take. This will help to relax you before the surgery and calm your nerves.
Using a local anesthesia, the doctor will numb the recipient area and donor area. This is the only time patients will feel pain which can range from a mild discomfort for some patients to very painful for others. Women tend to endure this step better then man due to their higher capacity for pain.
4). Once the anaesthesia has taken affect, the doctor can remove the donor hair grafts which is done using one of two methods in common practice today.
The single strip harvest method is the traditional and most widely used method. A scalpel containing 2 or more blades mounted in parallel is used to cut strips of donor tissue 10 to 20 cm long. The donor strip is then carefully divided into follicular units under a microscope and surgical light. In order to remove this strip, you will have to lay on your stomach so doctors can get a topside view of your donor area.
While the donor strip is being divided and counted into micro grafts, the doctor will suture the donor area together. A number of new techniques have been introduced lately to minimize scarring in this region.
The Follicular Unit Extraction method is another technique some doctors used to harvest donor hair. In this labor intensive technique, doctors use a small punch-like circular scalpel to remove follicular units one at a time.
5) Following the suturing of your donor area or the Follicular Unit Extraction step, you will recline comfortably in the surgery chair as the medical team begins preparing your hair loss affected area for the follicular unit hair grafts to be implanted.
This step involves making tiny incisions or apertures with a small gauged needle or scalpel in the recipient area. These tiny incisions are where your scalp will receive the new grafts of hair.
Often, a hair transplant team will work together -one making the recipient incision while the other implants the new grafts.
It's during this step in the hair transplant process that the experience and care of the doctor are most needed. The pattern in which the grafts are implanted must appear natural and care is taken by the doctor to insure blood flow to the new grafts. Your hair transplant doctor will be looking at your recipient incisions and must invision in his mind how the hair will look as it grows in over the next 12 months and last for the next 20 years.
Depending on the number of grafts you are having implanted, the entire procedure can last from 2 to 4 hours.
6) Once the medical team has finished implanting the grafts, the procedure is basically over with. The clinic may keep you there for another hour or so to allow time for the sedative and anesthia to wear off. During this time, your doctor will then go over your post op surgery care with you. He will write you prescriptions for pain, swelling and infection and give you careful instructions on how to take care so that you do not damage the newly implanted hair grafts.
Advantages of Hair Transplant Surgery:
•Transplanted Hair Looks and feels natural unlike wig and concealer.
•Transplanted hair remain undetectable among the other hair.
•Transplanted hair grows and keeps growing permanently unlike the hair of wig and the regrown hair by Medication.
•Do not require extra maintenance or care unlike wig, which require lifetime care.
•The Transplanted hair can be cut, colored and styled as well.
•Transplantation normally has one time expense unlike medication or wig which require lifetime expense.
•It is a One day Procedure performed by numbing your skin so you can talk with doctor, watch TV, listen to music, read, take a nap, have lunch and juice and even go to toilet!
•No bandages at the end.
•You can take shoulder bath from same day and can shampoo your hair from 3rd day.
•You can even do light office work from second day.
•If you are from out station you may travel back same or the next day minimum follow-up is required thereafter.
To know more about affordable and low cost Hair Transplant Surgery in India-please visit the Website
=>http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com
In India, Hair transplantation has become one of the most popular methods of addressing hair loss and is also called hair replacement or hair restoration. Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure and, as is the case with all other surgeries, is a very individual decision based on the patient's age and other conditions. In fact, anyone planning hair transplant needs to have a detailed consultation with the transplant surgeon to discuss expectations, possibilities and risks. The majority of hair transplant aspirants in India are men, who experience severe thinning of hair leading to baldness. Women are also candidates for hair transplant, but not often because they normally experience only thinning of hair and not loss of hair in patches as men do. Sometimes a hair transplant may be needed as reconstructive surgery in cases of burns or trauma.
Hair Transplant Surgery:
Baldness or loss of hair is a common problem in mostly males but can also be seen in females. Hair transplantation refers to the surgical movement of permanent hair with its roots to an area of bald or balding skin. Hair transplantation is an effective and permanent solution for hair loss.
Effects of Hair Transplant Surgery:
In almost all cases of so-called "male-pattern baldness", there is a permanent fringe of hair along the side and back of the scalp. This hair demonstrates "donor dominance". This means it will grow permanently even if it is moved to an area which is bald or balding.
Procedure of Hair Transplant Surgery:
A typical hair transplant procedure has at least six steps:
1. Consultation
2. Blood Tests
3. Anaesthesia
4. Extraction of donor hair
5. Implanting of donor hair
6. Post operative care
1) When it comes to hair transplant Surgery, the consultation usually receives the least amount of attention. However, since this is first step in the process and the one in which you alone will play the largest part, the consultation is perhaps the most important step for the individual. The information exchanged during this meeting will outline your goals and expectations for the outcome of the procedure. The information you receive during this consultation is the only factor you have in choosing either the right clinic or the wrong clinic for you.
2) Once you have decided on a clinic and scheduled an appointment, most clinics require blood tests to be performed as required by law. These blood tests will take place approximately 24 to 48 hours before your surgery.
3) After your blood tests are confirmed, the doctor can begin your procedure. Each clinic will give you certain instructions to follow before your surgery which will probably include not taking an aspirin product before the surgery, and not to eat or drink 12 hours prior to surgery. The day of your procedure, patients might be given a small sedative to take. This will help to relax you before the surgery and calm your nerves.
Using a local anesthesia, the doctor will numb the recipient area and donor area. This is the only time patients will feel pain which can range from a mild discomfort for some patients to very painful for others. Women tend to endure this step better then man due to their higher capacity for pain.
4). Once the anaesthesia has taken affect, the doctor can remove the donor hair grafts which is done using one of two methods in common practice today.
The single strip harvest method is the traditional and most widely used method. A scalpel containing 2 or more blades mounted in parallel is used to cut strips of donor tissue 10 to 20 cm long. The donor strip is then carefully divided into follicular units under a microscope and surgical light. In order to remove this strip, you will have to lay on your stomach so doctors can get a topside view of your donor area.
While the donor strip is being divided and counted into micro grafts, the doctor will suture the donor area together. A number of new techniques have been introduced lately to minimize scarring in this region.
The Follicular Unit Extraction method is another technique some doctors used to harvest donor hair. In this labor intensive technique, doctors use a small punch-like circular scalpel to remove follicular units one at a time.
5) Following the suturing of your donor area or the Follicular Unit Extraction step, you will recline comfortably in the surgery chair as the medical team begins preparing your hair loss affected area for the follicular unit hair grafts to be implanted.
This step involves making tiny incisions or apertures with a small gauged needle or scalpel in the recipient area. These tiny incisions are where your scalp will receive the new grafts of hair.
Often, a hair transplant team will work together -one making the recipient incision while the other implants the new grafts.
It's during this step in the hair transplant process that the experience and care of the doctor are most needed. The pattern in which the grafts are implanted must appear natural and care is taken by the doctor to insure blood flow to the new grafts. Your hair transplant doctor will be looking at your recipient incisions and must invision in his mind how the hair will look as it grows in over the next 12 months and last for the next 20 years.
Depending on the number of grafts you are having implanted, the entire procedure can last from 2 to 4 hours.
6) Once the medical team has finished implanting the grafts, the procedure is basically over with. The clinic may keep you there for another hour or so to allow time for the sedative and anesthia to wear off. During this time, your doctor will then go over your post op surgery care with you. He will write you prescriptions for pain, swelling and infection and give you careful instructions on how to take care so that you do not damage the newly implanted hair grafts.
Advantages of Hair Transplant Surgery:
•Transplanted Hair Looks and feels natural unlike wig and concealer.
•Transplanted hair remain undetectable among the other hair.
•Transplanted hair grows and keeps growing permanently unlike the hair of wig and the regrown hair by Medication.
•Do not require extra maintenance or care unlike wig, which require lifetime care.
•The Transplanted hair can be cut, colored and styled as well.
•Transplantation normally has one time expense unlike medication or wig which require lifetime expense.
•It is a One day Procedure performed by numbing your skin so you can talk with doctor, watch TV, listen to music, read, take a nap, have lunch and juice and even go to toilet!
•No bandages at the end.
•You can take shoulder bath from same day and can shampoo your hair from 3rd day.
•You can even do light office work from second day.
•If you are from out station you may travel back same or the next day minimum follow-up is required thereafter.
To know more about affordable and low cost Hair Transplant Surgery in India-please visit the Website
=>http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com
Monday, 9 February 2009
7 Quick Hair Care Fixes
Are you having a bad hair day, but short on time? Here's some quick fixes to common hair problems.
Add Volume to Hair - Tip your head upside down and mist hair roots with hairspray. Style hair as usual.
Revive Limp Straight Hair - Separate your hair into three or four sections on top and at the sides of your face. Mist each section with volumizing spray. Roll your hair up with one or two inch Velcro rollers. Blow dry your hair and keep rollers in until hair has cooled. Take rollers out and style.
Revive Limp Curly Hair - Part your hair into four or five sections. Curl each section with a curling iron. Finish with a small application of light pomade.
Smelly Hair Fix - Add a few drops of perfume into a spray bottle filled with water. Spritz hair all over. Or, apply a little bit of baby powder into your hair and brush it in.
Tame Frizzy Curls - Spritz your hair with water from a spray bottle or scrunch sections of hair with a damp washcloth. Apply a dime size amount of curl enhancer product all through your hair. Let hair dry naturally.
Tame Unruly Bangs - Apply a styling product to your bangs. Hold bangs out from your face with a brush or your fingers. Blow dry your bangs in the direction you wish your hair to settle. Example: If you want your bangs to lay down straight, then aim the blow dryer downward.
Untangle Ratty Hair Knots - Spray a leave-in conditioner on the hair knots. Use a wide-tooth comb and carefully pick out the knot starting at the end. For really stubborn knots, try applying a silicone product like Frizz Ease before combing out.
Add Volume to Hair - Tip your head upside down and mist hair roots with hairspray. Style hair as usual.
Revive Limp Straight Hair - Separate your hair into three or four sections on top and at the sides of your face. Mist each section with volumizing spray. Roll your hair up with one or two inch Velcro rollers. Blow dry your hair and keep rollers in until hair has cooled. Take rollers out and style.
Revive Limp Curly Hair - Part your hair into four or five sections. Curl each section with a curling iron. Finish with a small application of light pomade.
Smelly Hair Fix - Add a few drops of perfume into a spray bottle filled with water. Spritz hair all over. Or, apply a little bit of baby powder into your hair and brush it in.
Tame Frizzy Curls - Spritz your hair with water from a spray bottle or scrunch sections of hair with a damp washcloth. Apply a dime size amount of curl enhancer product all through your hair. Let hair dry naturally.
Tame Unruly Bangs - Apply a styling product to your bangs. Hold bangs out from your face with a brush or your fingers. Blow dry your bangs in the direction you wish your hair to settle. Example: If you want your bangs to lay down straight, then aim the blow dryer downward.
Untangle Ratty Hair Knots - Spray a leave-in conditioner on the hair knots. Use a wide-tooth comb and carefully pick out the knot starting at the end. For really stubborn knots, try applying a silicone product like Frizz Ease before combing out.
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Causes of Hair Loss and a Permanent Solution - How to Find a Qualified Hair Transplant Surgeon
Thinning hair and baldness afflict millions. These conditions are caused by several main factors:
1. African-Americans and others who style their hair in "corn rows" or tight braids often suffer hair loss, because chronic pulling of the hair follicles (roots) slowly destroys them. This usually results in permanent hair loss of the frontal scalp.
2. Pattern baldness is a genetic condition that usually afflicts men but also occurs to a lesser degree in women. This condition, also known as male pattern baldness, is caused by excessive amounts of the hormone DHT, which attacks and destroys hair follicles, causing baldness on the top of the head. Excess DHT is caused by too much testosterone in the blood. This may occur naturally or be caused by certain pills and supplements.
3. Hair loss may occur as a side effect of some medications and certain medical conditions. These include thyroid and anemic disorders. Hair will probably stop falling out if the medication is discontinued or the gland or organ is restored to normalcy, but in areas where hair follicles have died, hair won't regrow and a person may be left with permanently thinned hair or bald spots.
Many of the pills, potions, gimmicks and gadgets on the market claiming to restore hair are ineffective or downright fraudulent. A few of them may produce some hair, often of marginal quality, but that hair may fall out when the drug or treatment is discontinued.
Hair transplantation, or hair replacement surgery, is the one solution to hair loss that is permanent and that does not depend on ongoing, expensive medications or therapy.
Hair transplantation is accomplished by making a small strip incision in an area where hair is plentiful, usually back of the head. This hair is plentiful because it has been genetically programmed to grow throughout life (even in cases of pattern baldness). This donor area is then sutured shut, with hair concealing it. Each small donor strip contains as many as three-thousand hair follicles. These are harvested, separated into units of two or three hairs, and inserted into tiny incisions in the bald areas of the scalp.
The surgery requires just a local anesthetic. In most cases, two three-to-five-hour sessions are sufficient. In many cases patients are happy with just one or two sessions since the genetically fecund transplanted hair follicles will produce hair for the rest of one's life.
Unfortunately for the unsuspecting public, it takes a bit of sleuth work to find a knowledgeable and highly experienced doctor. Such doctors are rare, and most people naively assume that plastic surgeons and dermatologists who do a few hair replacement surgeries a month will do a good job. Others fall for hair transplant companies that are merely sales offices, many importing inexperienced doctors. The results can be disastrous: "doll's head hair," (unnatural-looking plugs or tufts of hair), freakish hairlines, scarring, and flaps.
So how do you avoid these pitfalls?
1. Look for a doctor whose sole focus is hair replacement and who performs this type of surgery every day, having performed thousands of procedures throughout his career. If a doctor is part of a large group working for a transplant company, or has been in practice just a few years, he may not be able to fulfill this criterion. Don't be afraid to ask how many cases the doctor has personally performed.
2. Ask if you may observe a procedure.
3. Most importantly, ask for the names of many, many patients whom you may call.
If you meet resistance in obtaining any of this information, look elsewhere. You are not buying a car. You are making a decision which will determine your appearance for the rest of your life. If you insist on the best, you will be delighted with the results.
1. African-Americans and others who style their hair in "corn rows" or tight braids often suffer hair loss, because chronic pulling of the hair follicles (roots) slowly destroys them. This usually results in permanent hair loss of the frontal scalp.
2. Pattern baldness is a genetic condition that usually afflicts men but also occurs to a lesser degree in women. This condition, also known as male pattern baldness, is caused by excessive amounts of the hormone DHT, which attacks and destroys hair follicles, causing baldness on the top of the head. Excess DHT is caused by too much testosterone in the blood. This may occur naturally or be caused by certain pills and supplements.
3. Hair loss may occur as a side effect of some medications and certain medical conditions. These include thyroid and anemic disorders. Hair will probably stop falling out if the medication is discontinued or the gland or organ is restored to normalcy, but in areas where hair follicles have died, hair won't regrow and a person may be left with permanently thinned hair or bald spots.
Many of the pills, potions, gimmicks and gadgets on the market claiming to restore hair are ineffective or downright fraudulent. A few of them may produce some hair, often of marginal quality, but that hair may fall out when the drug or treatment is discontinued.
Hair transplantation, or hair replacement surgery, is the one solution to hair loss that is permanent and that does not depend on ongoing, expensive medications or therapy.
Hair transplantation is accomplished by making a small strip incision in an area where hair is plentiful, usually back of the head. This hair is plentiful because it has been genetically programmed to grow throughout life (even in cases of pattern baldness). This donor area is then sutured shut, with hair concealing it. Each small donor strip contains as many as three-thousand hair follicles. These are harvested, separated into units of two or three hairs, and inserted into tiny incisions in the bald areas of the scalp.
The surgery requires just a local anesthetic. In most cases, two three-to-five-hour sessions are sufficient. In many cases patients are happy with just one or two sessions since the genetically fecund transplanted hair follicles will produce hair for the rest of one's life.
Unfortunately for the unsuspecting public, it takes a bit of sleuth work to find a knowledgeable and highly experienced doctor. Such doctors are rare, and most people naively assume that plastic surgeons and dermatologists who do a few hair replacement surgeries a month will do a good job. Others fall for hair transplant companies that are merely sales offices, many importing inexperienced doctors. The results can be disastrous: "doll's head hair," (unnatural-looking plugs or tufts of hair), freakish hairlines, scarring, and flaps.
So how do you avoid these pitfalls?
1. Look for a doctor whose sole focus is hair replacement and who performs this type of surgery every day, having performed thousands of procedures throughout his career. If a doctor is part of a large group working for a transplant company, or has been in practice just a few years, he may not be able to fulfill this criterion. Don't be afraid to ask how many cases the doctor has personally performed.
2. Ask if you may observe a procedure.
3. Most importantly, ask for the names of many, many patients whom you may call.
If you meet resistance in obtaining any of this information, look elsewhere. You are not buying a car. You are making a decision which will determine your appearance for the rest of your life. If you insist on the best, you will be delighted with the results.
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