Hair Loss also commonly known as baldness (Alopecia in medical term) is a state of hair loss from the body, although hair loss may happen anywhere in the body however it is more dominantly visible at the scalp. Baldness is one of the most common problems in the mid-aged male and is directly associated with the confidence of many people.
Hair loss may happen to either gender and there are various causes associated with it. Some of the most common causes of hair loss can be listed as below
1. Heredity – Heredity is the most common cause of baldness and hair thinning and is quite predictable in terms of age and pattern. While females suffer from thinning hairlines, in male scalp baldness is quite visible.
2. Medication Effects – Sometimes hair loss is attributed to side effects of drugs and medicines of certain deceases. This kind of hair loss is unpredicted and occurs in short time durations.
3. Environmental Impact – The impact of the environment is playing an adverse impact on the health condition of many affected people. The most critical impact is played by water in some regions.
4. Hormonal Changes – Another factor that affects hair loss is hormonal changes which may lead to temporary or permanent hair loss and may even lead to baldness. Some medical conditions like pregnancy, childbirth, menopause or thyroid problems may also cause hair loss.
5. Chemical Treatments – Some chemical treatments on hair also impact hair growth and may lead to hair loss eventually.
It is quite important to understand the hair loss signs at the early stage from its prevailing symptoms. The easiest and most visible signs of hair fall can be observed in hair comb or shower drain. Early detection of hair fall or hair loss can be quite helpful in the healing process however in the majority of the cases people tend to ignore initial signs of hair fall
– Thinning hair on the scalp
– Receding hairline pattern
– Hair loss from the crown of the head area
– Loosening of the hairs and uprooting
– Full-body hair loss
Once it is established that hair loss is consistent and prominent it is utmost important to go to the consultant to derive if the hair loss is temporary or permanent. It is also important to understand there are therapies available in the medical world for fuelling the growth of the hair as well as the transplant of the hair. Let us understand how it goes
Hair Transplant is the process of replacing the healthy and growing graft/follicles from one part to another to induce hair growth as desired. The process of hair transplant has evolved over time and also gone through medical advancement in execution.
Primarily two principal methods of hair restoration are in practice worldwide and have been adopted by the patients with the proven success rate.
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) or Follicular Unit Extraction.
One thing which is common in both of the restoration processes is that in either of the transplant techniques healthy hair grafts are placed in the areas of the scalp affected by hair loss to induce natural hair restoration. During the surgery process it’s taken care that grafts are distributed and placed at small incisions and to ensure that the hairs are blended together with the existing hair. Prime distinction between FUT and FUE hair transplants is that in FUT transplant a strip of donor skin is removed and follicular units are extracted and placed into the areas of hair loss, while in FUE individual follicular units are excised directly from the donor skin area.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) Method
FUT is one of the most popular and well-established surgical methods of hair restoration. To achieve the perfect result, the surgery needs precision and expertise apart from the knowledge of the basic technique. The process also needs individual attention at every patient as every case is unique in itself.
In the FUT process, the donor is first anesthetized and the hair-bearing strip from the skin is extracted. This donor strip is then placed for surgical extraction of follicular units under high powered microscopic environment and is minutely studied for a pattern of healthy hair graft. Post extraction these grafts are preserved in chilled tissue solution and stored until the hair transplant surgeons are ready for the transplant. The storage is in a way to maintain healthy growth as in the natural state of the tissue. The recipient scalp is meanwhile monitored for graft insertion in the recipient area. This study is very critical as it determines the surgical process of insertion of graft and the technicality attached with it like density, angle, and direction of the follicular graft. Equally important is the donor area which is closed by the hair surgeons after extracting the graft strip with the newly transplanted hairs in the neighborhood. To infuse the natural look and the organic growth of the hair positioning and distribution of the follicular units are very important and are taken with the utmost care.
Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) Method
FUE is another popular method of hair transplant and in this process hair grafts are individually extracted from the donor scalp for the transplant. This process is carried out by hair transplant experts and needs minute precision. Usually FUE surgery leaves minor scar at the scalp area where extraction takes place however that is too tiny to be noticed. After the donor grafts are extracted, they are placed carefully in the recipient area for the natural growth on the scalp.