Top 5 Hair Loss Myths

When you are suffering from hair loss, every one will offer you an advice or two. From office boy to neighborhood auntie, each can tell you cause and remedy of your hair loss. How they became so knowledgeable is anybody’s guess but here is a list to tell you when they are right and when they are not.

Myth No.1 : Shaving the Head will Prevent Hair Loss

NO! NO! NO! Shaving does not prevent hair fall. Probably the origin of this myth lies in the fact that short stubble feels coarser and is therefore considered made of better quality hair. In fact, it only feels harder because the hair is short and not because hair quality has improved overnight.  

Another contributing factor to the popularity of this myth may be that you stop “seeing” hair loss. After shaving your head, you don’t see hair in your hands or pillow like you used to. This is again because the hair is so short that you don’t notice its fall and not because hair loss has stopped.

Remember, the hair is falling due to hair root injury and shaving can not change this process. Hair fall will continue even if you shave your head hundred times.

Myth No.2 :  Dandruff causes Hair Loss

Again not true. The origin of this myth is the fact that every time you scratch your scalp you get one or two hair in your hands. These are just weak telogen hair that were about to fall any way. Dandruff on the other hand is a surface infection or colonization by a fungus. It happens in oily scalp and is medically treatable. It does not cause any damage to hair roots. Also remember that flaking of dry scalp is different from dandruff and only requires good hair conditioner.

Myth No.3 : Tension causes Hair Loss

False.  I  don’t know where this came from. Severe prolonged stress due to injury or disease can cause telogen effluvium, but day to day stress does not exacerbate hair loss.

Myth No.4 : Helmet or Hat causes Hair Loss

Wrong. Tight helmets or hats may contribute to hair fiber damage, but it does not cause root injury. On the other hand, pulling the hair too hard while wearing a turban or cornrows, can cause permanent hair loss. This is called traction alopecia and requires surgical treatment.

Myth No.5 : Oiling Prevents Hair Loss

Not true. Adequate oil is produced by your scalp to nourish hair roots. In fact, evey hair has its own oil producing gland. If you have very long hair, then putting hair oils may improve the texture, but short hairs do not require oiling. Head massage with oils can relax you but does little for hair growth.

So, what causes hair loss? I shall discuss this in my next blog.

Hair Transplant: FAQs

What is Hair Transplant?

Word "Transplant" can be seen as  made of two  words, Transfer and Implant. So, hair transplant is simply transfer of living hair. These hair can be transplanted in any hairless area such as balding scalp or area of stable scar, eyebrow, moustache etc. Currently, this is the only technique that can give natural, permanent, growing hair in bald area.

Who Needs It?

Hair transplantation is used predominantly to treat the hereditary balding condition known as androgenetic alopecia ( Male pattern baldness). Patients with male pattern hair loss tend to loose hair from the front and top of their head. Since baldness is often ridiculed in society, it can undermine one's confidence and performance, especially if it comes at a young age.

Women with diffuse alopecia, selected patients with burn alopecia, eyebrow and facial hair loss patients are other candidates who can benefit from the procedure.

What Causes Hair Loss?

Although there are many causes of hair loss, the commonest cause is male pattern baldness. this is due to a combination of two factors. First, the hormonal byproduct Di Hydro Testosterone (DHT) and second your hair follicle's susceptibility to DHT, which is genetically determined. Both the factors should be present to cause hair loss.

How is Hair Transplant done?

Patients having baldness still have good density of permanent hair on the sides and back of the head. These good quality hair that naturally last a lifetime, are used to fill up the bald region. The hair are taken out from the scalp one by one (as single units called FUE)  and are implanted individually in the bald area. This highly sophisticated procedure replicates the natural hair growing pattern.

Is There Pain?

Hardly if any at all. I customise local anesthesia solution to gently numbs the area of procedure. You will not feel anything at all. even in post operative phase when anaesthesia effect wears off, only mild painkillers may be required. Some people do not require any painkiller after FUE method.

How Long Will It Take?

Hair transplant is a one day  procedure in office setting. No admission is required. An average surgery of 1500-2000 grafts takes 5-6 hours. Megasessions of 3000 or more grafts may take 8-10 hours. You can go home the same day after procedure.

Are Results Permanent?

Yes. Since transplanted hair come from permanent hair zone (the back and side of scalp) that is unaffected by DHT, these hair do not fall after implantation. They will have same texture, colour, growth and quality as your back hair and the results will last you a lifetime.

Why Shouldn't I go for Artificial Hair?

Entirely too many reasons. The biggest reason that my patients tell me is that they feel artificial. There is always that fear of losing face in public if the hair piece comes off. Then, of course, there is price for maintenance, price for replacement and price for touch ups. After some time the cost of maintaining a good hair piece crosses that of transplant and you still have nothing to show. Last but not the least is health reasons. The glue can cause allergy, the clips can cause headache,even wounds if they are too tight, weaving may pull and damage your existing hair

How Much Does it Cost?

The initial cost of a good hair transplant may be high but it does not require any maintenance. It is a kind of investment that will keep you giving good returns for times to come. An average a transplant session costs 5-7,000 US $ for FUT and 15-20,000 US $ for FUE hair transplants, but it is much cheaper in India.

Hair Transplant Surgery

Baldness and thinning of scalp hair are conditions that affect almost one-third of all men in their thirties and, fifty percent by their fifties.  Infrequently, some women also experience noticeable hair loss. There are many causes for hair loss including systemic diseases, severe infection, anemia, thyroid disease, protein, vitamin and mineral deficiency, certain drugs, cancer treatments, childbirth and birth control pills. In this type of hair fall the root of hair is not destroyed. Therefore hair loss is temporary and corrects after the offending agent is withdrawn. However, when hair root is destroyed, the loss of hair is permanent. This include direct trauma such as accidents or operations and inflammatory or infectious diseases of the scalp. But, the most common type of permanent hair loss is Androgenetic alopecia, the exact cause of which is not known. In this condition, hair loss occurs typically from front and top portions of head, while sides and back hair are retained.

Artificial coverage of bald area can be done with hairpieces and fibers, but many people find them unnatural looking or difficult to maintain. There are some medicines and oils in the market that claim to restore hair growth with limited success. Surgical hair transplant is the only predictable and permanent solution for those who are bald or have thinning hair. Hair transplants or grafting is a procedure which produces very favorable, permanent results for many people.

Am I Right Candidate for Hair Transplant?

You should plan a transplant if,

Your hairline is not appropriate for age or you wish to achieve younger looking hair line

You have burn alopecia or traction alopecia.

You have eyebrow, eyelash or facial hair loss.

You should wait if,

You are in your teens or early twenties with unstable hair line.

If you have rare genetic conditions like DUPA, extensive alopecia areata etc.

If you are medically unfit for surgery (uncontrolled blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, heart failure etc)

Even in these conditions, it is best to consult a qualified plastic and cosmetic surgeon; because he can help you chalk out a plan for future and may offer you alternative therapies. An honest expert advice can save you lot of grief.

Before Hair Transplant Surgery

Hair transplant or hair grafting or Hair restoration surgery puts natural, growing hair in bald areas. Your plastic and cosmetic surgeon will carefully examine both the area from which the grafts are to be taken (donor site) and the area to receive the grafts (recipient site) to see if they are compatible. The patient's type and pattern of hair loss are evaluated. The cosmetic surgeon and patient discuss how the hair should look in order to produce a pleasing, natural appearance. Photographs are often taken to evaluate the results. Blood tests may be advised to determine whether there are medical conditions such as bleeding or clotting defects that might make surgery inadvisable. Pre-operative instructions may include the elimination of drugs containing aspirin in order to minimize the possibility of excess bleeding.

The Hair Transplant Procedure

The surgery is done in a day care setting at plastic and cosmetic surgeon’s office or a surgical centre under local anesthesia. Immediately before hair restoration surgery, your surgeon will design a hairline for you and trim the donor hair. The area is cleansed with a special solution. There are two basic methods of harvesting the donor hair.

1. The strip method
2. Follicular extraction method

In the older strip method, a portion of skin containing hair and hair follicles is removed.This piece of skin is then cut into follicular hair units containing one to three hair. These follicular units are then used to refine the hairline. Some centers still use minigrafts, (5-7 hairs) or micrografts (3-4 hairs)but it is not popular now, because the results are not natural.

In advanced FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method, the hair grafts are harvested using micro punches from the scalp. This is a newer and more expensive method. Since the hair are harvested one by one no stiching is required and scars are also not visible.The donor grafts are carefully placed in a pattern that matches the direction of the original hair. The hair grafts are placed in such a way as to achieve adequate density while allowing each graft to receive an adequate blood supply during the healing process.

Following Hair Transplant Surgery

Following the procedure, the patient is required to wear a protective bandage. Patients may experience a moderate amount of discomfort which is controlled with oral medication. Risks and complications are rare because only the outer layer of the skin is involved. Rarely some swelling and around the eyes may occur two to three days after surgery. Using eye compresses and sleeping in a semi-reclining position can minimize these problems. Shampooing is allowed after bandage removal. Stitches, if used are removed around ten days after surgery.

Numbness around the donor and recipient sites is common and will diminish within two to three months. Scabs may be present on the hair grafts for seven to ten days. Small scars remain but are hidden within the hairline. About three to four weeks after hair restoration surgery, the hair begins to fall out. Approximately three months later, new hair appears and grows at about the same rate as it did in its original location, about one-quarter to one-half inch a month. Several treatment sessions may be necessary and patients who want to achieve greater density or refinement of the hairline often return for additional hair transplants. The end result is a hairline similar to the patient's original one.