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Hair Replacement and
Restoration Techniques
There
has been a great deal of progress in the field
of hair replacement and restoration in the past few years. Surgical
techniques have improved greatly from the days when hair replacement
first began. All hair replacement techniques involve the use of your
own hair; therefore, hair replacement candidates must have some healthy
hair, usually at the back and sides of the head. The process is a
relatively safe procedure when performed by a qualified surgeon,
however as with any surgery there are risks. Candidates must be checked
for uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood-clotting problems, or skin
that scars excessively, as these conditions may make healing difficult.
Small pieces of hair growing scalp grafts are removed from areas of the
scalp with healthy hair and are placed where hair is thinning. There
are three major types of grafts: punch grafts, mini-grafts, and
micro-grafts. Punch grafting takes about 10-15 hairs and places them in
the scalp. This was the first type of technique to be developed, and
when first developed caused a patchy look in many candidates. The
technique has been improved since the first days of being developed,
and the new mini-graft technique has also been added as an option.
Mini-grafts contain only 2-4 hairs per graft, and therefore look much
more natural. Micro-grafts are still smaller grafts that contain one to
two hairs each. To maintain healthy circulation of the scalp, grafts
are placed 1/8th of an inch apart. Local anesthesia is usually
sufficient for these procedures, and several procedures are usually
required to achieve the desired result. Post-surgery, a period of
approximately 10 days of no sexual or strenuous activity is
recommended, as strenuous activity may cause bleeding from the graft
areas.
Of course surgery is a serious option, and often an
expensive one as well. For those not wishing to undergo surgery for
either reason, the option of non-surgical hair additions is often
explored. Many professionals have developed techniques to add hair to
existing hair on your scalp that look very natural. Weaves, fusions,
bonding, cabling and micro linking are some of the techniques used to
bond hair to the existing hair or scalp non-surgically.
Many jokes were made in the past about wigs and
toupees, and they have gained an unfavorable light amongst many people
because they were so obvious on the wearer. Today’s toupees and wigs
are often made of real hair and are very well styled, causing them to
look more natural on the wearer. These hairpieces are held in place by
affixing adhesive to the scalp and stay in place through vigorous
exercise. Of course you will need to seek a professionally made toupee
in order to make it worth your while, and you should purchase at least
two so that you can maintain them properly, servicing one while wearing
the other. A professionally styled and fitted toupee is expected to
cost upward of $600 to $1000 in today’s market. Of course no one wants
to go through the embarrassment of wearing the obvious “rug” on top of
your head, so if you are not willing to spend the money it takes to
purchase a professional toupee then it is probably best to not wear any
hairpiece at all.
Structured hairpieces as they are called are a
semi-surgical approach that permanently attaches hair to the scalp by
stitching the hair to the bald scalp. This procedure is not
recommended, as it is a process that involves introducing a foreign
material to the scalp. Most ethical surgeons do not perform this
procedure any longer as they are generally deemed to be ethically
inappropriate. If this procedure is recommended to you, get a second
opinion from a trusted physician.
A much safer procedure is hair weaving, yet this can
only be used if hair is thinning and large balding areas are not
present. The process is also called hair intensification or hair
integration. Strands of synthetic or real hair are braided or weaved
into your own existing hair giving an appearance of a full head of
hair. This procedure does have its drawbacks, because it can make the
scalp difficult to access, interfering with proper hair and scalp
maintenance necessary for the health of your remaining natural hair,
and this method can also stress existing hair since the artificial hair
introduced through weaving is attached to it. This method is usually
expensive, costing several thousand dollars per application, and being
that because of the aforementioned drawbacks it can only be left in for
a few weeks at a time it is usually impractical for the average person.
It is highly recommended that one seek professional assistance with
these procedures from licensed beauticians or barbers, and have a patch
test done to the skin if using adhesives to test for skin
sensitivities. Extra care must be taken to maintain cleanliness of the
hair and scalp when wearing added hair in order to maintain the health
of existing hair and the scalp in general. Of course, if you are
undergoing chemotherapy or are in the early stages of diagnosed
alopecia areata then these procedures should be avoided as the hair
they are connected to is likely to fall out as well. Either waiting for
a period of time or obtaining a full prosthesis is recommended in these
cases.
Yet still there is another type of treatment which
is a spray of micro fibers made up of the same substance that hair is
made of: keratin. If your hair is simply thinning, while you are
investigating a more permanent solution to your hair loss problems or
in the process of employing a particular process that takes some time,
you can use these substances to cosmetically produce the appearance of
thicker and fuller hair. The substance is marketed under several
different names, one such being Topik®. Being a temporary
solution it is relatively inexpensive, and can provide some immediate
aesthetic results to bolster confidence and optimism as you work on
more permanent solutions.
Click
here for the next Chapter.
This information is
not presented
by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational
purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the
advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any
questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard
professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something
you have read. |
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