Hair loss, alopecia in medical terms, is the loss of hair from the scalp and other areas of your body. It can be temporary or permanent. Hair loss can be extremely severe such that it can range from a small area to the entire scalp. In most cases, scarring or inflammation is not usually present.
Hair loss can result from family history (heredity), stress, medication and supplements, hormonal changes and medical conditions, hairstyles, and hair treatments. People will try all sorts of remedies when facing the prospect of going bald. Some work, others are a pure waste of time, and money. People will sometimes turn to hairpieces and hair replacement systems, including wigs.
Common Types Of Hair Loss
The two most common types of hair loss are as follows:
- Pattern baldness (hereditary): occurs in both males and females. This is a permanent loss of hair from the scalp, which leads to baldness.
- Alopecia areata (patchy hair loss): sudden hair loss that starts with one or more circular bald patches that may overlap. It usually occurs when the immune system attacks hair follicles and may be brought on by severe stress.
Hair Transplant Versus Hair Replacement
We lose about 50 – 100 hair strands a day. This hair loss is not usually noticeable because only a few strands shed and new hair grows in. Hair is considered part of a person’s beauty and identity. Due to several factors, hair loss can increase daily, becoming a cosmetic problem. Hair loss, such as female pattern hair loss can greatly affect mental health, leading to depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety.
Fortunately, with modern-day advances in cosmetic surgery, hair loss can be reversible. Some conditions, like patchy hair loss (alopecia areata) and female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) can be treated through hair surgical procedures such as hair transplantation.
Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure for treating hair loss in which hair follicles are transplanted from the donor part of your scalp to another where the hair is either thinning or receding. The two highly successful hair transplant procedures are; Follicular unit transplantation and Follicular unit extraction.
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
FUT is a more classic method of hair transplant. It involves removing a strip of skin from the back of your scalp where the hair is abundant. Next, surgeons extract the hair follicles from that strip of skin. Finally, they then reinsert the hair follicles into the part of the hair where you’re experiencing hair loss.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Here, doctors extract individual follicular units (groups of typically four follicles) directly from the scalp’s donor area. Next, they implant the hair follicles into the balding, recipient area.
Hair Replacement Systems
Hair replacement is a non-surgical, temporary solution for baldness. Human or synthetic hair is glued onto a scalp affected by major hair loss, i.e. a bald scalp. After undergoing hair replacement, it is necessary to go for monthly checkups.
Basically, a hair transplant is a means of treating hair loss surgically by transplanting hair from one area of your scalp to the part where the hair loss is evident. In comparison, hair replacement is a non-surgical procedure and a nearly instant solution to any form of hair loss. Both methods provide respite from hair loss, but wigs and hairpieces are temporary solutions.
Differences Between Hair Transplant And Hair Replacement
The most obvious difference between hair transplant and hair replacement is that one has to do with surgery and the other does not.
It is well known that any surgical operation has risks. Hair transplants are not exempted. Apart from potential bleeding and infection, scars and unnatural new hair growth are most likely to occur. The patient may even experience shock loss, i.e. sudden loss of the newly transplanted hair due to an infection.
Unlike hair transplants, hair replacement almost has no risk because it is a non-surgical procedure. The only problem is that while attaching the hair using hair glue, you might have an allergic reaction, which is not a big issue as anti-allergy glues have been provided.
Another partly obvious difference is that in hair replacement, you rest assured of getting the desired result. The full results of a hair transplant take over 12-months to develop, and they may not be as you expect.
After undergoing a hair transplant surgery, you would have to wait at least six months to heal before achieving final results, which may not even give you the desired result. Therefore, a hair transplant is not an immediate solution. On the contrary, using hair replacement systems could give you immediate results, and you can pick and choose how your new hair looks.
A hair transplant by an expert surgeon will restore your hair and last a very long time. On the other hand, you’ll be lucky if a wig or hairpiece last more than a couple of months. Even then, wigs require regular maintenance, which makes them costly over a long period of time.
Choosing The Right Clinic For Transplant Surgery
Now that you know a hair transplant offers a real opportunity for permanent hair restoration, it’s worth noting the clinic who performs your surgery also matters. Vinci Hair Clinic specialises in a variety of hair loss treatments, including hair transplants. Learn more about our hair transplants and find out if you’re a suitable candidate by giving us a call today.
