Hair loss is a medical condition that most adult men and some women will contend with as they age, and this unpopular phenomenon has inspired medical techniques to counteract it. Terminal hair grafts are one option, and preservation of the hair can be done with various methods of hair transplant surgery at most dedicated medical centers. Terminal hair grafts and general hair replacement can help any patient regain the full head of hair he or she wanted with minimal side effects.
Hair Loss and People
For 95% of men’s hair loss cases, male pattern baldness is the cause, and it can happen earlier than some people may realize. Even by age 35, some two thirds of men may have noticeable hair loss, and by the age of 50, 85% of men have noticeably thinner hair. Today, in the United States, some 35 million men are dealing with hair loss, and around 21 million women are experiencing the same thing. Some people with this condition would go to great lengths to change it; among hair loss sufferers, 47% said that they would spend their entire life savings to restore all of their hair, and around 60% of hair loss sufferers reported that they would rather restore their hair than have more money or friends. The phase of natural hair loss may span 20 years, but during this time, steps can be taken to prevent further hair loss and in fact restore a full head of hair. Terminal hair grafts, for example, are a way to get natural results that many balding Americans desire.
Hair Replacement
According to the Journal of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, follicular unit transplants are a staple of hair restoration. Hair naturally grows in units of one to four terminal hairs, a sebaceous unit, and supporting structures. An average person may have 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on their head with about two hairs per square millimeter, and at a loss of 50% or more, significant hair loss has been achieved.
For terminal hair grafts, first follicular united are gathered and harvested from the occipital and temporal scalp, which are in fact androgen insensitive regions of the scalp, and follicular units are placed on the intended region on an individual basis. Using a follicle unit basis leads to faster healing, better hair density, and a lowered risk of traumas in the recipient region, and this relocation of hair on the person’s scalp gives the intended full head of hair look despite the number of hairs not changing. Terminal hair grafts can be done with either the traditional strip method or the follicular unit extraction (FUE) method.
With the strip method, sections of the scalp at the occipital region are removed, and these sections are further sliced into several thinner strips, and then individual follicular units are separated and placed on the recipient region as needed, with the hairs going in the natural direction for a better look, and even individual hairs can be placed to complete the look. However, the donor region may suffer from scarring or sutures, due the large portions of skin being removed, and this can result in scarring.
Small punch excisions, meanwhile, are used in the FUE method of terminal hair grafts, and complications are minimal and the total skin removed is less. This method is also more flexible because terminal hairs from other parts of the body can be harvested and used on the head, while the strip method only works with head hair. And after the surgery, minor care at most is needed to keep the scalp healthy. If minor bleeding occurs, gentle pressure should stop it, and the recipient area may be dry and scratchy, so saline spray can be used to keep those grafts moist and more comfortable.