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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 ore 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.
David Riewe is the
Editor of Daves Health Buzz. Daves Health Buzz covers a
wide variety of health and wellness related topics.
Warning: This report may be helpful to your hair!
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