Is Hair Transplant a stable solution to Hair loss adversity?

Hair loss or Hair thinning or Balding is the loss of hair in the scalp or any other part of the body. Excessive hair loss from the scalp is generally referred as Baldness. It is considered normal when there is a fall of around 100 hair strands per day for everyone and at every age. Dr. Norman Orentreich is considered the father of dermatologic surgery for his trailblazing work in Hair Transplant, dermabrasion, and fillers. Alopecia, the medical term for any type of hair loss, occurs because hair grows in normal cycles of hair growth and shedding cycles. Each cycle consists of

• Anagen (long growing phase)
• Catagen (transitional phase)
• Telogen stage (short resting stage)

When the number exceeds resulting in excessive loss of hair it can spell trouble. It is then that the requirement of medical intervention or diagnosis comes into play. Hair loss can be the result of genetics (in 80% of cases), hormonal issues, medical disorder or medications. Patterned hair loss is the most conventional reason of hair loss observed in both the sexes after puberty. The key pathophysiological features of Patterned hair loss are continuous thinning, shortening, and loss of hair at the affected emplacements. While “Male Androgenic Alopecia (MAA, male pattern baldness)” is most common in male, “Female pattern baldness” is most common in the female. MAA is a condition where hair loss occurs in multiple parts of the scalp, ultimately leading to a bald region surrounded by hair in a horseshoe-like pattern. About 30-50% of men are affected by this disorder by the age of 50. Other forms of hair loss include

• “Alopecia areata” (spot baldness, small patches formed due to baldness)
• “Telogen effluvium” [scalp disorder, fast shedding or thinning of hair due to early entry of hair follicles in telogen phase (resting phase)] after childbirth, emotional disorders, anemia, fever, or sudden weight loss)
• “Traction alopecia”(hair loss from tight braids or ponytails).

Causes of Hair Loss Hair loss is typically considered as an age-factor issue. There are several potential factors besides genetics which may contribute to hair loss. Illness or surgery, Hormone imbalances in women during menopause, pregnancy, stress, or thyroid issues, Medications and vitamins (Excessive level of Vitamin A), Nutritional deficits, Harsh hairstyles or treatments are to name a few. The Genetics behind Hair Loss Genetics also seem to play a role in Hair loss. The genetic component behind baldness is believed to come from a gene from the X chromosome inherited from mother’s side. Recently, with the discovery of two other genetic variants on the X chromosome, increasing risk of hair loss, Scientists have confirmed the polygenic inheritance of the trait. Treatment of Hair loss Effective treatments for some types of hair loss are available today. There are possibilities to reverse hair loss, or at least slow further thinning. With few conditions, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regenerate without treatment within a year.rnTreatments for hair loss is done majorly by medications, therapy and surgery to encourage hair growth and slow hair loss. Medications are available to treat pattern (hereditary) hair loss. The different options include: (1) Medication-Minoxidil applied directly to scalp helps in restoring hair growth. Finasteride (Propecia) taken in pills form prescribed for men helps in regaining hair. These two drugs are only FDA approved. (2) Therapy- Platelet-rich Plasma Growth factors play important role in creation or stimulation of new hair follicles and wound healing. PRP contains significant levels of platelets and plenty of clotting and growth factors. Cosmetic Surgeons take the platelets from patient’s blood, spin them so that PRP gets concentrated and put it back to patient’s blood that aid healing. (2) Surgery There are basically two types of surgery used for Hair Transplantation: FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). Basically, they differ primarily in the way the hair folicles are extracted from the donor area. Cost of Treatment of Hair Restoration Surgery-Hair Transplantation Hair grafting or Hair transplantation, a popular cosmetic surgery available at all major cosmetic clinics and hospitals, are performed by expert dermatologists. The cost ranges between 35,000-2,00000 INR in India. The cost of Hair Transplantation depends on the number of grafts to be implanted. Usually, the cost of each graft varies from 30-100 INR. The price of Hair Transplantation depends on several factors like

• the present grade of baldness
• density desired
• hairline desired
• future hair loss consideration etc.

The cost also varies with the type of transplantation procedure selected by the patient on Surgeon’s suggestion after consultation. FUE technique of surgery is usually more expensive than FUT. It is so because FUE is a more time-consuming procedure and also with the use of Robots in FUE there is the additional cost of the more expensive technology. For an aesthetic perspective, a hair transplant performed by an expert surgeon could potentially be a good idea for a hair loss problem.