A head full of hair

A bald male is accepted, even celebrated, but never a bald woman. So much emphasis and value is placed on a woman's head of hair; it is hard to even compare the impact it has on men and women. Medical hair restoration clinics have seen a dramatic increase in the number of women who are choosing surgical hair transplants as a permanent solution to hair loss.New technology and improved surgical techniques have transformed the hair transplant industry.

The new methods allow for more hair in each skin graft to be placed between existing hair, promoting greater hair density. At the same time, precise instrumentation permits surgeons to work faster and worry less about tissue injury. This has turned hair transplants, a tedious and labor-intensive  procedure into minor day surgery.

The various reasons for hair loss can be genetic, crash dieting, underlying medical conditions like lupus, polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid problem, anemia or hormonal imbalances, side effect of medication and chemotherapy and also telogen effluvium which can can occur after pregnancy or when a woman goes on or off birth control pills.

Laser Hair Therapy (LHT) is a non-surgical, scientific approach in the treatment of hair loss, thinning hair, and scalp problems. The operative scientific principle is that of photo-bio-stimulation – laser light stimulates cell metabolism and helps to repair the damaged cells. For this treatment clients need to come  to the clinic for one session a week  with a total  15 sessions. A laser comb should be used for the remaining 6 days of the week. It should be used as maintenance for atleast 1-2 years.

Meso hair therapy is the procedure of administering hair growth factors, vitamins and proteins in the scalp of patients suffering from hair fall. It replaces  the loss of vitamins and minerals and helps the regrowth of hair. It also has certain substances which block the effect of hormones on hair. It contains growth factors which help in growing new hair. This therapy has no adverse effects. Mesotherapy involves injection of medicines, vitamins, minerals and hair growth factors into the scalp. It replenishes hair loss in both men and women. A typical mesotherapy procedure requires about 6 to 8 sittings on a weekly basis.

Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that moves hair follicles from a part of the body called the 'donor site' to the 'recipient site'. It is primarily used to treat androgenic alopecia which is a pattern of hair loss in women where the hair becomes thin all over the head. In this minimally invasive procedure, grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding and are transplanted to the bald scalp. Hair transplantation can also be used to restore eyelashes, eyebrows, beard hair, chest hair, pubic hair and to fill in scars caused by accidents or surgery such as face-lifts and previous hair transplants. Once the surgery is done the patient must avoid exercises, yoga for atleast 2 days, avoid application for a day. Scalp can be washed gently from the very same day of the procedure after 2 hours.

Patients need to moisturise and wash their hair, avoid direct sun exposure, chemical products and treatments for atleast a month.

–The writer is a Mumbai based Cosmetic Surgeon