Are Hair Transplants Effective?
Hair transplants are promoted as the best permanent solution to hair loss. However, they may not be as reliable a solution as many of their promoters would like you to believe. In order to get the best results from a hair transplant, you not only need to take proper care of your transplant, but also you need to be the "right" kind of bald. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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Men and women have been camouflaging hair loss for thousands of years. Until recently, the best way to hide hair loss was to comb it over, fluff it up or wear a wig. However, as science and technology have progressed, restorative hair surgeries have become increasingly popular.
Function
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Hair transplants are actual hair follicles that are removed, intact, from one part of the body and transplanted to the head. Once there, they can continue to grow normally, giving you new, real hair where once there was none. As with any other transplant surgery, the grafts sometimes do not take, or the new site rejects the transplants. However, this is less likely than with organ transplants, because hair transplants use your own hair.
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Time Frame
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If your hair transplant is successful, you may not know for up to 4 months after the surgery. The grafted hair will fall out within 2 to 4 weeks, and then you will have to wait to see if new hair grows in. If it does, it will grow at a rate of about 1/2 inch a month.
Considerations
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Some types of baldness are more receptive to correction via hair transplant than others. If you are fully bald, you will have to get hair from other parts of your body. These transplants have a lower success rate than those that involve moving hair only on the head. Also, you should be sure to get references from your cosmetic surgeon, since his skill and delicate handling are vital to the success of the surgery.
Benefits
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The success of a hair transplant depends largely on the surgeon performing the transplant and the extent of the surgery. Your odds for success increase when you use head hair and do not have to cover the entire scalp. Most people who are prescreened for their hair transplants and carefully follow the directions of their doctor experience at least some success. In the best cases, even hair stylists cannot distinguish between the transplanted hair and the natural growth.
Warning
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If you are considering a hair transplant, get several opinions before committing to a surgeon or to surgery. Hair transplants require tender, constant supervision and care until they are firmly entrenched in their new location, so take all proper precautions to ensure the success of the procedure and avoid infection.
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