Hair Loss

About 90 percent of hair on the scalp grows continually (anagen phase). The other 10 percent of scalp hair is in a resting phase that lasts two to three months (telogen phase). At the end of the resting phase, this hair is shed.

Your hair loss may have started with a few extra hairs in the sink or in your comb. Shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. Anyone — men, women and children — can experience hair loss. When a hair is shed, it is replaced by a new hair from the same follicle and the growing cycle starts again. Scalp hair grows about one-half inch a month. Hair loss may lead to baldness when the rate of shedding exceeds the rate of regrowth, when new hair is thinner than the hair shed or when hair comes out in patches.

As people age, the rate of hair growth slows.

Anatomy of Hair

1 shaft 2 sebaceous gland 3 epidermis 4 dermis 5 hair follicle 6 bulb 7 papilla

What causes excessive hair loss?
Most hair shedding is due to the normal growth-rest cycle, and losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is no cause for alarm. When concerned about excessive loss of hair or dramatic thinning, consult a dermatologist. Excess loss of hair may be due to many different causes, including:

• Disease
• Certain medications
• Medical treatments
• Childbirth
• Hair treatments
• Scalp infection
• Inadequate protein in diet
• Cancer treatments
• Hereditary thinning or balding
• A fungus infection of the scalp

Hair Loss Treatments

• Surgical hair transplantation: When experiencing thinning hair or baldness, men (and some women) consider hair transplantation, a permanent form of hair replacement. Anyone who has permanent hair loss may be a candidate for hair transplantation.
  
  
• Scalp reduction: A surgical procedure designed to reduce the amount of bald scalp. The edges of remaining skin are tightly pulled together in an effort to reduce the surface area of the bald patch. More than one treatment is required. However, this procedure is far less common than other treatments, due to problems such as scarring, which can be extensive.
• Laser treatment: Can be used to treat hair loss. However, there is major controversy among dermatologists about whether or not it is safe.
• Non-permanent treatments: Like artificial hair and hair additions.
  
• Stimulative treatments: Like topical solutions, massage and electromagnetic or electrostatic (low intensity laser) treatments. These produce only minor improvements, but may be helpful when used in conjunction with other treatments.
• Artificial hair: For example, hair made of synthetic material. Each fibre has a loop at the end of it, which is used to anchor the hair under the scalp. This technique produces more hair instantly. However, synthetic fibres do not grow and will eventually fall out, usually within 18 months.

How hair transplantation is carried out

Types of hair replacement surgery: There are a number of techniques used in hair replacement surgery. Sometimes two or more techniques are used to achieve the best results.

Punch Grafts (1970's - 1985): This hair transplant procedure involved removing skin from the front of the scalp to make room for the large plugs (about 4mm) that were to be implanted. The plugs contained many hair follicles and gave an unnatural, obvious look to the hairline and scalp. Hair plugs were the standard form of hair restoration for many years.
Mini Grafts (1985 - 1990): Mini grafts were the next progression and a minor improvement; they were approximately 1.5 to 2.5 mm in diameter and contained 5 to 10 hairs.
Micro Grafts (1990 - 1995): Micro grafts were a significant advancement and contained from 1 to 4 hairs and ranged in size from 1 to 1.5 mm in diameter. Whilst they had a size that allowed for a very natural appearance they suffered from a very low growth rate. The inherent flaw in micro grafts is that the natural grouping of follicles is ignored and split up, damaging vital anatomic structures. This ultimately resulted in a growth rate of around 50% or less of the hair that was originally taken from the donor area.
Slit Grafts: A graft of three to four hairs inserted into a slit rather than a round hole. Contain about 4 to 10 hairs each
Strip Grafts: Hair grafting using strip grafts applies long hair strips that bear hair. They are aimed at providing even thick coverage in the front part of the scalp. This is popular with younger men. It is rather common to combine strip grafts with individual plugs. As for the hair grafting using individual plugs, it is mainly aimed at filling areas that already possess a hairline produced by strips or flaps. Contain 30-40 hairs

Is it painful?
A sedative is usually given prior to the procedure. Local anaesthetic is also used at the hair removal (donor) and recipient sites. As the anaesthetic wears off, you may notice some discomfort. This can be eased with simple analgesics (pain medications).