Losing hair is experienced by a majority of people as they mature in age. It is an unavoidable condition for most due to genetics. Some might have to deal with it because of stress, poor nutrition or illness. Whatever the cause may be, it is simply the reality of day-to-day life when they most people reach a certain age. Those who do not exhibit balding are even considered the exception to the general occurrence of hair loss.
A good assessment of a hair loss situation is important before proceeding with the remedy. This would help guide the treatment process toward the right direction. The absence of a previous confirmation of the type of balding condition might result in an erroneous use of a particular remedy. A physician who is knowledgeable with hair loss cases will not only be able to assist in its treatment but he can also offer a better appreciation on the matter.
Hair transplants are one of the remedies that rely on a proper estimate of a balding case. It requires a set location from which to extract hair follicles to be implanted on areas that are losing hair. The success of this process relies heavily on the integrity of the donor area. It should remain the same even in the most severe stages of the balding condition. This is why male pattern baldness is the type of alopecia that can best be treated by hair transplant surgery. It progresses in a set pattern and will most likely retain the hair on the lower portions of the scalp. This area can still provide healthy hair follicles even in the final stages of male pattern baldness. Other hair loss conditions such as telogen effluvium or alopecia areata cause the scalp to lose hair in an erratic fashion. This will make it close to impossible to determine a viable area to harvest donor hair follicles from.
Follicular unit extraction follows this same logic. It requires a set donor area to harvest hair from in order to implant it upon the balding areas. This method is most effective when hair loss is not too pronounced. It can only extract so much hair to be repositioned elsewhere. Hair transplant surgery does not produce new hair follicles but merely rearranges existing ones to create an appearance of a thicker head of hair. Follicular unit extraction has to be performed in such a way as to provide sufficient coverage in the balding regions while at the same time, retaining as much density as possible in the donor area. Scars may also result from the point of extraction. This is why hair follicles should only be taken from locations that can easily be covered by actual hair.
Conversely, scalp micropigmentation can be implemented regardless of any hair loss condition. It does not require a donor area to treat male pattern baldness. Some people feel that its main drawback is the lack of a three-dimensional feel to the two-dimensional pigments. This is where a follicular unit extraction hair transplant comes in. Combined with scalp micropigmentation, this method is able to create density at the top of the head despite lacking a good amount of donor hair follicles. Men who have an advanced case of male pattern baldness can make use of this tandem. The pigments can cover the bald spaces to create the overall appearance of a full head of hair. This should however be cropped short as the disparity in the amount of hair strands would appear obvious if it were a certain length.
A combination of follicular unit extraction and scalp micropigmentation is meant to complete the illusion of hair for both sight and touch. A procedure with purely pigments will produce the feel of skin instead of “just-shaven” hair. Adding small amounts of hair will provide a total experience to the semblance that it hopes to create.
