Balding is about as enjoyable as lyrical dancing, 2nd-grade musicals, domineering girlfriends, sweaty socks and getting fat. Thankfully, balding, unlike some of the above activities, can be avoided – or solved. For all those tearing their hair out because – well, because their hair is falling out, there is hope. It is the perennial American solution: surgery. Specifically, hair transplant surgery.
What Is Hair Transplant Surgery?
The purpose of hair transplant surgery is to relocate genetically bald-resisting hair follicles from one portion of the scalp to a balding or bare patch. As each individual follicle transplant may easily cost $3, and with several sessions of 1,500 – 4,000 transplants, a complete hair transplant may easily cost $20,000 – $30,000. Faced with such astronomic costs, one would certainly want to guarantee the long-term effectiveness of a hair transplant. Who wants to shell out $30,000 for merely three years of youthful hair?
The Good News
Thankfully, hair transplant surgery is almost always a permanent fixture, with a 95%-plus success rate. However, it is not as simple as “Abracadabra! Hair! Success!” There are temporary side effects. There are maintenance and hygiene issues that must be taken care of. But if these matters are attended to, your hair – and vanity – will remain intact and growing.
Temporary Side Effects
1) Temporary hair thinning (a.k.a. “shock loss”). This unfortunate side effect catches a large percentage of hair transplant participants off-guard. After experiencing such tremendous scalp trauma, the body may shed natural, unbothered hair — sometimes hundreds of hairs per day. Bald patches may appear in the most severe cases. Shock loss is more common in individuals undergoing rapid hair loss and women. It may last only a few weeks or several months. However, it is usually transitory and hair will return to a normal growing state shortly.
2) Scabs and scars. Small scabs appear may appear at the base of each follicle transplant, and noticeable scars may result if substantial portions of the scalp are transported. However, with proper hygiene, the scabs should disappear and the scars will be enveloped by hair.
Maintenance & Hygiene
1) Shampooing. Two days following surgery, gentle shampooing and scalp hygiene should be resumed to protect the transplanted follicles from bacterial infections. Properly shampooing the scalp will keep hard scabs from forming and will decrease the risk of lost transported follicles.
2) Cleaning. Use semi-permeable wound dressings to collect blood and tissue fluid from the miniature wounds. They should be changed once or twice daily as directed by a qualified physician.
3) General Protection. The scalp must be shielded from the sun and excessive temperatures. Newly-transplanted follicles may also fall out due to vigorous exercise.
The Fall Out Continues
Although the transplanted areas may successfully generate ravishing, full and vigorous hair, hair thinning and loss may continue on the remainder of the scalp, creating quite an odd spectacle (i.e., a monk’s haircut in reverse). There are two primary remedies: one, do not attempt a hair transplant until the hair fall out has completely stopped; two, chuck out a few more thousand bucks and get another hair transplant.
If In Bad Luck …
Some poor individuals are afflicted with diffuse hair loss. Affecting a small amount of men and a lot of women, diffuse hair loss is distributed throughout the entire scalp, leaving all areas bald or sparsely populated. Hair transplant surgery is incapable of remedying this problem. However, an old-fashioned toupee, ball cap or trendy piece of headwear may be just the thing to salvage your scalp.
Now, attending that 2nd-grade musical can simply showcase your sublime new hair.
