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BHR Clinic Patient Advisor
Advances have been made in hair loss medications over the last few years, research is giving hope for many if not all hair loss sufferers that a miracle cure maybe around the corner, but until either of these become main stream and viable options it really leaves a hair transplant to provide growing hair in areas that have lost it. So, is a hair transplant suitable for everyone, why are some people more suited than others, and why are some not suitable at all?
The crucial problem is the donor reserve, the hair has to come from somewhere upon your body and wherever we take the hair from is going to be a finite supply, running out at some point, this area is called the donor site. The most common donor site used by all reputable doctors initially is going to be the scalp, around the sides and back of the head, the areas commonly immune from Male Pattern Baldness, the common hair loss condition in men.
This hair can be moved to traditionally the top of the scalp (recipient area) to cover the areas that over the years the hair has receded, BUT, if the donor hair is not healthy and weak or in small supply we face a problem, this can make a person not a suitable candidate or provide limitations to performing one or multiple hair transplants. The donor supply coupled with the extent of hair loss the candidate is suffering from at the time but also what the potential for hair loss could be in the future must be equated as best as possible. Obviously this is harder to determine in the early stages of hair loss so any design must be in keeping with the limitations of the donor supply and thinking of the future. Some candidates, a few very lucky people have home run donor supply, meaning they can treat almost any degree of hair loss, but these candidates should not be seen as average or even very good but the exception to the rule.
Another important aspect in making someone a good hair transplant candidate can be their expectations and goals, short and long term; hair loss is an emotive issue the touches men of all ages, there is no real boundary with some men who want hair, straddles all ages. The temptation of wanting to return to a stage before hair loss is obvious but as suggested this is not feasible due to donor limitations for most. The candidate must first have a good understanding and education as to the pros and cons of a hair transplant, understand their own head of hair and appreciate that sometimes their expectations may have to be diluted a little to what is realistically achievable. This is an important aspect of making a happy hair transplant patient, one who understands the procedure will ultimately be happier and have no regrets with the final result. Those who do not understand can find themselves being unhappy long term because their initial goals cannot be met and either they did not listen to the education they were given or did not receive the information in the first place.
A relatively new avenue is becoming more viable for some candidates, and this allows doctors to use donor hair from alternative parts of the body. Upper body hair, even beard hair has been used with success in combining with scalp hair to provide the candidate with a new resource to open the donor wider. This technique, Body Hair FUE is technically and medically hard to perform, and has many draw backs so it is again vital that the candidate understands fully before trying this option. Assuming BH is a viable technique it should be used as a last resort, for hair transplant repair cases or when the scalp donor is exhausted; the BH hair is very different from scalp hair for one and can look and grow very differently. Another area for BH can be to fill in scarring from previous hair transplants, even good strip scars people like to reduce the appearance of and using BH leaves the scalp hair for the recipient and future loss.
We recommend when possible to have a one to one consultation with a few doctors to assess your situation and gain multiple opinions. If possible also talk to previous patients from these doctors and see their results in person. You will gain an idea how the doctor approaches his surgery and if he is along the same lines as you in terms of results and what is achievable. Becoming hair educated is vital to being a happy hair transplant patient in the long term, especially as it is an emotional issue and sometimes our heart can rule our head when making decisions such as this. So, ensure before making the decision all your questions have been answered to your satisfaction, that you and your chosen doctor have reached a mutual understanding about the results that are possible, now and for the future.
The crucial problem is the donor reserve, the hair has to come from somewhere upon your body and wherever we take the hair from is going to be a finite supply, running out at some point, this area is called the donor site. The most common donor site used by all reputable doctors initially is going to be the scalp, around the sides and back of the head, the areas commonly immune from Male Pattern Baldness, the common hair loss condition in men.
This hair can be moved to traditionally the top of the scalp (recipient area) to cover the areas that over the years the hair has receded, BUT, if the donor hair is not healthy and weak or in small supply we face a problem, this can make a person not a suitable candidate or provide limitations to performing one or multiple hair transplants. The donor supply coupled with the extent of hair loss the candidate is suffering from at the time but also what the potential for hair loss could be in the future must be equated as best as possible. Obviously this is harder to determine in the early stages of hair loss so any design must be in keeping with the limitations of the donor supply and thinking of the future. Some candidates, a few very lucky people have home run donor supply, meaning they can treat almost any degree of hair loss, but these candidates should not be seen as average or even very good but the exception to the rule.
Another important aspect in making someone a good hair transplant candidate can be their expectations and goals, short and long term; hair loss is an emotive issue the touches men of all ages, there is no real boundary with some men who want hair, straddles all ages. The temptation of wanting to return to a stage before hair loss is obvious but as suggested this is not feasible due to donor limitations for most. The candidate must first have a good understanding and education as to the pros and cons of a hair transplant, understand their own head of hair and appreciate that sometimes their expectations may have to be diluted a little to what is realistically achievable. This is an important aspect of making a happy hair transplant patient, one who understands the procedure will ultimately be happier and have no regrets with the final result. Those who do not understand can find themselves being unhappy long term because their initial goals cannot be met and either they did not listen to the education they were given or did not receive the information in the first place.
A relatively new avenue is becoming more viable for some candidates, and this allows doctors to use donor hair from alternative parts of the body. Upper body hair, even beard hair has been used with success in combining with scalp hair to provide the candidate with a new resource to open the donor wider. This technique, Body Hair FUE is technically and medically hard to perform, and has many draw backs so it is again vital that the candidate understands fully before trying this option. Assuming BH is a viable technique it should be used as a last resort, for hair transplant repair cases or when the scalp donor is exhausted; the BH hair is very different from scalp hair for one and can look and grow very differently. Another area for BH can be to fill in scarring from previous hair transplants, even good strip scars people like to reduce the appearance of and using BH leaves the scalp hair for the recipient and future loss.
We recommend when possible to have a one to one consultation with a few doctors to assess your situation and gain multiple opinions. If possible also talk to previous patients from these doctors and see their results in person. You will gain an idea how the doctor approaches his surgery and if he is along the same lines as you in terms of results and what is achievable. Becoming hair educated is vital to being a happy hair transplant patient in the long term, especially as it is an emotional issue and sometimes our heart can rule our head when making decisions such as this. So, ensure before making the decision all your questions have been answered to your satisfaction, that you and your chosen doctor have reached a mutual understanding about the results that are possible, now and for the future.