Hair Transplant ? For Self-Image

Hair transplant is one way that many are gaining their self-esteem back. Self-Image is a very important thing to have. To an extent, it dictates where you are going in life. Your self-image is made up of more than just your physical appearance, but that is a major component. If it takes hair transplant to get you back on a positive attitude in that regard, then you should do it.

Some men are perfectly content with less hair than they once had. Some are even lucky enough to look good bald. Unfortunately, these are the few. The rest of the many people who are losing their hair are losing their looks and confidence too. When you have plenty of confidence, you show it. People know that you mean business and that you expect to get what you want and need. And you usually do. However, when you walk into a place worrying how you look, or doubting yourself, you aren?t likely to project a strong image. And you are much less likely to get what you need, want, and deserve. This is why many people turn to hair transplant options.

If having a full head of hair again will give you that confidence you need to get around in life, then you should pursue it. Not for anyone else, but for you. Before you decide to do hair transplant, you should look at your options. If a wig is all you need, more power to you. However, many wigs look way to obvious to do a lot of good in this area. You can also talk to your doctor about treatments for natural hair re-growth. However, make sure that you understand all possible side-effects before you start taking it.

When all else fails, there are hair transplant options. And thanks to modern technology, it is actually possible without scarring. But before you commit, make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into. Find out what can go wrong, and what your chances are. Also ask about how long the procedures will take and any recovery times. Be informed.

Next, you should find out who you want to do it. Look at people who do hair transplant options and find out about them. You can even go visit with them and ask to see previous work that they have done if they have it available. If you know anyone who has had it done, see who they would or wouldn?t recommend. After you have all the information that you can get, go and retrieve your self-confidence with hair transplant technology.

 To get your questions answered about Hair Transplant visit http://www.best-hairtransplant.info.

Frontal Hair Transplants: The Art of Getting the Perfect Hairline

So you do not want to look like Homer Simpson, and you miss the old days when you have hair falling in front of your face, unlike now that your hairline has receded. And you really, really would rather not have a hairpiece or a toupee, since everybody can spot those, or if not, sooner or later they will know you are wearing one and that is just embarrassing. The good thing is that now you have an alternative ? one that looks and feels just like the real thing, the way it used to be.

Frontal hair transplants have been a problem for most because it looked unnatural to suddenly have hair sprouting at the faint line demarcating your forehead and scalp. But since the arrival of micrografts, it has been possible to mimic and restore natural hair patterns. It is because micrografts are smaller transplant units that have only one to four hair follicles, recreating that natural hair growth. These micrografts are made with your own hair, and are designed to be plant on your scalp to grow on their own. The effect is that they will overpower the parts that no longer grow hair so that you can have natural hair once again.

Be wary of getting frontal hair transplants, and be sure to get a surgeon who is not only a specialist but also has an eye for detail and aesthetic sense since recreating the hairline is a delicate matter. Your hairline is a part of your face, and as such lends character to your expressions. You don?t want a hairline that looks unnatural that people are unable to look at you, would you?

For more hair loss prevention tips, please visit: Hair Loss Solutions a website that specializes combating hair loss and frontal hair transplants

My Hair Transplant Experience

The day of my procedure ? February 20, 2006

I arrived at the office at 7:45 a.m., after a good breakfast, in plenty of time to put on an OR gown, take a relaxant and get into the operating room. Having performed about 2,000 to 3,000 procedures, I must say, I more than know what to expect. It is different going through it yourself, though, and my stomach felt a bit queasy prior to starting. I then lay face down with my head in a doughnut pillow, designed to expose the back of the head so the strip can be cut. Many patients ask why I had the strip done rather than FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). Two reasons: The first is that I didn?t want to shave my head. The second is that I have seen the scars using the Trichophytic closure technique, and they are acceptable to me for the length I keep my hair. The removal of the strip took about 20 minutes. The only uncomfortable part was during the numbing or freezing, and it only lasted two to three minutes.

I was then given a chance to relax and stretch a bit, prior to the recipient sites being made. After about 10 minutes and a bathroom break, I sat on the edge of the bed and with the aid of my surgeon, designed my hairline and decided where the grafts were going to be put. My hairline has always been fairly high in the temporal angle, and I didn?t really want to change this. After we did this, I lay flat on my back and allowed my staff to numb me up, the second part of the procedure that was a bit uncomfortable. This only lasted two to three minutes as well. My surgeon started by making about half the recipient sites, and then I put on a movie and relaxed while the grafts were being inserted. This all started at about 9:30 a.m. Over the next four to five hours, I went through two movies, and became a bit impatient waiting for the final grafts to be inserted. Finally, the last graft was put in and I was able to think about going home. Before getting off the bed, my nurse, Linda, injected my incision with a long-acting anesthetic, Marcaine. I had no pain the morning after the numbing of the hairline, and at this point my whole head felt numb. After spending a half an hour in my office answering email, I hopped in my car and drove home. It is amazing how well I felt. I was able to carry on fairly normal activities for the rest of the day and had dinner and spent the evening with my family. I took some special sheets home from the office (we provide them for patients) to cover my pillow before going to sleep that night. This prevents spots of dried blood getting on the pillow cover.

The day after

I managed to sleep through the entire night, and woke up at about 6 a.m., a half an hour before I needed to be up. I sensed some movement on the other side of the bed, so I thought it may be an appropriate time to see if everything was in working order, so managed to seduce my lovely wife into some passionate lovemaking. I don?t normally recommend this to patients, but under the circumstances, I couldn?t resist. I had a good breakfast and went off to the office to see some consults. I spent the whole day seeing patients and had yet to take a painkiller. I arrived home at about 5:30 p.m., a little beat up. At this point I was feeling some pain on my donor site, so I took two extra strength Tylenols and had a two-hour sleep. I awoke at about 7:30 or 8 p.m., just when the basketball game was starting. The Raptors were playing the Grizzlies, so my son and I watched the game. The Raptors lost 94-88! After the game, I took two more extra strength Tylenols and went to sleep. These were the only four painkillers I took!

The week after

The next few days were pretty normal in terms of activity. On Wednesday, I did a hair transplant, and Wednesday evening, I had some friends over to my house for a poker game. I even had two beers. On Thursday, I did a 10 km run (I was training for the Big Sur Marathon and wanted to take as little time off as possible). I managed a 20 km run on the Saturday, and worked a full day on the Friday. The procedure involved about three days' downtime, which seemed a small price to pay for more hair.

Up to three months

This period is the hardest one to go through after a hair transplant. After a few weeks, the hair sheds, and there is usually a bit of ?shock loss?, or loss of existing hair. This means that you look worse than you do before the procedure. Since we all do this to look better, it?s hard to be patient waiting for the new hair to grow! Finally, at three months the hair begins to sprout!

Three months onward

Growth begins. From this point on, every morning I couldn?t wait to look at my new hair, and feel the stubble growing in. For once in the past 20 years, there seemed to be a reversal of the aging process! From this point up until today, at about 8 or 9 months, there was a huge change in the amount of hair on top of my head, as you can see from the pictures. As the scar on the back of my head healed, the hair actually grew through the scar. The Trichophytic closure technique used, as described in another section of the book, works in making the scar almost invisible.

A lot of patients ask why I elected to have the strip procedure rather than the FUE technique that I helped to pioneer. The almost invisible scar doesn?t bother me, and given that I have no plans to ever shave my head, I thought this was the best option for me.

The decision to have a hair transplant is one I will never regret. The added hair and the ability to empathize with patients going through the procedure have been well worth the inconvenience of going through this minor surgical procedure.

Dr. Robert Jones is a hair transplant surgeon just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His practice is restricted to full time hair restoration surgery. He is president of the International Society of follicular Unit Surgeons, a member of the Internation Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons, and Board Certified by the American Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons. For pictures showing the progress of his transplant please go to his site at www.torontohairdoctor.com. Dr. Jones has just completed a book ?Dr. Robert Jones?s complete Hair Loss Guide? with his son, which can be ordered through his site in January of 2007.

Expectations For San Diego Hair Transplants

There are a few different avenues open to those who wish to do something about their hair loss. This can be everything from change a diet, taking supplements or topical solutions to stop or even reverse the hair loss. Perhaps the method with the most proven methods for hair restoration is that of the surgical hair transplant. San Diego hair transplants are no different from transplants all over the country, but they are more prevalent in California.

San Diego is one of the most popular cities in California, and there are numerous places where one can have the hair transplant procedure done. The question is though, what can one expect? Below is a simple walk through of a typical procedure for San Diego hair transplants.

The first thing to expect when you walk into a hair transplant office for San Diego hair transplants, is to sit down with a medical professional and have a nice long talk about what to expect, how you will be charged, what the risks might be, and what the results will likely be. Pay attention during this time, since this is a great time to get the necessary information to make you feel at ease.

Once both you and the doctor are comfortable with the procedure and how you will react to it, an appointment at the clinic can be made. Often these are performed at the office where you would have your initial consultation, but on occasion they will utilize a nearby hospital in San Diego. No matter where the procedure is done, you can be sure that qualified professionals will be standing by just in case something happens.

Most of the time the doctors performing the hair transplant will use what is called a local anesthetic to dull the area that they are working on. That way, you can stay awake and communicate with the doctors during the operation about how you're reacting to the procedure.

Of course, the procedure itself isn't one large hair transplant, but actually a series of minute transplants done a few hair strands at a time. It is a fairly straightforward process, but it does take some time. A normal procedure can last a few hours to an entire day. The best idea is to talk to your hair transplant professional. They will be able to give you a better idea given your specific needs.

If you've found a professional that does San Diego hair transplants that is worth his credentials, the method that they use to transplant the hair will be a variety between three or four hair strands, to give the hairline a natural look. By alternating the number of hairs in each transplant, there is less of a chance of small islands of hair forming if the transplant doesn't entirely take. Once the procedure is completed, it will take time for the hair to begin growing. Many people get the mistaken impression that they will walk out of the operating room with a head of full hair. At the end of the procedure, your scalp will be red and there might be some scabbing. However, if you follow your doctors directions, within a week or so, your hair will begin to grow in places it hasn't for years.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of a hair loss solutions website, reviewing some of the best treatments including rogaine, propecia, hair replacement and more

How Hair Transplants Work

A hair transplant, as the name suggests, involves taking hair from one region of the scalp where hair is in abundance and replanting it in another area where growth is sparse. However, it is not individual hairs which are relocated but small groupings of 1-4 hairs called "follicular units".

To determine the number of follicular units to be transplanted, the doctor measures the bald/thinning area and transplants about 35 follicular units into each square cm. The greater the contrast between the scalp color and hair color the more grafts are needed. Doctors may recommend that patients have one grafting session then wait about a year before deciding if they would like more. Healing time is about 7 days.

Surgeons generally limit the number of grafts per session to somewhere between 1200 and 2500 grafts, depending on how many are needed by the individual patient (the average cost is around 4 to 6 USD per follicular unit or graft). There is some debate between those who favour larger sessions, with up to 3,000 grafts, and staggered restoration where the number of grafts per session is low but the number of sessions is higher. There are arguments for both sides but keep in mind that your body needs time to heal and it may be unwise to demand more grafts per session than the doctor recommends.

The doctor will first make sure that the hair is trimmed short in the donor area then use a local anesthesia both there and in the recipient area. Most doctors prepare the recipient sites with customized blades that match each follicular unit, these blades ranging in size from 0.75mm to 1.3mm (no one is punching holes anymore, unless it is to do a scalp biopsy). A team of technicians will dissect the donor strip using either microscopes or high definition cameras and monitors. Next, the follicles from the donor strip are inserted into the recipient site. Most doctors use a trichophytic closure technique that virtually eliminates scarring (it actually allow hair to grow through the donor scar).

The entire process is complex and not without bodily stress. There is a limit to the anesthetic that can be injected into your system as well as the number of grafts that can be cut. The procedure is also demanding for the physician; while cutting the graft the doctor will keep injecting saline solution into your scalp so that proper skin strength is maintained. He or she also has to be very careful when replanting the hair to make sure it grows in the right direction.

Mac Morris is the founder of Hair Loss Heaven - http://www.hairlossheaven.com - a web site providing information and support for anyone concerned about hair loss.

Hair Loss: A Look at Hair Transplants

One of the replacement options available to hair loss sufferers is hair transplantation. This is a surgical procedure and prospective patients must be more cautious than when considering non-invasive baldness solutions. And as with other types of surgeries, the practitioners are of varying degrees of expertise and competence.

Thoroughly researching and investigating hair restoration options, and the doctors available to perform transplants are important steps in the process. Choosing the right place to have it done and the right procedure is also vitally important.

The key factors in attaining a good transplant are the surgeon's skill, the procedure that's used, and ensuring that you're a good candidate for the procedure.

Hair can be transplanted because not all of the hair on your head is affected by the pattern baldness that causes hair loss. The hair follicles on the back and sides of the head aren't susceptible to DHT, the hormone that causes follicles to shrink and stop producing hair.

Transplants involve taking skin with hair follicles from these parts that still produce hair, separating the follicles out, and re-inserting them into the bald areas of the scalp. These active follicles can then grow hair in the areas where the follicles have previously died.

Several transplant grafts may be needed to ensure adequate coverage of balding areas. Although pre-baldness hair density will not be attained, careful placement of transplanted follicles can give the illusion of a fuller head of hair and add some coverage.

Those patients for whom hair loss is relatively stable, those past the age of 30, are better candidates for restoration surgery. If the procedure is undertaken any earlier it is hard to know how much more loss will occur before balding stops.

For those younger or for those with recent hair loss, one of the hair restoration drugs, Rogaine or Propecia, is probably a better choice.

To create a successful transplant, it's important that the technique used yields a natural looking result. In the past, the hair plugs that were transplanted were similar to the plugs of hair one finds on a dolls head. Needless to say, this resulted in an unnatural look.

The smaller grafts that are commonly used now, while somewhat more natural, still do not duplicate the hairline most patients want. What is needed is to transplant the hair in the same way it grows - which means transplanting follicular units.

These units are made of 1-4 follicles, and the supporting cells, blood vessels, nerves and tissues. It wasn't until surgeons started using microscopes to ensure that the follicular units remained intact and in their original state that truly natural results were achieved.

The recipient site for follicular units is prepared by using a needle to make tiny holes in the scalp. The grafts are then very gently inserted into these holes. This is where the skill of the practitioner is of the utmost importance because of the close spacing of the holes and the necessity of preventing the follicular units grafts from being damaged.

Before deciding on a doctor, be sure to ask him or her these questions: - How many transplants have you done? - How long have you been doing transplants? - Do you transplant using follicular units? - Can I contact any of your former patients? - How many transplants will be needed and how many at one time? - What will the total cost be? - What are the dangers, concerns or risks? - What board are you certified by?

Any hesitancy or refusal to be forthcoming by a prospective physician should send up red flags to anyone planning to go through a transplant procedure. The best way to find a physician to perform hair transplant surgery is to get a recommendation from someone you know who has had the procedure done.

It is surprising how many people will gladly share their hair replacement story with you and the name of the physician who performed the transplants.

Baldness is a serous matter for millions of men. Get info surrounding hair loss and how to avoid it at hair loss treatments.

Hair Transplant - Is A Hair Transplant Right For You?

What Is A Hair Transplant?

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure where hair on one part of your head that is not prone to balding (like the sides and back) is taken and transplanted into a balding area.

Generally, most of this transplanted hair will continue to grow for the lifetime of the patient. Hair transplants are thus a popular way to address the problem of premature balding and hair loss.

Patients like the fact that they don't have to mess with questionable hair loss treatments or products for the rest of their lives.

Hair Transplants are becoming much more popular in the image-obsessed culture we live in today. People are realizing that image makes a difference in everything from personal confidence and happiness to the type of salary you earn and even to what kind of mate you can attract.

What Does A Hair Transplant Look Like?

New advances in hair transplants are made every year. Hair transplants today don't need to have the 'pluggy' look they did 10 or 20 years ago. Today they can look so completely natural, no one will be able to tell you had one.

Depending on which doctor you choose you can address the thinning areas on your crown or front hairline. You doctor may also be able to steer you towards proven hair loss products that can cut down on hair loss after your surgery. This will help you so you stave off the natural progression of age-related hair loss.

Is A Hair Transplant Right For You?

Everyone is unique and a hair transplant may not be for everyone as each person's situation is unique. If you're considering a hair transplant, you must choose your surgeon or clinic carefully as there are a wide variety of options for those wanting a hair transplant.

If you are considering a hair transplant, talk to your doctor. You'll also want to educate yourself on hair transplants, methods, costs and options before making a final decision.

Vienna Miller writes for Hair Transplant Phoenix - a website offering the latest information on hair transplants. For more information visit http://www.HairTransplantPhoenix.com