Hair replacement treatments are becoming increasingly popular with those suffering from baldness. Hair loss has a variety of reasons behind it, the myths that state wearing a cap, or washing your hair too much will cause loss are simply untrue. Hair loss occurs due to aging and a change in hormones, predominantly it is caused by genetic reasons although the myth that is comes from the mother's father is once again, untrue. Most experts understand that the earlier the loss of hair begins, the more widespread it will be, thankfully with modern replacement methods, it is not as much of a problem as in the past.



One of the most common forms of hair replacement is for a patient to undergo hair transplant surgery. The procedure is normally carried out by plastic surgeons that have now been performing the surgery for almost thirty years. It is vital that before undergoing surgery to research the procedure and make sure that the surgeon who is performing the surgery is officially certified.

Those who undertake hair replacement do so for a variety of reasons. The primary reason is the enhancement to appearance that it can bring, as a result of improved appearance though confidence can also be improved. These are not however finite factors so before undergoing surgery you must be realistic about the benefits you expect the surgery to provide. All replacement techniques use your own hair; ultimately, the goal of treatment is to make the best use of the hair you already possess.

To be a viable candidate for replacement surgery it is vital that you already have hair on the sides and back of the head. These areas act as a donor for the rest of the head, from these areas, grafts and flaps are taken to improve the overall spread of hair. There are other factors that may influence the effectiveness of surgery; these are the colours, curliness and texture of the hair. At times surgery will use a number of different techniques to achieve the desired result.

Depending upon what the patient's expectations are will change the types of techniques employed in surgery. For those with modest expectations grafts will be the most commonly used form of treatment although if the patient wants to see dramatic results flaps and scalp reduction are predominantly utilised to achieve the change. Even with a wide variety of techniques there are limits to how successful replacement treatment can be. Ultimately if you have very little hair already, surgery may not be possible.

All hair surgery is personalised and is developed with close consultation with the surgeon. When looking for the right surgeon you need to discover which techniques the surgeon is comfortable with, if they profess that they have perfected a technique that can do it all, it may be time to find another doctor. During the first consultation the surgeon should look at the current state of hair loss and growth. They may also look into your family history and whether you have had surgery in the past to achieve a fuller head of hair. It is also likely that the surgeon will ask what you expect the surgery to do for your hair.

Hair replacement surgery definitely has many benefits, as with many procedures however there are limits to the success that can be achieved. If you keep your expectations realistic you should be able to find a procedure that suits your needs and improves the hair on your head.