The only permanent "cure" for hair loss is hair replacement surgery. Sometimes drug therapy is used in conjunction with surgery, but medications alone will not restore hair to bald areas of the scalp. If drug therapy is the only weapon in your doctor's arsenal, when drug therapy stops, your hair will begin to fall out again.
The FDA has approved just two medications for hair loss: Rogaine and Propecia.
* Rogaine -- a foam or liquid solution, applied twice daily, that slows the hair-loss process and promotes new hair growth in 30 percent of its users. Rogaine is generally prescribed for those who do not respond to Propecia.
* Propecia -- a pill taken daily that offsets the effects of DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is a hormone that destroys hair follicles in persons who possess it in abundance. Propecia has been shown to stop the hair-loss process in 86 percent of the men who use it.
Unfortunately, side effects for both medications abound. Propecia tablets are dangerous for women. Broken tablets merely touched by pregnant women were found to cause birth defects in male infants. Serious allergic reactions may occur, and the drug may cause problems in sexual functioning.
The cost of treating hair loss with drugs is astronomical over time, hundreds of dollars a month in most cases, a fact that is particularly discouraging if, after such an investment, treatment must be discontinued. Once the drugs stop, hair loss starts again.
By contrast, permanent hair replacement is a happier, healthier, and wealthier solution. Happier because it not only stops hair loss but covers bald spots with natural, permanent hair. Healthier because there are no side effects and you do not need to continue drug therapy for the rest of your life. It is friendlier to the pocketbook as well. In most cases, one or two sessions -- generally priced between $2,000 and $6,000 each -- will provide you with the long-term, maintenance-free hair replacement you seek.
If you or someone you love suffers from hair loss and you select to go the route of hair transplant surgery, make sure you select a doctor with adequate skill and experience, a doctor versed in the latest methods and practices. Outdated procedures don't yield good results, causing phenomena like unnatural-looking hairlines and "doll-head hair" (unsightly plugs). Doctors who still perform these procedures may call them by various names that make it sound as if they practice the newer methods.
Buyer beware: a good hair doctor will be performing surgeries every day. Ask for names of former patients and call those people for references. Insist on seeing the procedure performed before you sign up for it. A reputable hair surgeon will be gracious in granting both requests. If a prospective doctor hesitates on either, keep shopping.
Hair replacement surgery can be one of the best things you ever do for yourself. Or it can be a nightmare in the hands of the wrong physician. Do your homework, and be prepared to travel as necessary. The likelihood that a skilled hair transplant surgeon lives down the street from you is very slim.
Knee Replacement After Surgery
Although many that have knee replacement surgery do so because they have a medical condition that may cause it, it is also important to realize that you don't have to have it. There are many reasons why you may feel like this is not the right thing for you to do. Many patients struggle with the decision to have it done. Usually, it is a case of the ?what ifs.? What if your new knees don't work right? What is the surgery is too expensive? What if you can't do the things you are doing now? But, the end result is simple. Without a knee replacement surgery, you may not be able to walk again.
The scary truth about this surgery is that it may be the only thing that can be done to help treat your condition. For example, one of the most common reasons to have this surgery is due to the condition known as rheumatoid arthritis. In short, this condition affects millions of people each year to different extents. If you don't get treatment and it progresses significantly, you can find your knees hurting day in and day out. It hurts to walk, it hurts to stand and it hurts to move at all. Eventually, arthritis can take over your knees function completely leaving you without the ability to move.
Knee Replacement Is Good
When you begin to work with your doctor about this treatment option, he or she has probably found that your condition is one that simply can not be improved with medications either to treat the arthritis pain or to help in slowing the progression of the condition. Most that have knee replacement surgery have no option in improving their condition through other means of treatment either. But, the alternative is to have a knee replacement surgery, which doesn't have to be a bad thing.
In fact, this surgery can be a turning point in your life. Today, the metals and plastics that are used in knee replacement are completely dependable and long lasting. They are easy to use and they function with your body when you want them to. Although there is a few weeks of time where physical therapy is needed to help educated you on how to use and get the most out of your new knees, you'll find that this process is nothing compared to the pain that you are currently facing.
For those that are dealing with the possibility of a knee replacement surgery, the first step should be to fully understand what your doctor wants to do and have him or her walk you through the surgery step by step. During this process, you should determine with your doctor the prognosis for what happens afterwards. If you have questions, get them answered. Find out what if anything can be done to ease your worries. Most importantly, make it a point to find others that have had knee replacement surgery and learn what their experience has been. Whether you are online or through local contacts, you deserve the opportunity to fully explore this treatment options that you have.
Both Lawrence Shapiro & Greg Marsh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
