Aside from those who shave their heads bald for fashion (such as Jeff Bezos or Bruce Willis), all American adults have hair on their heads. This natural product is of great interest to nearly everyone, and a person may base a large part of their appearance or even their self-esteem on the appearance and quality of their hair. This is reflected in the large and robust industries for hair care products such as hair dyes, curling irons, hair wefts and extensions, shampoos and gels, and more. Men and women alike are greatly invested in their hair, and hair fashions and trends come and go. Some people may recall beehive hair from the 1950s, or the Farrah Fawcett look from the 1970s or curly, big hairstyles in the 1980s. But hair is a natural product of the body, and it is subject to natural trends such as hair loss over time. This has led to the industry of hair replacement, and hair replacement clinics and hair restoration doctors are available to help. This may include FUE transplants, or “follicular unit extraction”. FUE hair replacement can do a lot of good for someone who is distressed about their hair replacement needs.
Hair Loss Trends
Hair may change on a person’s head over time, and hair loss cannot truly be prevented. Most men and some women will start experiencing hair loss as they age, and a number of studies and surveys have been done to track this. The data shows that common male pattern baldness may affect as many as 95% of American men, and men may expect hair loss before long. By age 35, about two in three men have experienced some degree of hair loss on their heads, and by age 50, a huge 85% of men will have significantly and visibly thinning hair. This may include a receding hair line, bald patches on the head, or even thin patches of hair on the scalp. It is believed that a person must lost around half of all hairs on their head for such hair loss to be visible. Around 35 million men and 21 million women are going through such hair loss at any given time, and once it starts, the process may last for 10-20 years or so before it is complete.
Studies and surveys have confirmed that Americans never like hair loss, and they are often distressed by its effects on their appearance. Over half of all surveyed adults said that they would spend half of their life savings to restore their lost hair if they could, and many of those surveyed would prefer their lost hair over money or friends. The Norwood scale, meanwhile, can track the severity of hair loss, with Type I being the most minor hair loss and Type VII being the most severe. And while there is no magic potion that can restore someone’s lost hair from nothing, there are some medical means of hair replacement that don’t require highly invasive surgery or risky operations. An interested client may look for hair restoration clinics in their area and undergo FUE surgery.
Hair Transplants
Lost hair cannot be conjured out of nothing, but patients today may consult their doctor to find a hair loss specialist in their area and undergo minimally invasive surgery to address their hair loss. Once a client finds a hair loss clinic and sign up for surgery, they may undergo a process that rearranges the hairs on their heads for a cosmetic effect. Hair loss doctors will remove thin layers of the scalp that contain follicular units, or groups of one to six hair follicles at a time. Such skin-based clusters of hair may be transplanted to a bald spot or a thinning patch of hair, and the hairs may be oriented for a natural look. This may be done any number of times to fill out thin or bald patches of hair, and while it doesn’t actually add more hair to the patient’s head, many patients report satisfacti0on with the results. Their own hair is being used, resulting in a natural look after the surgery. The patient may expect, at most, itchiness and very minor bleeding afterwards for a few days, and heavier bleeding may require a return visit to the clinic.