Thought about getting hair replacement treatment? You probably aren?t alone in considering it. In America, there are about 35 million men with some level of hair loss, and by the age of 50 the average man has significantly thinned hair. It takes a long time to get there, though. Half the hair on a man?s head is usually gone before people really start to notice.
What Can Be Done About Hair Loss?
If you are considering hair replacement or hair restoration, you?ve likely run across Follicular Unit Extraction, or the FUE procedure. FUE involves making tiny punches to harvest individual hair follicular units, which are then transplanted to the head. The other type of hair replacement treatment commonly used is Follicular Unit Strip Surgery, or FUSS. This involves removing a strip of scalp from an area of the head that is not balding, and placing it onto the balding area.
Which is Better, FUSS or FUE?
All in all, FUE seems like the better choice. FUSS is very invasive, which FUE is minimally so. FUSS has a high rate of complications and leaves scars on the head. FUE has few complications and leaves no large scars. Recovery time is also a lot shorter with FUE. And while FUSS patients may never feel comfortable shaving their head or having their hair too short, those who have had an FUE transplant generally can.
How Long Does it Take?
The whole FUE hair replacement procedure takes around eight hours. The procedure doesn?t hurt, though the scalp can be quite tender for a few days afterward. Bandages are also necessary for a while, and you may need to take antibiotics. But normally the grafts will take in just a few days, and even most of the redness should be gone within four or five days.
What are the Risks, and What Does it Cost?
Any kind of surgery comes with certain risks, mostly from bleeding or infections, and scaring is a possibility. With FUE hair replacement therapy, though, there are typically few complications and much less chance of scaring than with FUSS. The cost of a hair transplant will depend on how much hair you need moved, and how many procedures it requires. Many times it can be done with just one, but sometimes a second procedure is required to finish the job right. A hair loss specialist in your area can give you an estimate based on your needs.
Hair loss can be frustrated, but hair replacement could be the answer to help you recover your youthful looks and self confidence. Why not check it out and see how it might just revolutionize your life.
