A thick and full head of hair is often associated with good health, virility, and vitality among men. However, to much dismay, around 85% of men experience hair that has significantly thinned by the age of 50. Despite these numbers, the stigma persists and many men seek out ways to keep their hair looking lush and full with a hair transplant, scalp micropigmentation, a FUE hair transplant (short for follicular unit extraction), or follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS). People’s chosen methods depends on their hair type, budget, and what has worked for them in the past. Let’s go over these methods to see what might be the best choice for you if you’re thinking about visiting a hair clinic or trying to do a more intensive treatment of your hair loss. There’s nothing to be ashamed about — many men are in a similar situation as you! These treatments can also work for patients who are trying to cover up scars or are recovering cancer patients.
How Many Men Suffer From Hair Loss?
As mentioned above, a significant number of men will find their hair thinning as they get older, which is a natural reaction as testosterone levels decline. In just the United States, there are around 35 million other men who are experiencing hair loss and/or total baldness. Interestingly enough, half of a man’s hair will actually be gone before it’s visible to the naked eye — so by the time you notice your hair thinning, a significant amount of hair loss will have already taken place. However, many men start noticing hair loss as early as 35. Two-thirds of American men will notice some kind of appreciable hair loss by the time they’re 35. Common male pattern baldness (MPB) or androgenetic alopecia is responsible for over 95% of hair loss in men.
What’s FUE and FUSS?
Follicular unit extraction is one of the most common ways to get follicular units, which are naturally occurring groups of between and four hairs, in order to do a hair transplantation. FUE can also have as many as seven to eight hairs in one graft as well. In these hair transplant procedures, the follicular unit grafts are harvested, one unit at a time, using a small punch, which is usually .7 to 1 mm in size. The procedure generally takes about eight hours and healing can be around four to five days long, though this often depends on the person’s skin type.
Follicular Unit Strip Surgery surgically takes a strip of scalp from an area of the head that isn’t balding and places it in incisions in the balding part of the scalp. It’s a much more invasive procedure than FUE. It also has a higher complication rate and usually leaves a scar in the back of the head. Because it’s a surgical procedure, there’s often a longer healing/recovery time as well. FUSS can also limit hairstyles — shaving or getting your hair cut or styled can be detrimental to the procedure afterward.
What’s Scalp Micropigmentation Do?
Scalp micropigmentation is a very advanced branch of cosmetic pigmentation. Tiny needles insert colored pigment to your scalp, carefully chosen to match your skin and hair color type. They also add shading that’s darker than your normal color to add shadows and provide the 3-D appearance of a full head of hair.
People often use this to create a softer hairline or to add a fuller look to currently thinning hair. Filling in with scalp micropigmentation can create the illusion of a full head of hair. This treatment is also often used in combination with a hair transplant to enhance results. It’s a realistic hair treatment option that most people won’t even know you’ve had done! And you’ll get to maintain that “freshly-cut” look without needing to go for a haircut regularly!
If you’re experiencing hair loss or balding and are looking for options to give yourself a full head of hair again, look into these options. Depending on your budget, need, and the look you’re seeking, any one of these options might be the right for you!
