Examining the Alternatives - Chicago, Illinois hair loss treatment

Rogaine
Propecia
Coloring Agents
Hairpieces
Hair Transplantation
Professional Hair Transplant Surgery

So what does work? Well, there are many "solutions" to Male Pattern Baldness. First, you can learn to live with your looks. Of course, no amount of improvement to your own self-image will change the way people who look at you think about you. You can take try a medical approach to hair loss. There are two hair loss treatment medications that seem to prevent, or at least reduce, hair loss.

Rogaine

First, you can learn to live with hair loss. Although the effects of hair loss may be disconcerting, a reasonable understanding of hair loss may restore lost confidence. In addition, a person with a firm grasp of the condition of hair loss may be a good candidate for hair loss treatment because of his or her reasonable treatment expectations. The second solution to hair loss that many seek is non surgical hair replacement. There are two hair loss medications that seem to prevent, or at least reduce, hair loss.

The first hair loss treatment is Minoxidil, sold under the name Rogaine. Minoxidil was originally used as a medication for people with high blood pressure, but it was discovered that people who took the drug grew hair in odd places, like the forehead. Experimentation showed that when applied to the scalp, Minoxidil reduced hair loss and could possibly cause hair to regrow. Minoxidil, in the topical application Rogaine, was originally available only by prescription, but is now sold over-the-counter both as a topical solution and as an added ingredient in some shampoos. The hair loss treatment Rogaine can be used by both men and women.

The main problem with Rogaine is that it only works on hair loss at the crown. It does nothing for receding hairlines. The second problem is that it is overrated. Many people will see reduced hair loss at the crown with Rogaine, but few will see regrowth. The third problem is that it is a demanding routine. Rogaine must be applied twice a day, every day. Finally, and most disappointingly, after a while Rogaine loses it's effectiveness. After 3½-4½ years, Rogaine stops working.

Propecia

Recently a second drug called Finasteride has been introduced under the name Propecia. Propecia is a pill which must be taken daily. Originally developed to reduce enlarged prostates, Propecia blocks the body's use of the male hormone testosterone. Propecia is only available by prescription, and can only be taken by men.

Like Rogaine, Propecia has only been shown to be effective against hair loss at the crown. Also like the hair loss treatment Rogaine, Propecia only helps some men, and mostly prevents additional hair loss; very few men actually regrow hair. Propecia has not been available long enough to tell if its effects are temporary.

There are two things you should know before deciding to take Propecia. The first is that there are side effects. Some men experience rashes and other allergic reactions, a loss of interest in sex, difficulty achieving an erection, testicular pain, and a reduction in the amount of semen. In clinical tests, these side effects went away when the subjects stopped taking the drug. Of course, so did any improvement in hair loss.

Not much is known about the long-term effects of taking Propecia. We do know that when men have diseases that reduce testosterone, they experience disturbing changes. The voice changes, the testicles shrink, beard growth is reduced, and the breast tissue becomes enlarged. Long term use of Propecia may produce the same side-effects.

The second thing you should know about Propecia is that it must be handled with extreme care. Women, especially pregnant women, should never handle the Propecia tablets because of potential birth defects that can result from contact with a broken tablet. Men with families should think carefully about bringing this drug into their homes.

Coloring Agents

Another hair loss treatment is to cover the scalp. Options range from the application of colored powders, sprays, or creams which color the scalp to match the remaining hair, to hairpieces. Coloring agents can be somewhat effective in hiding the appearance of thinning hair. Of course, it cannot be used on areas where the hair has been totally lost; the difference between a crown covered with hair and a painted crown is obvious. Most modern coloring substances are reasonably waterproof, and will not run during normal showering or swimming. However, the color will have to be re-applied frequently to maintain the illusion of this hair loss treatment. Finally, while scalp coloring is effective at a distance, or even during normal interaction, it does not stand up to intimate inspection.

Hairpieces

An additional hair loss treatment is a hairpiece. Hairpieces are made from a netted base to which human or animal hair or a synthetic material is attached. The hairpiece is fitted and molded to the wearer's scalp and then attached through a variety of methods.

The better methods of attachment, bonding and weaving, are considered permanent. The wearer can swim and shower without fear of losing the hairpiece. However, water cannot adequately penetrate the base of the hairpiece, and shed skin cells and oil are trapped beneath it. This is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, and the result is a smelly mess. These hairpieces must be removed monthly for cleaning; many wearers have two hairpieces, so that one can be worn while the other is being refreshed. In addition, the hairpiece must be adjusted as the wearer's own hair grows.

Hooks or clips can attach a hairpiece temporarily. This permits the wearer to remove it for daily cleaning of the scalp. Unfortunately, this makes the hairpiece less secure, and the wearer must constantly guard against its becoming detached. Again, as the wearer's own hair grows, the clips or hooks must be adjusted closer to the scalp. This is why, although a hairpiece represents a lower initial investment than hair transplants, the cost-of-ownership is much higher.

Follicular Units in Hair Transplantation

The field of hair transplantation has been transformed by the concept of follicular unit transplantation. There is a lot of confusion about the concept of follicular units. It goes back to basic anatomy. At the base of each hair, there is a fine network of microscopic capillaries and nerves that surrounds the follicle. (See illustration at right) Many hairs grow in small groups of two, three, or even six hairs. Each group of follicles is surrounded by a super net of capillaries and nerves. In follicular unit grafting hair loss treatment, individual follicular units are dissected free from the donor material under very high magnification Many doctors use a microscope for this step. The crucial part of this step of the procedure is to preserve the fine networks of nerves and capillaries.

The most important factor in hair transplantation is to reestablish blood circulation to the follicles a quickly as possible. When the follicles are removed from the donor area, they lose their blood supply. Hair follicles have a very high metabolic rate, much higher than the metabolic rate of most tissues. This makes them very susceptible to toxins like radiation or chemotherapy. During hair loss treatment, grafts are inserted into recipient sites, but they have no circulation and they must receive nourishment by osmosis from the tissue fluid between the cells. This is a very inefficient method of transferring nutrients. The sooner that circulation to the capillaries can be reestablished, the sooner hair growth can resume. It takes 3-4 days after hair loss treatment surgery for capillaries from the surrounding tissue to invade the grafts. If the capillary nets around the follicles are intact, re-connection between the nets and the invading capillaries occurs more quickly. In addition to precise dissection of the capillaries from the donor tissue, the handling of the grafts between harvesting and re-implantation is essential. Hair follicle cells are very sensitive to drying, so they must be kept moist with sterile saline solution. Chilling the follicles slows their metabolism and prolongs their survival just as it does for other types of tissue transplants.

We have been doing follicular unit grafting at our Chicago hair loss treatment and hair replacement practice for a long time before the term was even coined. It is my strong sense that our careful attention to detail in dissecting individual follicular unit grafts and in handling those grafts before and during implantation is responsible for the rapid growth of hair that we usually see. Many of our Chicago, Illinois hair loss treatment patients find that the majority of their transplanted hairs do not fall out the way the medical literature says they are supposed to do.

Chicago, Illinois Hair Transplantation

Hair transplantation does not have side-effects. As with any surgical procedure, there is a risk of infection from this hair loss treatment, but it is small. At our Chicago, Illinois practice, hair transplantation is done over a few procedures, and does not require daily application or medication. Additionally, hair transplantation is a hair loss treatment that does not require monthly adjustment or cleaning by a specially trained professional. You never need to fear that your transplanted hair will come off in the shower or when it is windy. You can swim without fear of dislodging it or having it rinse out.

You clean your transplanted hair in the shower with the rest of your hair. You "adjust" your hair as frequently or infrequently as you like, with a barber or hair stylist. Hair transplantation hair loss treatment may be more expensive initially, but will cost less in the long run, over the life of your hair. Finally, transplanted hair changes with the rest of your hair. If you spend a lot of time in the sun, it will lighten along with the rest of your hair. As you age, it will grey along with the rest of your hair. If you choose to cover or color that grey, it takes color like the rest of your hair.

Professional Hair Transplant Surgery - Chicago, Illinois

The most significant risk involved in hair transplantation is that the procedure will not be done properly. If your doctor does not have the experience or sense of artistry to lay out your new hairline properly during hair loss surgery, and if he or she does not pay sufficient attention to the normal hairlines of people with faces shaped like yours and of your ethnicity, your hairline will not look natural. If he or she uses grafts that are too large for your hair transplant surgery, your hairline will look toothbrush-y and artificial. This is why it is important to study "before" and "after" hair transplant surgery photos of your prospective doctor's previous patients, and perhaps even meet some in person, before you decide to proceed. Your hair loss treatment doctor should not be "adequate." Your doctor should be excellent.

Having a medical consultation with Dr. Pomerantz is important. Contact him at this Chicago Hair Institute in Illinois to see what hair loss treatment and/or hair replacement option should be used in your case. Treatments such as Rogaine, Propecia and hair loss surgery can be discussed with patients who live in or around the Chicago, Illinois area.

Dr. Pomerantz provides Illinois hair loss treatment and replacement through professional hair transplant surgery. Hair transplant is the Chicago baldness cure.