Hair Replacement Systems: Medical Hair Restoration Surgery

Hair Replacement Surgery

Androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) occurs as the result of shortening of the hair growth cycle gradually shortens. This causes subsequent growing hairs to become miniaturized. As the population of these miniaturized hairs gets greater, your hair becomes noticeably thin. This condition ordinarily is progressive throughout the adult life of the predisposed individual. Many changes and improvements have occurred in the way we can maintain and restore hair for balding in both men and women.

Micrografting

Hair transplants are much improved - no more of the "doll's hair" or "corn row" appearance that were seen in the past. Special hair restoration surgery techniques and magnification are used to create hair grafts of the smallest possible size that retain the natural characteristics of hair growth.

Propecia and Rogaine

Because of the progressive nature of male-pattern baldness, over the course of time the hair transplant performed on a young man may become surrounded by new bald space. Propecia is often very effective in preventing this and thus preserving the aesthetic results of the surgery.

According to long-term medical studies of people with male pattern baldness, 83% of those who consistently took Propecia had no further baldness. This compares to 28% for those who took a placebo. Additionally, Propecia was shown to regrow some hair in approximately 66 percent of men who used it continuously

It is important to begin Propecia therapy sooner rather than later. It is far easier to keep the hair on your head than it is to replace it after it's lost. It takes about three months for it to begin to slow your hair loss rate down and a minimum of six months to see regrowth. This is a long-term medication. It should be used for as long as you wish to keep your hair.

In certain patients, other procedures including scalp reductions and scalp expansion are helpful hair replacement systems. Follicular unit hair transplants are often helpful in conjunction with facelift procedures that are done to rejuvenate the cheeks and neck. In these patients, hair grafts are prepared from that portion of the scalp which is cut out - and ordinarily discarded - in facelift procedures and are placed into recipient slots in the bald area.

San Francisco plastic surgeon Corey Maas, M.D. specializes in a variety of cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery techniques at The Maas Clinic in Northern California. These include permanent laser hair removal, photo facial rejuvenation, cosmetic injections (Restylane, Botox, Radiesse, Collagen and Juvederm), plastic surgery face lift, brow lift surgery and cosmetic nose surgery. Visit the San Francisco practice of Dr. Mass to learn more about these procedures.