The Hairy Truth!
Before going ahead let’s get a few facts clear!
1. Hair fall affects both men and women.
2. The causes for hair fall for men and women are mostly different.
3. In men hair fall is most commonly age related – MEN ARE BORN TO BECOME BALD!!!
4. In women it is mostly stress related.
5. Hair transplant is not the only modality for treatment of hair loss.
6. There are medical managements available.
7. When the loss is beyond the scope of medicines alone there are still a few more procedures available that will get the desired results.
8. When all this is not possible hair transplant has to be planned.
9. Lastly, after all this had been done the person must take some precautions so that they don’t lose their existing hair.
10. Sometimes in the eventuality that none of these are possible the person might have to opt for hair replacements.
So what is the real scenario about Hair Fall Management?
The treatment of hair fall should always be done by first identifying the cause of the problem. Once that is done, the next step is to see that if by correcting the underlying problem whether hair fall could be stopped or if possible reversed.
When this is not possible or if further recreation of the hair is needed the following parameters should be strictly adhered to by treatment provider
1. Make sure that any correctable problems are first corrected
2. Making use of procedures like Derma-roller along with medicines and medicinal products are to be tried.
3. To understand what the person wants
4. The assess the available donor site and realize how much hair is available for transplant.
5. To match the persons expectations and what is realistically possible or would be right for the age of the person.
6. To make an estimate of how many grafts or sometimes how many sitting would be need for the person and if there would be enough donor hair available for the whole procedure.
7. To assess whether FUT (strip method) or FUE (direct graft method) is needed
8. Make sure that the hair transplant procedure is done under strict aseptic (i.e. A sterile environment) conditions.
9. The person is followed up regularly to see if they need any further care.
10. To recognize and treat at an early stage any complication that happens as a result of Hair transplant.
On their part the person has to get themselves educated.
1. Understand what their problem is?
2. What are the options of treatment available for them?
3. Whether the person treating them is capable of doing all that is mentioned above.
Today the management of hair fall has gone away from the hands of the cosmetic/ plastic surgeon to their ancestors!
Yes, the barbers (oops! “Hairstylist” is the diplomatically correct terminology) are the people who do it more today!
When the skin care products industry wanted to expand their immensely profit making wings they realized that just like the skin problems for women, hair fall is the most important problem an aging man faces.
So with all fanfare and cutting edge marketing strategies we are seeing a boom in the number of salons that cater to management of hair fall.
And again like all commercial, profit motivated industries we are seeing a rise in the number of salon (mind you, that I don’t call these places clinics!) with untrained people, unnecessary procedures, and as a result an ever increasing number of complications that eventually turn up at our doorsteps.
The people who need hair fall treatment have the right and also the duty to make sure that they are not only treated by the appropriate person by also in the appropriate way. Please don’t get carried away by flashy advertisements. Use your discretion and be treated properly and perfectly.