How to treat Hair Loss with a Hair Transplant Treatment for People over 50?
Many middle-aged people wonder how to stop hair loss or prevent hair loss because by the age of 36, almost 2/3rd of men will have some extent of visible baldness — and that figure will jump to a whopping 85 percent after the age of 50.
Men are not the only ones impacted: hair loss in women makes up for almost half of the percentage of all hair loss sufferers in the U.S. alone. So, many wonders: what causes hair loss in women? It’s therefore easy to see why so many people are looking for a hair loss treatment that really works.
Unfortunately, for every successful hair loss treatment option such as hair loss shampoo on the market, there seem to be ten that do nothing but empty your wallet and give you false hope. There is positive news, though.
Over the past few years, advances in hair transplantation procedures and technology have ensured that patients have access to both non-surgical hair loss treatments and hair transplant solutions that offer true, long-lasting outcomes, even for people with illnesses that cause hair loss. Let us have a closer look at them.
Non-surgical hair loss treatment
Before we get into the specifics, let’s get the truth out of the way. If you have suffered a significant hair loss, prescription shampoos, nutrient supplements, and leave-in products aren’t going to offer a drastic change. That’s because once you began to bald and experience hair shedding in some places, the follicles of those individual hairs become inactive and ceased to produce hair completely.
That being said, there are treatments and medicinal products that can offer visible results only if you use them in the initial stages of hair loss. Medications can delay or alleviate moderate hair loss, often by stimulating hair growth and fullness in surrounding follicles that are not yet completely inactive.
Hair Loss Medications
Androgen-dependent hair loss drugs, such as Finasteride, perform by blocking the transformation of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone — a hormone believed to lead to male baldness — in the scalp.
Androgen-independent hair loss drugs, such as Minoxidil, act by constricting tiny blood vessels in the body. While it is still unclear why this promotes new hair growth, it has been shown that approximately 40 percent of men grow their hair within a 3-month timeline and will continue to grow as long as the medication continues. Unlike androgen-dependent medicines, androgen-independent medications can be taken by females as well.
Supplements and Hair Loss
Although a number of dietary supplements and vitamins are on the market to treat hair loss, Dr. Alexander Sobel— from American Board of Cosmetic Surgery President and board-certified cosmetic surgeon in Bellevue, WA, warns that no clinical trials have proven that these products claiming to be Non-surgical hair loss treatment can help you recover from hair loss.
Many individuals who are genetically prone to have hair loss — but are yet to notice hair thinning — may benefit from the regular use of supplements or shampoos that promote hair strength or scalp protection, but results may be distorted or completely lacking depending on the form of alopecia you might have.
Surgical hair restoration treatment
For those with severe hair loss, a surgical hair transplant is the only effective way to fully restore natural hair growth in the bald areas. If you have been reluctant to pursue a surgical option, consider that recent advances have made hair transplantation surgery a lot easier for patients by reducing pain and downtime.
FUT v/s FUE
There are broadly 2 types of hair transplantation methods: FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). The best solution for you will depend on your specific needs and what your doctor advises.
The FUT hair transplantation procedure requires taking a patch of skin with hair follicles from the donor site— usually, the back of your head, where the hair growth is naturally fuller and less susceptible to baldness. Tiny groups of tissues containing hair follicles are then isolated from this skin and primed for transplantation. While this process is underway, side by side, small holes are created at the balding site. Ready grafts are then individually placed at the recipient site.
This form of transplantation procedure may take several hours, depending on the number of grafts to be placed. Besides, there’s no way of preventing the subsequent horizontal scar across the back of the head.
The FUE hair transplantation technique was devised as a means of producing the same outcome as with FUT sans disadvantages. Just like Follicular Unit Transplant, FUE comprises extracting hair follicles from the donor site (the back of the head) and transferring them to build a fuller, more natural-looking hairline. Unlike FUT, this procedure does not require extracting a strip of tissue from the back of the head but rather harvesting individual hair follicles straight from the scalp and placing them into small incisions made at the recipient location.
Although the thorough FUE technique takes more time in surgery, this approach removes the linear scar and advanced wound treatment required by FUT. The FUE approach also decreases downtime and lowers post-op pain levels.
Choose a Hair Loss Treatment that suits you
If you have been wondering “why is my hair falling out?” then the first step to take is to determine the hair loss cause, the hair loss conditions to then identify the ideal hair loss cure. Fortunately, there are many hair loss treatment options available to combat and overcome baldness, hair shedding, and hair falling out and with a professional, you can surely find what works best for you.
Author Bio:
Jenny Wilson has been working as a content editor for 5 years. She is a professional content writing expert in such topics as the modern world, health tips, and treatment technologies.