When hair loss (medically termed “alopecia”) is present , hair restoration is in high demand. Hair loss is very common among males or females older than 50 years.
The first line of defence would be to determine the hormone levels in blood or saliva to see whether any male or female hormones are missing. If a hormone deficiency is found, this needs to be replaced (thyroid, testosterone, DHEA) by bio-identical hormones. Often this will remedy the situation. However, not every man or woman with hair loss will respond to hormone replacement or medication. Baldness runs in families, so there is a genetic trait that you could have inherited. This leaves those who will want to take advantage of hair restoration.
Hair Restoration (microscopic hair transplantation shown)
In the past hair transplants were confined to transplanting a hair disc of about 1 cm (=2/5-th of an inch) in diameter of skin from an area with dense hair to an area of alopecia. This method has been refined with a new hair restoration where microscopic skin transplants with only 2 or 3 hair follicles per unit are transferred.
A large number of these units are transferred in one surgical session utilizing an operating microscope (Ref. 9). The advantage of this method is that a very even look is achieved right away compared to the old technique.
References
1. Habif: Clinical Dermatology, 3rd ed.,1996, Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
2. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 117.
3. Cotran: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease, 6th ed.,1999, W. B. Saunders Company
4. Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed., 2001, Mosby, Inc.
5. Rakel: Conn’s Current Therapy 2001, 53rd ed., 2001, W. B. Saunders Company
6. Goroll: Primary Care Medicine, 4th ed., 2000, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
7. Richard J. Lewis, M.D. at the 42nd Annual St. Paul’s Hosp. CME Conf., Nov.1996, Vancouver/BC
8. Jerry Shapiro, Prof. Dermatol., UBC, at 45th Annual St. Paul’s Hosp. CME Conf., Nov.1999, Vancouver/BC
9. D Seager Int J Cosmet Surg Vol 6, No. 1, 1998: 27-31.
10. Townsend: Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 16th ed.,2000, W. B. Saunders Company
11. Ferri: Ferri’s Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, 2004 ed., Copyright © 2004 Mosby, Inc.
12. Rakel: Conn’s Current Therapy 2004, 56th ed., Copyright © 2004 Elsevier
