FUE
FUE or follicular unit extraction is the latest technique used for permanent hair transplant surgery. It has taken many years for hair transplant surgery to reach an acceptable standard where results are completely natural and the procedure is minimally invasive. Each follicle is taken from the donar area INDIVIDUALLY, then each hair is placed individually into the balding areas.
As you can imagine, this method is extremely time consuming and usually takes 5-6 hours for 2000 hairs to be transplanted. The surgeon has to be highly experienced and have a very steady hand so that no follicles are damaged. Because follicles are taken out individually, there is no cutting or surgical scaring involved and patients make a very quick recovery.
FUE is not only used for male pattern baldness, it has become extremely popular in eyebrow restoration as well as beard reconstruction.
Eyebrow Restoration
Eyebrows shape one’s face and their importance is often underestimated. With FUE we can now transplant hair to give you a full set of natural eyebrows using your own hairs. We do not need to shave your entire head and recovery time is minimal. Eyebrow restoration is an extremely specialized process.
FUT scar restoration
FUT or Follicular Unit Transplant is a term used to describe the previous method used for hair restoration surgery and is still practiced by some older doctors. It was the first method that showed natural results as follicles were implanted individually. However, surgeons need to remove an entire strip of your scalp to obtain these hairs.
Patients are left with an unacceptable linear scar across the back of their head and extreme pain for more than 3 weeks.
PRP
PRP therapy or Protein rich plasma therapy is one of the newer advances in medicine and has been made popular by many celebrities. It has been advertised in the media as blood therapy or thanks to Kim Kardashian, the “vampire facial”.
More seriously though, it has been used for many years by orthopaedic surgeons for ligament and knee injuries and has recently been shown to yield amazing results in skin and hair restoration. 2 small tubes of your our own blood is collected, it is then spun down using a highly specialized centrifuge and a specific layer (the fuzzy white layer) rich in your own bodies healing proteins is collected and this concentrated serum is then injected into areas experiencing hair loss. It is also used in addition to hair transplant surgery to speed up healing and give the transplanted hairs an extra boost and the best chance of surviving.
Medication for hair loss
There are only two drugs on the market that have been scientifically proven to prevent hair loss in male pattern baldness. All other medication is “here say” and anecdotal. As medical professionals, we do not support treatment without proper evidence that it works.
Finasteride (Propecia) (Proscar)
Finasteride is a drug that has been approved to treat male pattern baldness since 1997.
Finasteride works by inhibiting the process of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) formation. DHT is the hormone synthesized from testosterone in the hair follicles, prostate, adrenal glands and testes.
Because of this, Finasteride is very effective in stopping male pattern hair loss and even reversing the process to a degree. However, Finasteride may have side effects related to lower DHT levels, this can include sexual side effects amongst others. These are however rare and proper discussion of the pros and cons of taking Finasteride will be explained thoroughly during your consultation.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil was originally used to treat high blood pressure. As a side effect, people who took Minoxidil didn’t seem to suffer from as much hair loss. It was then discovered that Minoxidol could be used topically and applied directly to the skin where hair loss was occurring. The results were significant and it is now a known fact that minoxidol is an approved treatment for hair loss.