For most men, hair loss is a natural part of aging but they may still be embarrassed by it. While some men will wear caps to hide their thinning hair, others may take a more extreme approach and shave their heads. Fortunately, both men and women who have bald spots or thinning hair can be helped by having a hair transplant.
Causes of Baldness
Hair loss has many different causes but for most men hair loss is simply genetics. If your father or grandfather had thin hair or a bald spot, then you will be more likely to have hair loss issues. Male pattern baldness affects about half of all men and results in a permanent loss of hair.
The first indication of male pattern baldness will usually be a receding hairline beginning at the temples and hair getting progressively thinner as they get older. Many men will also experience thinning hair at the back or crown of the head and it may eventually meet with the receding hairline. While this type of hair loss can often be a sign of aging, some men will start losing their hair in the late teens or early 20s.
Some women also have issues with thinning hair, called female pattern baldness, as they get older. For women, they will notice the hair thinning at their part, which will gradually widen. This is also a permanent loss of hair but women usually have an easier time covering their loss by changing their hairstyles.
Alopecia Areata
This is an autoimmune disease which causes hair loss all over the body, including the head. In some cases, it can be brought on by stress or hypothyroidism. While this can lead to patchy bald spots on the head, it can be treated with help from a medical doctor and sometimes topical scalp medications can reverse the hair loss.
An autoimmune disease attacks parts of the body and destroys healthy tissue, such as the hair follicles. While hair loss due to alopecia areata can usually be treated, sometimes the hair loss is permanent, which is referred to as cicatricialareata. It can also cause telogen effluvium, which is a disruption of the hair’s growth cycle.
Telogen Effluvium
This condition causes a rapid shedding of hair and can be brought on by taking certain medications. While having chemotherapy can cause this condition, so can taking oral medications such as beta blockers, anti-coagulants, epilepsy drugs, and several other medications as well. However, in most cases, the hair loss is temporary and new hair will grow back in.
Stress can also cause this condition, especially if it is due to a sudden trauma, surgery, or some other shock to your system. If stress does cause hair loss, it is generally temporary and as your body heals your hair will begin to grow back. If you do experience a sudden shedding of hair, talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking to help determine the cause of your hair loss issue.
Hair Loss Treatments
With some conditions, topical solutions or shampoos can help to clean the scalp and unclog hair follicles to allow hair to regrow. While many over the counter products may not work well, a dermatologist may be able to prescribe a strong topical solution to stimulate hair growth. However, for permanent hair loss, especially that caused by male pattern baldness, the only effective hair loss treatment is a hair transplant.
Hair Transplant Surgery
Many men who want to have a head full of hair will opt to have hair transplant surgery because it can provide them with healthy natural hair. It is a minor procedure performed by a licensed doctor in a clinical setting. It is done by taking hair follicles from a donor site where there are plenty of healthy hair follicles. For most people, the back of the head at the neckline and along the sides of the head are the best places to harvest follicles.
The follicles are then transplanted along the temple, at the crown of the head, or wherever there is missing hair. After the transplant area has healed, healthy hair will begin to grow in naturally. As the hair grows, it can be cut and styled as you normally would do your hair because it is natural hair.
Hair Transplant Costs
Getting a hair transplant in the United Kingdom can be extremely expensive. The cost depends on how many follicles are transplanted but the surgery can average anywhere from £4,000 to £15,000. However, if you travel out of the country, you can get the same hair transplant surgery for much less. Many men travel from the UK to Turkey to have hair transplants done for far less than they can get it at home.
About 5,000 people a year travel to Turkey to save money on hair transplants, where it has become a billion-dollar industry. Compared to the UK, the cost of a hair transplant in Turkey averages £1,800 to £3,200. Even though you will save a great deal of money, you don’t have to compromise on the quality of the surgery.
The doctors who do hair transplants in Turkey undergo the same type of training that doctors in the UK, Germany, and other western countries do. They are certified in their field and many of them have more than two decades’ experience in hair transplant techniques. With their state-of-the-art facilities and experience in providing hair transplants, you can have peace of mind your surgery will go well and you will end up with a healthy head of hair when it grows in.
If you are concerned about hair loss and it isn’t caused by the medications you take or any other treatable condition, then you may wish to consider getting hair transplant surgery in Turkey. You will end up with a head full of healthy hair that looks natural because it is your own natural hair. You will also end up saving thousands of pounds by traveling to have the surgery.