Tampa Hair Restoration

Hair loss is a devastating health condition.  It affects people’s appearance as well as their self-confidence.  Because it is such a surprising – and sometimes life altering – condition, many people are interested in quick fixes.  They want their hair back and they want it back now!

Because of this desperation, many people turn to home remedies and other do-it-yourself Hair Restoration strategies.  Unfortunately, most of these techniques are only good at raising – and then dashing – patients’ hopes.

We asked a Tampa Hair Restoration specialist about the most common hair health myths.

1. Standing on Your Head

There is some evidence that hair health is enhanced by proper circulation.  After all, if hair follicles aren’t receiving proper nutrients and oxygen, they won’t be able to produce healthy hair.  However, standing on your head is not the way to boost blood flow and restore hair health.

2.  Tossing Out Your Hats

Some myths site hats as a major hair loss instigator.  Fortunately, this is not true.  If you regularly wear a hat, your headwear is not causing your loss of locks.  However, if your hat is dirty, it can cause an infection on your scalp.  This infection could cause hair loss.  So, always make sure your hat is clean.

3.  Cancelling Your Hair Appointment

Some people claim hair dye can cause hair loss.  Therefore, keeping your hair its natural color will surely act as a hair loss treatment, right?  Wrong.  Normal use of hair dye is perfectly healthy.  It won’t cause your hair to fall out.  On the other hand, if you are using harsh, unsafe chemicals on a routine basis, that could damage your locks.

4.  Telling Your Partner No

Some people claim that high testosterone levels cause hair loss.  They associate these high levels with people who have a lot of sex.  By cutting back on sexual experiences, some people hope to hang on to their hair.  However, this is not a verified cause of hair loss.  Hop back in bed.  Abstinence is not a hair loss treatment!

Do you know of any other myths associate with hair loss and hair restoration?  Let us know.  Find out if hair restoration in Tampa is a better bet than the torture you’ve been putting yourself through!

Hair loss is one of the most common issues that many people suffer as they age. Alopecia, commonly known as baldness, is primarily caused by genetics. It can also be exacerbated by non-hereditary factors such as illness and certain drugs or medications. It is also common for women who undergo childbirth to experience hair loss. However, this hair loss is mostly temporary so it need not cause any serious concern.

Because hair loss or baldness is such a common problem, you will find no lack of Hair Restoration procedures in the market today. These restoration procedures all promise to help you leave hair loss behind, but not all of these procedures are safe. Read on to learn about the different hair loss solutions and their risks.

Flap and Free-Form Flap

Using a transplanted flap is a type of hair restoration surgery where the surgeon replaces a balding portion of skin with a new skin flap that is able to grow hair. This skin flap is usually found on the side of the patient’s scalp. The surgeon will then cut the three sides of the flap, remove the flap from the original location without completely disconnecting it, twist the flap to match the original hair growth of the balding spot and then stitch the new flap into place. The free-form flap surgery is when the flap of hair-containing skin is completely severed from its original area and stitched into the balding spot.

Needless to say, a major surgery like this comes with plenty of risks. One of these risks is necrosis, wherein the transferred flap of hair dies completely or partially. The donor area where the flap was taken from can also suffer from shock and scarring. It is also common for the hair flap to be poorly positioned, thus, resulting in an unnatural—looking hairline. The risk of infection is also high.

Hair Transplant

Also known as hair grafting, hair transplant is another common hair restoration procedure. In this method, the surgeon removes grafts of skin from the back of the scalp. Unlike the first procedure where an entire flap of skin is removed and transplanted, hair grafting involves much smaller portions of skin—so small that they contain only two to 40 strands of hair. Cutting an entire portion of scalp into smaller grafts results to a more natural look when transplanted into the balding area.

The risks associated with hair grafting or hair transplant are considerably less than flap transplanting, but there are still risks nonetheless. Aside from the risk of infection, there is also the chance that the grafts of scalp that are transplanted will no longer be able to grow hair in the new area.

Scalp Reduction

Patients who are suffering from hair loss at the back or top parts of their scalp also have the option of scalp reduction. Scalp reduction is also known as male pattern reduction or galeoplasty. In this procedure, the bald spot of the head is surgically removed. Afterward, edges of hair-producing portions of the scalp are stretched and sewn together in order to cover the spot where the bald area used to be.

Aside from speeding up hair loss, scalp reduction is also known to cause several problems. Since the hair-producing scalp is stretched and sewn in place, it often loses its tightness over time. This results to a bald area and some obvious scarring. Other risks include suture infection and hemorrhaging.

Depending on your hair loss cause and severity, you may also be eligible for hair restoration treatment through the use of products like Haarklinikken’s  Hair Restoration Extract Therapy. Speaking with a Tampa Hair Restoration expert will be required in order to discuss the type of procedure that is right for you.

When considering hair loss, most people think of male pattern baldness.  Few realize hair loss can affect women too.  Even less people are aware that hair loss can strike children.  In fact, 3% of all pediatric office visits in the US are for children’s hair loss symptoms.

For Parents of Children Dealing With Hair Loss

In addition to children – hair loss can be an extremely devastating issue.  However, everyone involved should find solace in the fact that most pediatric hair loss conditions can be treated with the proper diagnosis.  Contacting a pediatrician as soon as the first signs of hair loss are noticed is crucial.

The following conditions are the most common causes of children’s hair loss.  Fortunately, these conditions are usually easily diagnosed by a pediatrician or a pediatric dermatologist.

Tinea capitis – or ringworm of the scalp – is the most common cause of hair loss in children.  The disease is caused by a superficial fungal infection of the scalp.  Incidences of tinea capitis are increasing in countries all over the world, the US included.

Tinea capitis is identified by the patches of hair loss that are usually round or oval in shape (but can sometimes be irregular in shape too).  Also, broken-off hairs are visible just above the surface that look like tiny black dots on the scalp.  Gray flakes or scales are sometimes present as well.

Doctors will usually make a diagnosis on this visual information alone.  However, a Wood’s lamp test may be used to verify initial assumptions.  An ultraviolet light is shined on the area of interest in a dark room.  Combined with the visual cues, this test will be sufficient to form a diagnosis; a scalp biopsy isn’t necessary.   The Hair Restoration treatment for this type of hair loss is fairly straightforward.

The hair restoration treatment for tinea capitis is two-part.  First, the child must take an antifungal medication (like griseofulvin) orally.  Second, it is necessary to use Nizoral shampoo 2-3 times a week.  It is crucial that both steps be executed for the full eight weeks prescribed.  Treatment failure is inevitable for those who stop medication too early.  Children who are following the prescribed treatment plan are no longer considered contagious and may return to school. In order to determine the cause an restorative treatment to pursue, you should consult a Tampa Hair Restoration expert.

Another common cause of hair loss among children is trauma.  Trauma to the hair shaft is caused by three things:

• Traction happens when hair is consistently worn in tight braids, pony-tails, cornrows, etc.
• Friction is caused when a child rubs against a bed or wheelchair.
• Trichotillomania is a condition that leaves its patients with a compulsive need to pluck or twirl their own hair.

Hair loss caused by traction is easy to diagnose and complete hair restoration is usually possible.  Alternate hair styles can ease the trauma to the hair shaft.  Hairs that are lost due to friction may be more difficult to re-grow.  Certain situations – being confined to a wheelchair for example – can not be altered or controlled.  Trichotillomania can be difficult to diagnose and extremely difficult to treat.  The hair pulling may go unnoticed by parents; therefore, complete background information isn’t available to the doctor.  Treatment is difficult because altering an obsessive-compulsive disease is challenging.

Often times, hair loss falls under the category of telogen effluvium.  This condition effects the growth cycle of hair.

This condition is somewhat ambiguous.  Hair loss in this category can be caused by a variety of factors – extremely high fevers, surgery under general anesthesia, excessive vitamin A consumption, severe, prolonged emotional stress (such as the death of a loved one), severe injuries, and the use of certain prescription medication (such as accutane, used to treat acne).

There isn’t a specific diagnostic test for telogen effluvium.  Patients will give a thorough medical history, but ultimately must rely on the physician’s experience to determine a diagnosis.

Typically, once the shock has passed, hair growth will resume.  Normal hair growth will probably be restored within six to twelve months.

Alopecia areata is an auto-immune disease.  Basically, the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicle.  Sadly, about 1 in every 1,000 children has alopecia areata.  About 5% of those children will advance to alopecia totalis (the loss of all scalp hair) and some cases progress even farther to alopecia universalis (the complete loss of all body hair).

The sudden appearance of round or oval patches of hair loss is a symptom of alopecia areata.  These bald areas are completely void of hair growth while having zero inflammation or scaling.  The hair loss occurs over a few days or in some case, over night.

Diagnosis is usually base on a process of elimination; if hair loss isn’t attributed to any other cause, it must be because of alopecia areata.  However, alopecia areata is fairly distinctive; a patient can rest assured that their doctor’s simple visual examination is a sufficient diagnostic tool.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for alopecia areata.  The condition may go into remission for a time allowing for significant hair restoration.  However, without treating the underlying condition, hair loss will always be a possibility.  Speaking with a Hair Restoration Tampa consultant is essential for the maximum restorative results.

There are resources available with information specific to children’s hair loss.

ChildrensAlopeciaProject.org is home to the only non-profit organization specific to children’s hair loss.  The organization assists with support groups for children and their parents.

Another non-profit organization – WigsForKids.org - provides hair replacement solutions for children who experience hair loss because of chemotherapy, alopecia, burns, or other medical conditions.

The American Academy of Dermatology has a section called AAD Kids Connection.  They provide dermatology information to children ages eight through adolescence.

Of course, if you are located in or near Tampa, we recommend contacting a restoration specialist at Haarklinikken Hair Restoration.

There are several excellent books available to help alopecia areata patients deal with their hair loss condition.  The Girl with No Hair: A Story about Alopecia Areata by Elizabeth Murphy-Melas/Alex Hernandez and Princess Alopecia by Yaacov Peterseil/Avi Katz are great coping mechanisms for children.

There are two types of Hair Restoration: non-surgical restoration and surgical restoration.

Non-Surgical Hair Restoration

Non-surgical hair restoration involves all practiced used to rejuvenate or replicate a full head of hair.  Non-surgical hair restoration typically involves medication that is ingested or applied to the scalp.  These medications may help stop or reverse hair loss.  Alternately, they may be prescribed to treat underlying health issues which contain hair loss as a side effect.  Non-surgical hair restoration also includes the use of toupees and wigs.  Unfortunately, non-surgical hair restoration is only temporary; none of these practices will permanently restore hair health.

Of coarse our preferred method of non-surgical hair restoration is the use of our restoration extract therapy.  If you are dealing with mild or moderate hair loss, the Haarklinikken extract therapy is likely a good fit.  Just contact a Tampa Hair Restoration expert to discuss your current hair restoration goals.

Surgical Hair Restoration

Surgical hair restoration is more commonly known as hair transplantation (or follicular unit transplantation).  To date, hair transplantation is the only permanent “cure” for hair loss.

Hair transplantation is a general term for any surgical procedure that involves moving individual hairs from one area (donor site) to another area of the body (recipient site).  This procedure is most commonly preformed on the scalp to disguise bald spots.  However, it may also be used to restore eyelashes, eyebrows, beard hair, and chest hair.  Additionally, individuals may choose a hair transplantation to fill in scars caused by an accident or surgery (such as face-lifts or previous hair transplants gone wrong).

Hair naturally grows in follicular units that consist of one to four hairs.  The most successful techniques transplant these follicular units in their natural grouping.  This follicular unit transplantation offers the best results, mimicking natural hair growth.

A follicular unit transplantation can be preformed via two different methods:

Strip Harvesting

A patient is placed under local anesthesia while a transplant professional removes a strip of scalp.  Traditionally, the hair is removed from the back or sides of the scalp where hair growth is plentiful.  After a strip is removed, it is dissected into smaller sections that contain individual hair follicles.  These follicles are then transplanted to the balding area.  This type of procedure will leave a linear scar in the donor area.

Follicular Unit Extraction

Again, a patient is placed under local anesthesia.  However, during a FUE, individual hair follicles are removed instead of an entire strip of scalp.  A tiny punch, between 0.6mm and 1.25mm in diameter is used to remove the individual hair groupings.  After removal, the follicles are inserted into the balding area with a micro blade.  Hair follicles can be transplanted at a rate of about 1,000 units per hour.  Since individual follicles are removed instead of an entire strip, only small puncture scars will remain.

History of the Hair Transplantation

Modern transplant techniques began in Japan in the 1930s.  Doctors preformed “follicular unit grafts” to fill in damaged areas of eyebrows or lashes.  The first attempts at hair transplantation were not intended to treat baldness.

At the time, the procedure wasn’t recognized worldwide.  In fact, their efforts remained isolated for another two decades due to World War II traumas.

Dr. Norman Orentreich brought the hair transplantation to the western world in the late 1950s.  Specifically, he used hair transplantation to treat patients with male pattern baldness.  Up until that point, opponents claimed that hair growth would fail in the recipient site just as the original hairs had.  Dr. Orentreich proved them wrong!

While significant advances have been made over the last several decades, there are still exceptionally few surgeons who have mastered the follicular unit extraction.  The procedure takes considerable time and expense to learn.  Additionally, skills must be honed to the highest standard.

Dealing with hair the need for Hair Restoration can be a challenging task.  Finding accurate, helpful information can be just as difficult.  Who should you trust?  Which idea is most sound?  Why does one website contradict another?!

There are several organizations that are dedicated to providing honest, accurate, unbiased information about hair restoration.  As you consider your hair restoration situation and treatment options, you may want to peruse the following websites.

Sources of general hair restoration information

American Hair Loss Council

http://www.ahlc.org

Located inShenandoah,Pennsylvania, The American Hair Loss Council boasts they are “the nation’s only unbiased, not-for-profit agency” dedicated to sifting through the abundance of hair restoration information, determining which treatment options are successful, and sharing the findings with the public.

It is the goal of the AHLC to unite the diversified industry to better understand the cause of hair loss.  They seek to do this by creating a membership roster packed full of dedicated professionals, manufacturers, service providers and technology leaders.

The organization shares additional information in a printed newsletter – The Link…The Voice of the AHLC.

A very useful resource is found under the “Find a Specialist Near You” link.  The AHLC does not endorse or recommend any individual firm or doctor; they can, however, inform you of specialist in or near the area you live.  All of the specialists in this list have signed a statement that promises to abide by the AHLC Code of Ethics.

Additional links include “What Causes Hair Loss?” and “Solutions.”  There is also a FAQ section that may answer any lingering questions.

International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery

http://www.ishrs.org/

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, a non-profit medical association housed inGeneva,Illinois, was founded in 1993.  The ISHRS became “the first international society to promote continuing quality improvement and education for professionals in the field of medical hair restoration surgery.”

Today, the ISHRS is comprised of over 900 physicians from over 60 countries.  The purpose of the ISHRS is two-fold.  First, they provide continuing education to physicians who specialize in hair transplant surgery.  Second, they share the latest information on hair restoration treatment with the public.

The mission and vision of ISHRS is as follows:

The mission of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery is to achieve excellence in patient outcomes by promoting member education, international collegiality, research, ethics, and public awareness.  The vision is to establish the ISHRS as the leading unbiased authority in hair restoration surgery.

The ISHRS is a member of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates and is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education.

The ISHRS has a useful tab called “Find a Doctor.”  This link helps patients by providing articles with the following titles:  Finding a hair restoration doctor, Selecting the right doctor for you, Making the right choice for treatment, and Hair restoration physician search.  Another helpful link is “For Persons With Hair Loss.”  Articles in this section include: About your hair loss, Surgical hair restoration options, Medical hair restoration options, and Hair restoration FAQ.  The website also has a very helpful “Articles & Information” center.

American Hair Loss Association

http://www.americanhairloss.org/

The American Hair Loss Association strives to educate and improve the lives of the vast hair restoration population.  They also seek to increase public awareness of this devastating disease.  Another admirable goal of the AHLA is to legitimize hair restoration in the eyes of the society as a whole, but most specifically the medical community and media.

The AHLA recognizes that hair restoration is a complex medical condition.  But more importantly, it is an affliction that affects every aspect of the patient’s life.  This thought drives the association in its goal to provide resources and support to those who are researching and fighting this emotionally devastating disorder.

The AHLA website has a significant amount of resources.  They have links to: Hair Science, Types of Hair Loss, Men’s Hair Loss, Women’s Hair Loss, Children’s Hair Loss, Drug Induced Hair Loss, Hair Loss Treatment, Hair Replacement, Surgical Hair Restoration, Hair Loss Research, Hair Loss Glossary, Publications & Resources, and Hair Loss Organizations.

Sources of Demographic Specific Information

The Rapunzel Project

http://www.rapunzelproject.org

The Rapunzel Project is an organization which seeks to help patients prevent hair loss during chemotherapy treatment.

The Bald Truth

http://www.thebaldtruth.com/

Reality Radio Show host, Spencer Kobren, has turned his nationally syndicated talk show into a “pulpit of the airwaves” while helping men overcome life’s curveballs.

International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons

http://www.iahrs.org

IAHRS recognizes that not all surgeons are created equal.  The organization limits its elite membership and only represents the best in the discipline, offering patients access to the very best the field has to offer.

National Alopecia Areata Foundation

http://www.naaf.org

NAAF supports alopecia areata research, afflicted patients, and public awareness of the disease.