Consult a specialist and learn about new solutions for hair loss
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Family Health by Mark A. Bishara, MD
At least 35 million American men are bald and 50 percent of allbrmen experience some degree of balding by age fifty. Until now only temporarybrtopical solutions and invasive surgical solutions were available. More now thanbrever patients are seeking assistance for hair loss and hoping for solutions.
When considering treatment options it is important tobrdetermine the cause of the hair loss before any treatment recommendations canbrbe made. Any treatments prior to proper diagnosis could be ineffective andbrcounterproductive. Both medical and non-medical treatments for hair loss existbrand there are several different types of transplantation. A consultation with abrspecialist is a key step for every hair loss patient.
A typical consultation usually begins with a shortbrdiscussion on available preventative hair loss measures. Patients looking forbralternatives can expect to be asked about hair loss history, the medicationsbrthat they have been taking and any medical problems they are aware of orbrcurrently treating. Many prospective patients are fearful and anxious aboutbrconfronting their particular hair loss solutions but I would encourage you all tobrseek out consultation with a physician. You may be pleasantly surprised by thebrease of the process.
One of the more exciting treatment options for hair lossbrtoday is the ARTAS robotic hair transplant system. The highly sophisticatedbrARTAS hair restoration procedure is doctor-controlled, computer-assisted and isbrused for harvesting individual hairs from the scalp. Many have found success inbrtransferring hair from where they have it to areas that are bald or thinning.
The latest in hair transplantation procedures is known asbrfollicular unit extraction. These systems use a very sophisticated robotic armbralong with an imaging system to quickly and safely detect the hair that isbrsubsequently used for transplantation.
Under complete control of the doctor, a very sophisticatedbrsoftware program using algorithms that will determine the orientation,brdirection, density and distribution of hair follicles. The robot will pinpointbra specific hair follicle. It will then dissect it. Finally the hair is extractedbrand placed into a small hole completing the transplant process.
This procedure is done in an outpatient setting, returningbrpeople back to their normal routines in just one to two days. The donor area,brgenerally in the back of the head, returns to a undetectable state inbrapproximately one week. Patients can shave their head or can wear their hairbrshort. In fact, a patient who undergoes this procedure can go for a haircut withinbras little as three days post procedure. Afterward, as the results are permanent,brpatients can adopt any hairstyle they choose and no longer have to hide abrlinear scar from traditional transplant procedures. It is for these reasonsbrthat this procedure has become one of the most popular hair restoration optionsbrbecause of minimal downtime and natural looking results.
Not just for men, there are also many women who havebrundergone hair transplantation using the ARTAS system and the results are justbras exciting. Woman experiencing hair loss or thinning hair have all the samebrtreatment options available to men, and the consultation process is verybrsimilar. Hair transplantation has also been used to fill in areas void ofbrgrowing hair because of scars. It can also help to fill in eyebrows. Thebrpossibilities are endless.
A native-born Texan, Dr. Bishara received his Bachelor'sbrdegree in Biomedical Science at Texas A&M University. After a five-yearbrresidency in general surgery, he also completed a fellowship appointment inbrAesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.