Surgical Treatments for Hair Restoration

There are a number of surgical hair restoration techniques that are used by physicians today. Reduction procedures, scalp lifts and flaps, and micrografting all are effective surgical treatment options for hair restoration. Although results generally take several months to be fully realized, surgical hair restoration benefits are permanent.

In a reduction procedure, the concept is simple. The small areas of bald scalp are simply removed, allowing for the part of the scalp that contains active hair follicles to cover the once bald area. Although a reduction procedure produces immediate results, there are no guarantees that the areas surrounding the removed bald spot will not begin to lose hair as well. Further, in a reduction procedure, scalp scarring will occur at the site where both edges of the scalp have been attached. If the hair around the reduction procedure begins to diminish, the scar will eventually become visible. Although micrografts are used to deal with hair restoration problems in scar tissue, this means another trip to the doctor's office for further surgery.

In a scalp lift or flap procedure, larger portions of scalp from the nape area or back of the head are removed and strategically placed in areas on the front and top part of the scalp. Scalp lift and flap procedures redistribute hair, and do not promote the restoration of inactive hair follicles. Visible results of surgical hair restoration take several months to fully appear. Once healed from surgery, the surgical hair restoration benefits are permanent.

Today, the most popular surgical hair restoration technique used is the follicular unit micrografting procedure. Like the flap procedure, a section of scalp with healthy hair is removed from the back of the head or nape of the neck. This section of scalp is then cut into tiny, single hair portions, which will be used to restore hair in the front and top of a balding scalp.

Micrografting is the transplanting of healthy hair follicles to areas that need hair restoration. Since the grafts come from the individual needing the restoration, there is no risk of rejection. Synthetic hair has been used in the same manner, but synthetic hair is often rejected by the body causing further hair loss and scarring.

Newly transplanted hair follicles take time to recover from micrografting surgery and take several months to begin growing new hairs. If the surgeon did not place hair follicles too low on the forehead and was able to place hair follicles in a natural pattern, the newly grown head of hair should appear healthy and natural.

The results of micrografting procedures are permanent, although there are a number of disadvantages. The costs of surgical techniques can be very expensive and may require a number of doctor visits. The risks of surgical hair restoration procedures are the same as most surgery, as the recipient must be placed under local anesthesia. Poor cosmetic results have also been reported when a surgeon is not experienced or lacks artistic vision.

Surgical techniques for hair restoration can be expensive, time consuming and the results may or may not be what you are looking for. Before going under the knife, consider other options such as herbal hair restoration products. Procerin, an herbal formula that blocks the production of DHT in the body, is a safe alternative to surgical hair restoration that will not break the bank.