Full, shiny and beautiful hair is a sign of youthfulness, fertility and simply an ideal of beauty. If the hair suddenly starts to fall out and becomes thinner and thinner, then this can become a psychological burden for those affected, regardless of whether it is a woman or a man. But how do you know when to get a hair transplant?
Above all, a hair transplant can reduce suffering, because not everyone is brave enough to reach for scissors and a razor and wear their bald head with pride, especially women. A hair transplant for women is the logical choice here. But, first of all, the cause of the hair loss should be found. For some hair-related diseases, for example, a hair transplant makes little sense.
At the beginning there is the diagnosis
A certain amount of hair loss is completely normal. On average, people lose up to 100 hairs per day. It only becomes critical when the hair suddenly falls out in clumps and/or no longer grows back. In this case, the person affected should first go to the doctor so that they can make a diagnosis and possibly start a suitable therapy.
The most common cause of permanent hair loss in both women and men is hereditary hair loss. The symptoms are clear in most cases.
Androgenetic alopecia
Androgenetic alopecia, the scientific name for hereditary hair loss, usually begins in men’s early twenties. The first sign is a receding hairline, which becomes more and more prominent over time. As the condition progresses, a tonsure develops at the back of the head. If the hair loss continues, the receding hairline and tonsure combine to produce a bald head.
In women, hereditary hair loss begins later, often with the onset of menopause. Unlike in men, the hair falls out along the crown of the head until bald patches eventually form. In women, complete baldness is very rare.
The cause of hereditary hair loss is a hypersensitivity of the hair root to the androgen DHT, which in turn is formed from the male hormone testosterone. The only remedy that has a long-term and lasting effect on this type of hair loss is a hair transplant.
Diffuse hair loss
In diffuse hair loss, in contrast to androgenetic alopecia, the hair falls out all over the head. The causes vary and range from side effects from taking medication to malnutrition to psychological reasons. Normally, hair that falls out grows back as soon as the problem is resolved.
Circular hair loss (alopecia areata)
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system suddenly identifies the hair roots as foreign bodies and attacks them. This causes inflammation in the follicles, as a result of which the hair falls out.
This results in the circular bald patches that are typical of this disease. The exact causes have not yet been conclusively clarified. Incidentally, a hair transplant does not make sense with this disease, as the immune system would immediately attack the hair roots that have been painstakingly transplanted.
Scar correction with hair transplantation
Hair transplantation can also be used to correct unsightly scars, for example after hair transplantation using the FUT technique. If there is only a small scar, Dr Acar can conceal it, at least visually, with scalp micropigmentation.
If the scar is larger or the patient wants hair to grow again in this area, then this is of course also possible. First, the disturbing scar tissue is removed and the resulting wound is closed again with the trichophytic technique. Then the grafts are implanted into the scar area and the surrounding area.
It is also possible to implant the grafts directly into the scar tissue. This is particularly recommended if the donor scar is linear. Of course, Dr. Acar takes into account the fact that the scar can be hardened by deposits and that the grafts have worse conditions for growing in.
