Thinning, shedding, or balding scalp is more common among women than one might think. Statistics estimate that nearly 20 million American women suffer with these symptoms. In the United Kingdom, it’s reported that more than 60% of women likewise suffer with dwindling hair health. Female hair loss can be brought on by a number of things. Stress, genetics, and sometimes even particular styling techniques can all be leading contributors. Recognizing that hair is an essential element of appearance, confidence, and first impressions, women around the world are turning to surgical hair restoration to restore their hair to a more natural and youthful state.
Hair transplant procedures have a stigma that is not easily overcome. Often referred to as “hair plugs,” the traditional and relatively crude procedures of the 1980s still have hair loss sufferers convinced that transplants produce unsightly, embarrassing results. The tide is beginning to shift, however, as awareness is spreading for the near-perfect results that can be achieved through newer surgical techniques and technologies. This is perhaps most evident in the UK, where hair loss clinics report seeing a rise in the number of female patients seeking hair transplant surgery this year.
UK: Female Hair Transplant Procedures Increase by 82%
One English hair loss clinic reports an 82% increase in women seeking hair transplant this year when compared to 2011 (i). To hair loss professionals, the recent increase in female patients is largely attributed to better awareness for how treatable the condition really is. Hair transplant surgery, for example, is now performed in two unique ways that produce results so natural looking, 85% of Americans cannot tell that a procedure has been performed (ii).
Refined Techniques and Better Technologies
The first and most common hair transplant procedure is traditional called the “strip donor” procedure. This treatment option gets its name from the way donor hair is removed from the rear or side of the scalp. Surgeons remove donor hair in a long strip, and they separate it into groupings of about 1-3 hairs, or follicular units, under high-powered microscopes. Surgeons then transplant each follicular unit by hand, taking great care to recreate the patient’s natural hair density, undulation, thickness, and randomness.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is another common technique for patients who suffer with hair loss. FUE procedures are the newest and most refined method of surgical hair restoration, and patients often report recovering from the procedure in as little as 3-5 days. To perform a FUE transplant, surgeons use a surgical instrument to remove follicular units individually, instead of via strip harvesting. The biggest advantage of FUE is the absence of a linear scar, which is sometimes visible if a patient who receives a strip donor procedure gets a very short haircut.
Celebrity Endorsement
In addition to newer and more refined transplant techniques, hair loss professionals credit celebrity endorsements for significantly reducing the stigma formerly attached to the procedure. In recent years, world-renowned athletes and entertainers have opened up about the transplant procedures that have helped them maintain a full and natural head of hair. In the UK, soccer star Wayne Rooney is perhaps the best-known example. In the U.S., the ageless hairlines of Hollywood stars like Mel Gibson, Jude Law, and Mathew McConaughey have sparked rumors that the celebrities sought help from surgeons to restore areas of balding scalp, ultimately creating a positive impression that has affirmed the quality, safety, and legitimacy of transplant procedures in America.
Female Hair Transplant at Miami Hair Institute
At the Hair Transplant Institute of Miami, our surgeons, nurses, and staff provide the most comprehensive hair loss evaluation and diagnosis available. With more than 45 years combined experience, Drs. Nusbaum and Rose provide expert consultation that will help you understand the unique cause of your hair loss symptoms while developing a personalized treatment plan that will have you looking and feeling your very best.
Readers are invited to call directly 305-925-0222 to learn more about hair transplant in Miami, a permanent solution that can restore hair to its naturally full and youthful state.
Sources:
(i) “Women Go Bald Too.” Daily Mail. Accessed 25 October 2013.
(ii) “2010 Hair Transplant Challenge Survey.” International Society for Hair Restoration Surgery. Accessed 17 June 2013.