Aside from those who shave their heads bald, all adults have hair on their head, and this hair does more than insulate the top of a person’s head. Often, a person’s image and self-esteem are tied to the hair on their head, and the color, pattern, and thickness of human hair may vary. The hair care industry is huge today, and hair specialists and salon workers may help customers get extensions, for example, or dye their hair or use curling irons to add curls. Perms and haircuts may modify the appearance of head hair, and men and women alike take a great interest in what their hair looks like. Dye, gel, shampoo, and much more can clean and modify hair. However, there is one common element to adult head hair: the loss of it. Hair loss is typical and natural, and having hair fall out is common among most men and some women. Many people going through hair loss are in fact quite unhappy about this, and they may even lose some of their confidence or try to hide unsightly hair loss. But this does not have to be permanent. In fact, hair loss specialists can be contacted to help, and hair loss specialists can be found at a hair clinic to modify the appearance of a patient’s head hair. What are some trends in hair loss among Americans today? What can hair loss specialists do about it?
Losing Your Hair
Nearly everyone can grow hair on their head, and most people want to keep it. Some men, such as Jeff Bezos or Patrick Stewart, shave their heads to make for a clean and smooth look, but otherwise, American men and women want to keep their hair. But there is no changing the fact that hair naturally falls out and thins out over time. Nearly 95% of men experience male pattern baldness anywhere from their 30s to their 50s, and many men are balding as they age. It is estimated that at any time in the United States today, some 35 million men are balding or losing their hair, and nearly 21 million women are experiencing something similar. By age 35, nearly two in three men will start experiencing appreciable hair loss; that is, its results are visible to the eye. And by age 50, nearly 85% of men will have significantly thinning hair, and they may often have thin or bald spots on their heads. In most cases, a man has to lose about 50% of his hair before the loss becomes noticeable.
Surveys are done for American adults and their hair, and the results show just how dearly adults prize their hair. Nearly half of those surveyed reported that they would spend their entire life savings, if they could, to restore a full head of hair. And nearly 60% of all adults surveyed, men and women alike, reported that they would prefer a fully restored head of hair over having money or friends. It is clear, then, that many American adults are unhappy about their ongoing hair loss. This process can last for 10-20 years once it starts, and by the end, a person may have unsightly bald or thin patches on their head. And while there is no magic potion to restore head hair, hair loss specialists and their work can go a long way toward filling out thin hair or bald spots. What can be done?
FUE Transplants
A person who is going through hair thinning may search for local hair clinics for help, and a patient may get consultations from hair loss specialists and set up an appointment for an FUE transplant. What is that? FUE is “follicular unit extraction.” On a person’s scalp, their hair naturally grows in small units of one to six hair follicles, and during an FUE transplant, hair loss specialists can harvest them. The doctors remove thin layers of skin that contain follicular units and place them on bald spots or in thin patches of hair. The specialist will also orient the hairs so that they grow in the same direction as the existing hair to preserve a natural look. This doesn’t add more hair, but it can fill out bald patches effectively.
