Human beings naturally grow hair on their head, and for men and women alike, one’s own hair is a major part of their appearance. Many people take great pride in their hair and its style or appearance, and the hair grooming market is huge for both sexes. Different hairstyles have come and gone, but one constant is that no one likes to lose their hair. Hair loss is in fact a natural process, and an aging person has hair fall out every day. But hair replacement is a major step that someone can take to deal with thinning or balding hair, and a hair loss specialist or a hair specialist in general can help. Many men, and some women, will naturally experience thinning hair or balding as they age, and many will want the help of a hair specialist to reverse this. What can be done, and what are the trends of hair loss in the United States today?
Americans and Hair Loss
Many statistics are kept about the health of Americans, and this includes hair on the scalp. In general, it is understood that men and some women lose their hair as they age, and in fact, male pattern baldness, or MPB, affects nearly 95% of men. By age 35, some two in three American men will have some degree or other of noticeable hair loss, and by age 50, 85% of men or so will have significantly thinned-out hair on their heads. Thin patches, bald spots, and receding hair lines are common among men as they age, and based on genetics, some men start losing their hair at a younger age than others. Some men have pronounced receding hair lines in their 30s, while others may not have serious hair loss until their 50s. Across the United States today, some 35 million men are experiencing hair loss, and this phase, once it starts, lasts for some 10-20 years until complete. What is more, some women experience hair thinning as well, and at any time, around 21 million women are going through hair loss just like men. On a man’s head, by the time he loses half of the hairs, the thinning becomes visible and distinctive to the eye.
Many men and women who are going through hair loss are very unhappy about this, and surveys showed that many would go to great lengths to restore a full head of hair. Around half of those surveyed said that they would spend their entire life savings if it meant fully restoring all of their hair, and around 60% said that they would rather have all their hair back than have money or friends. While there is no magic potion to fully reverse hair loss, a hair specialist can help, and there are established methods for filling up thinning hair patches or bald spots on patients today. What might a hair specialist do at a clinic to help a customer?
FUE Transplants
FUE, or follicular unit extraction, is a fairly recent but popular and proven method for filling out bald spots or thin patches of hair. Hair on a human being’s head naturally grows in follicular units, or groups, of one to six each, and these units can be rearranged. Once a customers arrives at a hair clinic and undergoes the surgical procedure of FUE transplant, the doctor will make use of those units. The doctor will use minimally invasive methods to remove hair follicles, often two to four at a time, along with their skin. These units are then added to thin patches or bald spots, and oriented so that they grow in the same direction as the customer’s natural hair to preserve a natural look. While this does not actually add any hair to the customer’s head, it can effectively fill bald or thin patches, and many customers are satisfied with the results.
This replaced the older follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) method, which often left scars on the patient’s head. By contrast, FUE does not leave scars or other marks after the process is complete, and a patient might expect only itchiness or very mild bleeding afterwards. Only if the symptoms become more serious should a patient return for a follow-up to protect their scalp.
