Beautiful, lush hair is a symbol of strength and self-confidence and is also nice to see. No wonder hair loss is the end of the world for people facing this issue. It’s a widespread problem that affects millions worldwide, and it’s usually more than a mere aesthetical problem.
Poor strand density can be the result of both genetic and medical conditions as well as life choices. In any case, it can affect your looks and your state of mind. Luckily, that’s not an unsolvable problem anymore.
Aside from the below treatments, you should also look at the ways in which you can influence your hair health at home. For example, introducing Leaf Home’s water softener can be helpful to improve your hair’s health and luscious appearance.
Over the years, as seen on SierraRobotic.com, technologies have advanced, and the procedures offered in hair restoration provide adequate control over baldness and spotting. Here, we shed some light on probably the most widely used approaches to hair restoration on the market.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), also known as the “strip method,” is one of the most popular restoration techniques. In this surgical process, a medical expert takes the skin strip from the back and/or sides of your scalp, where the hair is denser. After the procedure, the scar will be in this donor area, but the new strands will camouflage it soon.
The “harvested” strip is split into grafts, each with one to four follicles. These grafts then go into the scalp areas where hair has begun to recede or is completely gone. This guarantees a natural hairline look and overall follicle density.
FUT has some benefits: more follicles can be transplanted in one session, which can be helpful when a person has a lot of bald spots. Also, it’s safe and provides lasting results. But there are also certain cons. For instance, it takes more time to heal and leaves a line-shaped scar, which can be troublesome if you prefer shorter hairstyles.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
This is another micro-surgical technique for hair transplantation. It’s just as effective as FUT, but there are certain differences, as seen here. For starters, there’s no cutting, so doctors don’t remove the strip from the scalp sides. Instead, there are single follicles moved from the donor area, usually in the back and side areas of your head, using a punch tool.
Doctors use special tools to extract follicles, leaving tiny marks in the donor area. These follicles are then transplanted to the bald or thinning scalp areas, just like in FUT. That allows the skin to heal in a neat way with minimal scars.
The main FUE benefits are a shorter recovery period and fewer marks left on the head, striving for a natural hairline appearance. Also, FUE can be less painful and complex than the FUT procedure. However, it could take several hours, depending on the transplantation area size. It may also take several appointments to achieve the right density.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
Both FUT and FUE are conventional methods, effective yet a bit invasive. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a new approach to hair restoration, which uses your own blood cells to activate its growth. It involves taking a small amount of blood and placing it in a centrifuge to extract platelets. These cells are rich in plasma, growth factors, and proteins needed for tissue repair and healing processes in the body.
The PRP is injected into the thinning or balding regions of the scalp with a needle. Eventually, it’ll stimulate follicles to produce stronger, healthier, and more lush hair. It boosts the strand density but also improves the overall scalp condition.
Probably the best thing about the PRP method is its non-surgical and less invasive characteristics. It requires little to no recovery time and can be done in about one hour. Some discomfort during and after the procedure is rare, and most patients can continue with normal activities right away.
PRP therapy can be administered alone or with other conventional methods of hair restoration. The improvements may be discerned after one session, but it usually takes a couple of procedures for the best results. Thus, this kind of treatment is ideal for people willing to try an effective and non-invasive method of baldness control.
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
This method refers to a treatment that uses laser light to stimulate follicles and promote hair growth. Laser devices use low-intensity lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to transfer light energy to the scalp. That energy enters the scalp layer and produces active cell formation. After a few sessions, the blood flow gets better and follicles produce new strands.
Because LLLT is non-invasive and can be applied through different devices like laser combs or helmets/caps, you can try it at home, too. There’s often no discomfort at all involved and rarely any necessity for recovery.
Sessions depend on the severity of the issue, but most take between 15 to 30 minutes and are advised to be done several times a week. Although helpful, this method is not all-mighty. It’ll give great results in the early stages of balding, but it’s almost useless in the terminal stages of hair loss.
Hair Restoration Benefits
This restoration isn’t beneficial just for aesthetical reasons. Sure, you look better with lush, healthy hair, but let’s not negate the impact it has on your morale. People may lose confidence along with their hair, so restoring follicles also means restoring your self-esteem.
Some treatments might be a good prevention against genetic predispositions to baldness. If you start with, for example, PRP or LLLT on time, you don’t have to worry about thinning hair or bald spots. These kinds of positive changes have an effect that radiates across many life spheres.
Also, hair restoration can be a permanent remedy, while temporary ones may include wearing wigs, hairpieces, or other similar accessories. Techniques like FUT and FUE offer long-term solutions since strand physiology will retain those roots for an indefinite period.
People facing hair loss can try out different methods to combat this problem. Different techniques have proven to be helpful and each has its own advantages. Consulting with a specialist will be crucial in helping you choose the best one for your case.