History of Hair Transplant

Artificial Masking Of Natural Hair

Throughout history, hair loss has been a prevalent issue for both men and women. Hair loss is a natural process that occurs in every 2 out of 3 men and 1 out of 5 women. In general, 60% of men are genetically programmed to lose hair while women lose hair mainly due to hormonal changes. In the past, people tried to compensate for hair loss by masking the changes. They used elaborate wigs, toupees or other hair systems that were glued to or woven into their hair to hide the obvious loss. These methods were only temporary and were often a great source of embarrassment to the person using them.

Preliminary Surgical Methods

About seventy years ago, in the late 1940s, the first hair transplant technique was discovered. The “punch method” moved large groups of hairs from the back of the head (where there is hair genetically programmed to produce hair for the entire lifetime) to the areas of the top and front which required hair. However, the punch method resulted in poor survival of the transplanted hair, painful damage to the nerves or arteries supplying blood to the scalp. There was also obvious scarring in the area from where hair was removed or replaced and a very noticeable “pluggy” appearance. Punch grafting should be completely obsolete. This cornrow approach caused as much harm as it did good and the final results were aesthetically questionable. Other methods to avoid are scalp reductions and flaps. Both of these methods involve cutting and removing sections of the scalp resulting in painful, disfiguring scars. There has also been nerve damage reported by patients subjected to these methods. While fewer surgeons use these methods they are actually recommended by some. Our advice is simple whether you use our services or not. Avoid them. You are better off not having any procedure than one which can scar you physically and emotionally.