Male Hair Replacement

As men know all too well, there can be an inverse relationship between density of body hair and head hair. You can have a back like Wolfman and still be all Kojak on top. That’s because of a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which has opposite effects on different parts of the body.

“The scalp hair on the top and front of the head reacts to DHT by miniaturizing, so subsequent generations of hair get thinner, finer and shorter,” explains Dr. Robert Bernstein, clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University and founder of the Bernstein Medical Center for Hair Restoration. “With hair on the body, DHT has the reverse effect: It’s stimulated by the same DHT, but over time those hairs thicken and lengthen.” Thank you, DHT.

When hair first starts thinning, medication can reverse loss.

The most trusted medicine for hair loss is finasteride (Propecia), followed by minoxidil (Rogaine or HealthGuard). Propecia, which comes in pill form, works by inhibiting the DHT receptors in hair follicles. No one is quite sure how Rogaine works, but this over-the-counter topical cream seems to extend the growth cycle of hair follicles—though not indefinitely. Both drugs are dose-dependent; they will only function as long as you use them. And both are best used when hair first shows signs of thinning. Once the hair is gone, your money is better spent on hats. Or Zoloft.

Laser therapy, where low-level light is used to stimulate follicles, is another credible and increasingly popular technique.

Replacement surgery has come a long way.

They say only one thing can prevent baldness: hair. Replacement surgery doesn’t actually replace hair, however—it just moves it around on your head.

The leading procedure today is called follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Bernstein, who pioneered the technique, summarizes, “About 10 years ago we realized hair doesn’t grow in individual strands but in naturally occurring units of one to four hairs. It’s a tiny bundle which makes for a tiny graft which you put in a tiny hole …the older procedures, such as plugs, were much less elegant and the wounds were bigger. With follicular unit transplantation, you can mimic the way hair naturally grew. It preserves the natural appearance and you get better growth.”

Like sod taking hold in fertile dirt, the transplanted hairs establish blood supply at the new site, the incisions heal, and voila—the only problem left is your personality.

Older and balder really is better.

In another cruel twist, the best candidates for hair transplantation are guys who tend to be well past their days of chasing girls and jobs. Ideal candidates have a well-established baldness pattern, with thick hair on the back and sides (“donor sites”) and a shiny bald top. Younger men often want a hairline closer to their forehead, which looks unnatural when they get older. Baldness tends to be more emotionally loaded for younger men, too, and they may have unrealistic expectations.

Your hairline isn’t just your mother’s family’s fault.

While there is clearly a genetic component to balding, it’s not necessarily traceable to your maternal grandfather, as commonly believed. Your hairline is written into your entire genetic makeup, just like the rest of your finest traits. A few other myths surround hair loss, including the idea that it’s caused by wearing hats; however, neither matting nor friction will cause loss, and hair follicles get oxygen from the bloodstream rather than from the air. Excessive washing of the hair won’t promote baldness, either. On the other hand, braiding and corn-rowing do cause permanent hair loss by cutting off the blood supply.

Male Hair Replacement has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr. Robert Bernstein, clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University.

Source @ MSN