People feel self conscious about hair loss — the point that many of us don’t even want to talk about it. We associate hair with vitality and youth, and when you begin to lose your hair, you may start to feel as if you’re aging. Although hair loss is a natural part of the aging process, you don’t have to like it; and many people start losing their hair relatively early. Of course, despite the fact that hair loss is an issue that almost every person experiences at some point in their life — some simply experience it to a more noticeable degree than others — a lot of people avoid looking into hair transplant procedures. The reasons for this often have to do with a lack of education. Perhaps you think that the cost of a hair transplant won’t be worth the results — or, for that matter, that the cost of a hair transplant is beyond your means. Some people also worry about the potential complications surrounding hair transplants, like scars and infection. In fact, a lot of potential problems that come with hair transplants and other procedures used to fight hair loss are simply resolved through picking the right procedure for you. Indeed, hair transplants aren’t the only means through which people can fight hair loss. Hair loss specialists offer a variety of different options to patients. Below, we’ll try to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding hair loss and how it can be treated.

Are You A Candidate For Hair Loss Treatments?

Firstly, let’s look into who might be interested in hair loss procedures — and who actually needs to be treated for hair loss. Some people are overzealous in treating hair loss, and attempt to have procedures done before they actually need them. This can result in an unnatural appearance, which as any good hair loss specialist will tell you, is the opposite of what they want for patients. Most hair loss procedure patients are men — and most of them are being treated for male pattern baldness. After all, male pattern baldness accounts for 95% of hair loss in men. Hair loss can happen fairly early for some men; by age 35, an estimated two-thirds of American men will have experienced some level of appreciable hair loss. By the time a man begins to notice a significant amount of hair loss, he’s probably lost more hair than he realizes; a man can lose 50% of his hair before the loss becomes visible. Of course, men aren’t the only candidates for hair loss procedures. Women, too, can benefit from these procedures. While men expect to lose their hair at some point in their lives, noticeable hair loss can be even more embarrassing for women, who are expected to have thick, long hair societally.

What Types Of Hair Transplant Procedures Are Available?

There are two main types of hair transplant procedures on the market. The cost of a hair transplant can vary depending on which of these procedures you choose, and how much of a transplant you need. One of these procedures available is the FUSS procedure. FUSS (Follicular Unit Strip Surgery) is perhaps less favored now than it was in the past. It involves actually taking a strip of non-balding scalp and placing it in incisions in the balding area. This is more invasive, and can result in the need for things like scar revision, as well as a longer recovery time. It also has a higher complication rate and the amount of tissue that can be harvested is limited. Therefore, many prefer FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). The cost of a hair transplant in this case might be higher, but the complication rates are lower. A less invasive procedure, it has a recovery time of four to five days and involves harvesting a much smaller amount of hairs at a time. The overall effect is therefore more natural.

No matter which procedure you choose, know that you have options — and you don’t have to put up with hair loss.