Hair transplantat

Indication

Androgenetic alopecia, also known as “congenital hair loss”, is the most common type of hair loss and affects at least 80% of men and 50% of women by the age of 70, with the incidence increasing with age.

Causes

The most common cause of alopecia is genetic. Other causes of hair loss, such as underlying diseases (certain cancers, nutritional disorders, skin diseases and thyroid disorders) and the use of certain medications, should be ruled out before planning a hair transplant.

Course

Hair loss usually begins in the late teens or early twenties. Androgenetic alopecia usually develops slowly.

Men

In men, it usually begins with a receding hairline or a thinning crown area.

Women

Women usually present with diffuse hair loss in the crown area, whereby the front hairline is usually less affected and the change often occurs during the menopause, although it can also be earlier.

Psychological burden

Hair loss can be very uncomfortable, especially for self-esteem in social interactions. Studies suggest that hair loss in men often leads to great emotional distress, anxiety and stress. A third of women with hair loss suffer from symptoms of depression.

Treatment

A hair transplant offers a permanent solution for bald patches where hair does not normally grow back. The hair that is taken from the back and sides of the head for transplantation is genetically programmed differently to the lost hair and is therefore not susceptible to androgenetic alopecia.

Strategy

If you decide to have a hair transplant, you should be aware that hair loss can progress to other areas of the head and that future corrective transplants may be necessary.

In order to avoid permanent and irreparable damage and to achieve good and natural long-term results, the treatment plan must be drawn up with the utmost care, anticipation and individualized technical and strategic planning. Sometimes this means that several hair transplants have to be performed at different intervals over time.

I take great care to only offer hair transplants to patients whose hair loss has stabilised, although I always leave sufficient reserves, especially for younger patients.

Warning: discounted treatments

Large volume hair transplants performed improperly by low-cost clinics are not only a bad idea due to the risk to the patient, but also cause permanent irreparable damage. This damage is usually caused by the following factors, unfortunately often in combination:

1. Bad planning: Unnatural hairlines and depletion of the donor area in one operation, with risk of “moth-eaten aspect”.

2. Poor technique: arbitrary graft selection and unnatural implantation direction as well as rough manipulation of the grafts lead to poor hair quality and loss of grafts.

3. Severe complications: e.g. necrosis (loss of part of the scalp), can occur more frequently due to incorrect indication and technique.

I strongly recommend that you make the decision to have a hair transplant carefully, as a botched hair transplant can be worse than going bald.

Please do not fall into the discount trap with offers that are often created illegally by laypersons or under the responsibility of doctors without appropriate plastic surgery training.

Harvesting technique

Partly influenced by misleading marketing, often poorly performed suturing techniques and greater complexity, the FUT technique has been largely overtaken in popularity by the FUE technique.

The claim that FUE is superior to FUT is false. Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages. Which technique is best depends on the individual patient and their wishes and should not be based on the technical ability of the surgeon.

FUT technique With the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) technique, a strip of hair is extracted from the back of the head, leaving a long, thin scar hidden by the hair. FUE technique FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) is the individual harvesting of hair follicles (grafts) and leaves many, albeit barely visible, scars.

Result

We are not competing for the largest possible number of grafts. The number of grafts says nothing about the quality of the result. The art of an aesthetically long-lasting hair transplant is to achieve the best possible natural result with the smallest possible number of grafts.

Careful planning and meticulous execution of hair transplantation, combined with the highest standards of patient hygiene and safety, can lead to a spectacular, quality of life-enhancing, long-lasting result with minimal complications.

We will be happy to discuss with you in a consultation whether you are suitable for a hair transplant.