What Is a Body Hair Transplant?

The miracles of modern science allow us to live better lives as we are given more options to make our lives easier. For those who are unfortunate enough to lose a significant amount of their hair which results to permanent baldness, you know that you are now given an array of choices to remedy your condition. One particular treatment for this problem that has gained popularity over the years is hair transplantation.

Hair transplant is a procedure wherein donor hairs, usually taken from the back of the person’s scalp, are transplanted to the balding or recipient site. Since this is a very delicate procedure it is important to get yourself a very good surgeon to do the job.

In some cases where patients try to cut corners they end up with low-quality and artificial-looking results. The worst part here is that you might end up with an unsuccessful hair transplant. Some hairs may not thrive in its new location because of poor handling. You cannot say that you’ll get better luck next time or the maybe next after that because there are only very few resources available – hair grafts that is.

Just imagine having to remove a strip off your scalp in FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) or individually extract hundreds to thousands of hair follicles in FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), this will already limit your donor hairs down to a significant amount. You just can’t continue removing these healthy hairs to cover up your balding spots. You just might end up totally bald if that’s the case.

So for those who may not be lucky enough to get it right the first time, hair restoration experts found the answer that you might need. According to their studies, they learned that body hair can also be used as donor for scalp hair transplant. Since most hair loss sufferers and hair transplant patients are male, this study was designed by extracting body hair from the chest.

The procedure is done by extracting individual hairs from its surrounding skin using a very fine hallowed 20-gauge needle. They are placed in lactated ringer’s solution before they are implanted into the recipient site.

If you may be wondering how this type of hair would fare in its new environment, Dr. Tom Hwang and Dr. Jung Chul Kim along with his research team similarly concluded that this hair will adapt the characteristic of the recipient site. Dr. Campbell and Dr. Woods of Australia were able to prove that this procedure works as they show a documentation of their work on an actual patient.

Some see this as a perfect solution to their hair woes by thinking that it hits two birds with one stone. They get to regain that full head of hair, while at the same time removing those unwanted ones on their body. Yes, it may sound efficient, but surgeons will still have to evaluate you further. Most would advise that it is best to first use scalp hair and consider body hair as a last option.

What Is Normal Hair Loss?

Everyone loses hair on a daily basis. The issue at hand here is what is normal for you may not be normal for someone else. Generally speaking, the norm set for loss of hairs is 50 to 100 hair follicles on a daily basis. But yet, that isn’t even a true number that one can base normal hair loss.

A healthy scalp of hair has been documented to have 100,000 or more hairs and so the experts state that 10% of the amount of hairs that we have is normal hair loss. But who’s got time to count the hairs on our head?

Just as you know that there’s something wrong with yourself, no one has to tell you that there is a definite pattern of hair loss that is not normal. Whether you are losing more or less than 50 to 100 hairs, it doesn’t matter.

If you notice that there is abnormal loss of hairs, then so be it. You have to do something about it whether it’s normal or abnormal.

It’s good to know the evolution of a hair follicle, so that you understand its life cycle. Hair growth grows through 3 stages. The first stage can last anywhere from two and seven years where hair follicles grow up to six inches yearly. The second stage is much shorter because the life cycle is about to come to abrupt end. This stage lasts less than a month and this is where the hair follicle detaches from the base of the scalp. The third stage is the actual detachment from the scalp. The time period for this stage is a bit longer because it can last up to 3 months.

Now if in the 3rd stage more hair is detaching than new ones are growing there is a problem. This problem is the noticing that there is abnormal hair loss and where we try to interrupt the cycle with introducing new hairs on our scalp.

In an ongoing effort to introduce new hairs to our scalp, we try many different remedies. Some work, some do not. One overriding issue here is that there is a treatment plan that works for everyone. It’s not there is a universal answer to this question but an issue of trial and error.

Treatment of hair loss requires diligence, education, and a proper treatment plan that has credibility. It is vitally important to understand at this point that there isn’t a number associated with hair loss.

Only you can determine that and if you feel that hair loss is more than hair growth then it’s time to get on a treatment plan.

Five Vitamins That Will Help You Keep a Full, Healthy Head of Hair

It’s no secret that most American people don’t eat as healthy as they should. Even though we live in what’s considered the richest country in the world, and there is no shortage of available fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain products, meat and poultry, and dairy products, we’re still very prone to grabbing fast food or a pizza on our way home from work just because we’re tired and don’t feel like facing the kitchen. Unfortunately, even though our stomachs are full and we feel satisfied, our bodies are still starving for the nutrients they need to keep all of our body systems operating properly. One place where you may notice this shortage is when your hair starts thinning.

All of the vitamins and minerals you’ve always heard about are necessary if you want to keep your hair. Some of them are directly responsible for the maintenance of the hair and its follicles, and others regulate body systems that contribute to a thick, full head of hair. If you don’t like the way your hair seems to be falling out more than it used to, you need to beef up your intake of the following vitamins:

1. Vitamin A – a deficiency of this essential vitamin can definitely make your hair fall out. If you decide to add a supplement to your daily regimen, though, don’t go overboard. Excessive A in your system can also lead to hair loss. The best way to get the vitamin A that you need is to eat the right foods. You can choose from a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and oatmeal in order to eat the proper amount of vitamin A every day.

2. Vitamin B12 – an adequate amount of this vitamin in your diet will help you keep your hair. You can find it in foods such as eggs, meat, and poultry.

3. Vitamin B7 – also known as biotin. Biotin is necessary to increase and maintain thick, healthy hair and for upping the density of the hair you do have. Many people fail to eat foods that will give them the proper amount of vitamin B7. These foods include beans, whole grain breads, cauliflower, chocolate, egg yolks, fish, mushrooms, peanuts, and poultry.

4. Vitamin B6 – if you are suffering from excessive hair loss, your doctor may recommend that you include more vitamin B6 in your diet. Good sources of vitamin B6 include cereal grains, legumes, vegetables (carrots, spinach, peas, and potatoes), milk, cheese, eggs, fish, liver, meat, and flour.

5. Vitamin D – helps you maintain the proper levels of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. It is also important for healthy hair. Making sure that you keep plenty of fish, eggs, and fortified milk in your diet will ensure that you get enough vitamin D. Sunlight also increases D in the body.