Four Myths about Hair Replacement Surgery

Perhaps of all hair-loss solutions, the one that works best, modern hair transplant technology, is the one least understood. Hair replacement surgery is in fact the only permanent solution to hair-thinning and baldness. Check out the four opinion statements below and see if you have been a believer in myths.

MYTH # 1: Hair transplants are phony-looking, obvious and embarrassing. FALSE. While that was true in the past (and still is, if you don't find an experienced and qualified doctor), hair surgery today has reached a level of sophistication that renders it as natural-looking as a person's original hair.

In fact, it is a person's original hair, moved to a different location on the head. In most cases, in just one or two grafting sessions with the proper doctor, a person achieves good overall coverage that will last a lifetime. "Doll's-head hair" and hair plugs are ugly and outdated. Today it's possible to transplant hair follicle-by-individual-follicle, so transplanted hair grows as beautifully as a person's original hair before their hair-loss began. MYTH #2: Hair-grafting hurts.

It calls for unsightly bandages and causes scarring. FALSE. Scarring and bandages are artifacts from the pioneering days of hair replacement surgery. Physicians skilled in modern methods achieve outstanding results without those things. The procedure does not hurt.

During the three-to-five-hour procedure (which is performed once or twice before a person is finished with treatment), a patient's scalp is anesthetized, and the person typically reads a book or watches TV while the procedure ensues. Afterwards, there is little or no down time, and the patient may return to work the following day. MYTH #3: Hair transplants are a last resort for people. There are better ways to handle hair-loss problems.

FALSE. While there are many gimmicks and gadgets on the market that promise amazing results, most do nothing at all or at best produce baby-fine hair. Two drugs have been shown to produce some results, but when the medications are stopped, the hair falls out again. And no gadget or drug will grow hair in bald areas.

In contrast to this, hair replacement surgery grows permanent, natural-looking hair that continues growing without any need for drug therapy after the initial growing stage is complete. Hair transplantation is the only known permanent solution to severe hair-thinning and baldness. MYTH #4: Hair transplant surgery is prohibitively expensive.

FALSE. If a person finds the proper doctor, the cost is not much different than any other kind of plastic surgery: usually $2,000 to $6,000 per sitting (most people need only one or two sessions ever). Patients who want quality treatment usually fly to the home city of their specialist, since knowledgeable physicians experienced in state-of-the-art technology are rare. Inexperienced doctors require many more sessions and in the end, charge exorbitant fees for what is often a botched job and an embarrassing nightmare for the patient. Don't go for the quick fix when it comes to something as important as your appearance and your hair. Find out what really works for hair loss, and invest in a permanent solution.

It will save you piles of money and probable tears in the long run.

Dr. Lawrence Shapiro has performed over 10,000 permanent hair replacement surgeries in the last 18 years. Call Dr. Larry Shapiro of Dr. Shapiro's Hair Institute for a hair transplant consultation: 1-800-799-4247.