Hair Transplant Study
At present, there are many people suffering from baldness caused by genetic causes, with 80% of males and 25% of females experiencing this problem. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, more and more people who are experiencing problems are looking for effective and permanent solutions. Hair transplantation is a popular solution to this problem and is likely to become more popular in the future.
Study Design
The data of hair transplantation and patient were collected from our users and affiliated clinics. The data were collected directly from patients without any bias, using the answers of questions related to their hair loss problems and clinic choice.
Hair Loss
Normally, 50-100 strands of hair will fall out per day, which will not noticeably affect the thickness of the hair. At a certain age, we will experience hair loss and thinning hair caused by genetics. Two-thirds of men over 35 will experience this problem. At the age of 50, 85% of these men have noticeably thinning hair. Thinning hair is also found in 50% of women aged 65.
Hair transplant is not suitable for women because women’s hair will be thinner all over the head, causing the donor area to have insufficient hair for the hair transplant. In addition, transplanted hair will fall out because the hair follicles are not resistant to DHT. Therefore, very few women get hair transplants for their hair loss problem.
Men have a more pronounced thinning hair than women, beginning with the receding of the hairline. After that, a fried egg was developed in the middle of the head and the top of the head eventually go bald.
Symptoms of Hair Loss
Hair loss is mainly caused by hormones or genetics which is called pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. It usually begins and progresses gradually but can develop rapidly. Genetic causes can come from both the father’s side and the mother’s side, but the mother’s side may have stronger effect. This makes the hair follicles more sensitive to DHT hormone.
Hair loss is common in people with a family history of the same condition. Symptoms worsen over 5 years. According to the study, 70.5% of all patients have a family history of hair loss.
Hair Loss Treatments
The last resort for hair loss treatment is hair transplantation. Medications should be used to stop hair loss prior to hair transplantation. Hair used in hair transplantation should be taken from the donor area which is resistant to DHT hormone, otherwise the hair transplantation may not provide good results as the transplanted hair will fall out.
Finasteride should be used to treat men suffering from male pattern baldness to reduce the conversion of testosterone to DHT, a hormone that causes hair follicles to weaken and eventually die. Finasteride must be taken daily. However, this medication is not safe in women and minoxidil should be used to stop hair loss in women.
Minoxidil, either as a foam or as a spray, can be applied directly to the affected areas of the scalp to treat androgenetic alopecia. The most popular products in the market are Rogaine or Regaine. This medication is to be applied twice a day. It has a vasodilating effect on the subcutaneous area of the scalp, giving the hair roots more nutrients, stopping hair loss. It is recommended to use as early as the onset of symptoms to obtain good results.
These medications should be used in combination with hair transplantation for better results, as it cannot bring the damaged hair and dead follicle back to life, it simply makes hair loss less severe.
Only 15.6% of patients were treated with the medications prior to hair transplantation which is a much smaller percentage than it should be. Patients with this condition should be treated with medications for a period of time prior to hair transplantation. This is because patients who have undergone hair transplantation without previous medications are more likely to be dissatisfied with the hair transplantation results and more likely to get a second hair transplantation.
Hair Transplantation
Hair transplantation involves the transfer of hair from the healthy area to the problem area. No new hair grows from the hair transplantation, it only relocates the hair follicles.
Several different methods of hair transplantation have been developed. The common steps of hair transplantation include graft extraction, storage and implantation.
The current popular method of hair transplantation is FUE (Follicular Unit Excision) method which uses a very small, hollow needle to extract the hair follicles from the donor area. This method results in small incisions which is difficult to notice without a very short haircut.
FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) is another commonly used hair transplantation method. This method results in larger wound compared to FUE method as it involved removal of a strip of skin tissue from the donor area. This strip of skin tissue is then dissected into individual grafts used for implantation in the recipient area.
The right hair transplantation technique for each patient depends on the degree of hair loss, patient’s age and the hair surgeons. Each hair surgeon has his/her own preferences and expertise.
Hair Transplantation Costs
The countries with the most expensive hair transplantation are Canada and Australia, with the average cost of 224 Baht per graft. Thailand has the lowest average cost of 30 Baht per graft, while the average global cost is 95.36 Baht per graft.
Degree of Hair Loss
The degree of hair loss is usually assessed using the Hamilton-Norwood Scale, which can be used to estimate tell the number of grafts required for each level.
The data shows that 76.9% of patients suffering from hair loss and thinning hair were treated with hair transplantation. They usually get treatment at Norwood Scale type 2-4. The majority of the patients get treatment at Norwood Scale type 4. While there are only a few patients (only 1.1%) get treatment at Norwood Scale type 6.
Age and Hair Transplantation
The ideal age for hair transplantation is 35 years because by the age of 35 it will be easier for the doctors and surgeons to examine, diagnose and identify the donor area which is not affected by DHT hormone, so that the transplanted hair does not shed.
The ideal age for hair transplantation is not always the same and is usually assessed on a case by case basis. The Factors that are often considered before determining the right age for hair transplantation are family history, medication use and the degree of hair loss.
Number of Hair Transplants
After hair transplantation, the follow-up is necessary. A second hair transplant may be necessary for patients experiencing hair shedding after hair transplantation due to the reasons mentioned above.
Medications are need prior to hair transplantation, especially for younger patients, which will improve the treatment outcome and prevent future hair loss.
The data shows that only 7% of patients had previously got a hair transplant and 33.1% of patients required two procedures, while 9.6% of patients required three or more procedures.
Emotional Impacts of Hair Transplantation
Nowadays, thick and full hair is a symbol of beauty and youth, while hair loss and thinning hair represent illness and aging. Hair loss had emotional effects affecting self-confidence, relationships, work, and embarrassment.
These negative feelings lead patients to seek hair transplantation or even other treatments. It is found that 95.2% of those who get the hair transplant had better mood.
The data shows that 41.5% of people with thinning hair needed hair transplant as early as possible. Even though hair transplantation is expensive and takes time to recover, but people who suffer from hair loss still want to get a hair transplant done. This is a good indicator of emotional impact of hair transplantation and it can be concluded that people suffering from hair loss need to treat their problem with hair transplants for better emotional state.
Traveling for Hair Transplant Abroad
Hair transplants in the western world are expensive, so many people choose to go to get hair transplants aboard. For example, many patients from European countries, America and Canada travel to other countries to get their hair transplant procedures.
Clinics in Thailand, India, Mexico often offer packages to foreigner patients. The average hair transplantation cost in Thailand is start at only 80,000 Baht.
According to the data, 45.81% of patients want to go to get a hair transplant in other country because it is easy to find a high-quality clinic providing inexpensive services.
Conclusions
The data we present here is clearer than the information available on other websites because it is collected directly from the patients. Therefore, this data is better than the data collected from the clinic itself because there is no bias in the data collection. Clinics may manipulate the data to enhance the image of the clinic or their doctors and there may also be some concealment of information.
